Environmental Education: Learning Objectives After this section, participants should be able to meet the following objectives: Define environmental education Discuss the connections between environmental education, social justice, and peace education Understand different approaches to environmental education  Guiding Questions  As you read this section, consider the following questions: What are the key environmental issues in the area where you live?  How has the environment changed since you were a child?

 

We have met the enemy and he is us. - First poster for Earth Day Pogo -character created by Walt Kelly - 1913-1975   Who hears the rippling of rivers will not utterly despair of anything. Henry David Thoreau -1817-1862

 

 

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 Introduction  

Environmental education is based on ecological thinking and respect for all life on the planet.  Peace Education supports a holistic appreciation for the value of life and the interdependence of living systems on the planet.  Additionally, environmental education is part of peace education since peace education recognizes that peace cannot exist without environmental sustainability and respect for the earth.  Some of the many ways in which this relationship can be seen is in wars that are fought over increasingly scarce natural resources, and how pollution disproportionately impacts those with the fewest resources. 

 

The modern environmental education movement, which gained significant momentum in the late 1960s and early 1970s, stems from Nature Study and Conservation Education. The movement comes from the success of Rachel Carson's text, Silent Spring, fear of radiation fallout and general concern for health, both of the planet and its residents.  

 

Much has been written about the theories and applications of environmental education and it is beyond the scope of this section to give a detailed account. Rather, the focus will be the relation between environmental education, social justice and peace education. Relevant and usable examples will also be offered. 

 

Definitions

A basic, but nonetheless encompassing, definition of environmental education was offered some 40 years ago by William B. Stapp et al (1969):

 

“Environmental Education is aimed at producing a citizenry that is knowledgeable concerning the biophysical environment and its associated problems, aware of how to help solve these problems and motivated to work toward their solution.”

 

After this time, two more detailed definitions came forth from the Belgrade Working Conference on Environmental Education in 1975 and the Tbilisi Intergovernmental Conference on Environmental Education in 1977 (Stapp, 1997).

 

According to the Belgrade Working Conference (1975):

 

“Environmental Education should be an integral part of the educational process, aimed at practical problems of an interdisciplinary character, build a sense of values, and contribute to public well-being. Its focus should reside mainly in the initiative of the learners and their involvement in action and guided by both the immediate and future subjects of concern.”

 

According to the Tbilisi Conference (1977):

 

“Environmental Education is a process aimed at developing a world population that is aware of and concerned about the total environment and its associated problems and has the attitudes, motivation, knowledge, commitment and skills to work individually and collectively towards solutions of current problems and the prevention of new ones.”

 

Often when people think of environmental education, they think of sciences such as biology and ecology. Environmental education includes, but is not limited to, these elements. For example, environmental issues always have social and political elements, and thus can just as easily be integrated into social studies or civics classes. It is important to note the interdisciplinary nature of environmental education, and that it can be integrated into all subject areas.

 

Key Declarations

Environmental education has its basis in various international declarations.  The three central documents are the Stockholm Declaration, the Tbilisi Declaration and the Rio Declaration.  

 

The Stockholm Declaration (1972)

This document is key in environmental history as it was the first international document to recognize the right to a healthy environment as a basic right of all people.  This right is the basis for environmental education, which also works from the premise that all people are entitled to a healthy environment. 

 

The Tbilisi Declaration (1977)

This declaration was a result of the first U.N. conference about environmental education.  The declaration notes that environmental education is key for the protection of the world's environmental resources and balanced development.  The Tbilisi Conference endorses goals, objectives, and guiding principles for environmental education.
 

Goals

According to the Tbilisi Conference, the goals of environmental education are:

1. to foster clear awareness of, and concern about, economic, social, political, and ecological interdependence in urban and rural areas;
2. to provide every person with opportunities to acquire the knowledge, values, attitudes, commitment, and skills needed to protect and improve the environment;
3. to create new patterns of behavior of individuals, groups, and society as a whole towards the environment.

 

Objectives
According to the Tbilisi Conference, the objectives of environmental education are:
    1.  Awareness—to help social groups and individuals acquire an awareness and sensitivity to the total

        environment and its allied problems.

     2. Knowledge—to help social groups and individuals gain a variety of experience in, and acquire a basic

         understanding of, the environment and its associated problems.

     

     3. Attitudes—to help social groups and individuals acquire a set of values and feelings of concern for the

     environment and the motivation for actively participating in environmental improvement and protection.
 

     4. Skills—to help social groups and individuals acquire the skills for identifying and solving environmental problems.

     

     5. Participation—to provide social groups and individuals with an opportunity to be actively involved at all levels in

        working toward resolution of environmental problems.

Guiding principles

According to the Tbisili Conference, environmental education should:

1. consider the environment in its totality—natural and built, technological and social (economic, political, cultural-historical, ethical, esthetic);
2. be a continuous lifelong process, beginning at the preschool level and continuing through all formal and nonformal stages;
3. be interdisciplinary in its approach, drawing on the specific content of each discipline in making possible a holistic and balanced perspective;
4. examine major environmental issues from local, national, regional, and international points of view so that students receive insights into environmental conditions in other geographical areas;
5. focus on current and potential environmental situations while taking into account the historical perspective;
6. promote the value and necessity of local, national, and international cooperation in the prevention and solution of environmental problems;
7. explicitly consider environmental aspects in plans for development and growth;
8. enable learners to have a role in planning their learning experiences and provide an opportunity for making decisions and accepting their consequences;
9. relate environmental sensitivity, knowledge, problem-solving skills, and values clarification to every age, but with special emphasis on environmental sensitivity to the learner's own community in early years;
10. help learners discover the symptoms and real causes of environmental problems;
11. emphasize the complexity of environmental problems and thus the need to develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills;
12. utilize diverse learning environments and a broad array of educational approaches to teaching, learning about and from the environment with due stress on practical activities and first-hand experience. 

 

The Rio Declaration (1992) 

In June 1992, The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and produced the Rio Declaration.  The Rio Declaration provided an important opportunity for youth activism and education relating to the environment.  One manner which this occurred was via a Children's Hearing, as conducted by The Voice of Children  International Campaign, a Norwegian youth organization.  The Children's Hearing provided youth with the opportunity to question and appeal to world leaders with regards to issues of the environment and development.  The Children’s Hearing at the Rio Conference produced an Appeal to World Leaders which is reproduced in the Resources section of this Unit. In the Sample Lesson at the end of this section, the Appeal serves as the text from which to promote dialogue, discussion, and learning exercises.

 

Environmental Education and Social Justice

Environmental education, in its general goal of environmental justice, has in many ways been dichotomized with social justice movements. Many have contested that environmentalists fail to acknowledge the importance of social needs and inversely, that social justice advocates fail to recognize the importance of environmental justice, with particular emphasis on the disregard of the value of preserving the environment simply in its own right, apart from its utilitarian value. However, more recently (and historically for many indigenous communities) there has been increasing awareness that this polarization and duality is both an inaccurate representation of our interconnected reality and disserving of both sides’ goals. In truth, environmental and social justice are intrinsically linked and mutually beneficial. Moreover, environmental education and social justice education are supportive of the same goals put forth by peace education.

 

To further elucidate this relationship, we must consider that the health of the natural world and human communities are never separate. Additionally, access to and control over natural resources is a leading cause of conflict, violence, and warfare (Amster, 2009). Michael Klare (2002) observes in his book Resource Wars: “Conflict over valuable resources – and the power and wealth they confer – has become an increasingly prominent feature of the global landscape [and] has posed a significant and growing threat to peace” (p. ix). Oppressed communities are in general disproportionately affected by environmental degradation/injustice, which in turn, tend to sustain climates of poverty and violence. Environmental injustice, social injustice and violence are thus cyclical phenomena.

 

By the same token, environmental justice, social justice and peace are also cyclically connected. Perhaps in the consideration of political and peace topics, it is useful to consider Aldo Leopold’s (1949) land ethic ideas: “A thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability, and beauty of the biotic community. It is wrong when it tends otherwise” (p. 240). Humanity’s shared destiny in relation to the health of the environment may very well create opportunities for peace building as Carius (2006) illustrates:

As a mechanism for peace, the environment has some useful, perhaps even unique qualities that are well suited for peacebuilding and conflict resolution. Environmental problems ignore political borders. They require a long-term perspective, encourage participation by local and non-governmental organizations, help build administrative, economic and social capacities for action and facilitate the creation of commonalities that transcend the polarization caused by economic relations.  As environmental cooperation develops and societal and political stakeholders are systematically integrated in negotiation processes to protect natural goods, a simultaneous thrust is given to building trust, initiating cooperative action and encouraging the creation of a common regional identity emerging from sharing resources. (p. 11)

 

Examples 

The synthesis of environmental and social justice can be seen in a variety of movements including the Zapatista movement in Mexico, the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (CONAIE) and Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai’s  Green Belt Movement. The Zapatistas have connected their fight for autonomy and justice with the fight against land degradation caused by neo-liberalism. CONAIE demands various cultural rights, such as bilingual education and culturally appropriate healthcare, while also seeing these rights as closely tied to land rights and the preservation of biodiversity. CONAIE supports and has helped establish the idea of the “rights of nature” wherein no productive activity can threaten the cycles and structures of nature (Denvir & Riofrancos, 2008). The Green Belt Movement planted tens of millions of trees across Africa to slow deforestation, executed projects to preserve biodiversity, educated people about their environment and promoted the rights of women and girls. Maathai clearly saw the connection between local environmental degradation (specifically deforestation), poverty, and gender inequality. She stated, "The environment is very important in the aspects of peace because when we destroy our resources and our resources become scarce, we fight over that" (No author, 2004).

 

These are only representative examples of movements that have connected environmental justice, social justice and peace. Another excellent example of this connection is illustrated by the various situations and movements that surround water. 

 

Case Study: Water 

All life is interconnected by water. Like water's transient nature, water cannot be confined to a particular environmental, social, or economic category. Issues surrounding water are inherently interdisciplinary. Here is only a brief list of the environmental and social justice topics that can relate to water: water-borne disease; water treatment; health impacts of synthetic contaminants in water; water as a human right; public/private ownership; environmental and social impacts of bottled water industry; scarcity and over-consumption; dams; water conservation; pollution; species loss; our collective and individual relationship with water and the Earth.

 

In our contemporary world, a central question in the water crisis that touches on both environmental and social justice is whether water is to be treated as a commodity or a basic right. This is a crucial question because the ownership (or not), management and treatment of water are intricately connected to who and what gets to live. Therefore, water topics such as this question and the above issues are of primary importance to peace and justice.

 

Sample Curriculum: FLOW

As peace educators, with our expressed goal of fostering awareness and action for justice in multiple areas and the cultivation of peace both within and without, the following curriculum is offered as an example of how we can apply these theories on the ground and in the classroom. The documentary FLOW: For the Love of Water, has an accompanying curriculm that can be used for environmental education. If you have an internet connection, you can view FLOW at http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/flow-for-love-of-water/. If you are unable to access the movie, you can also use this lesson independent of the movie, without showing the clip. Here we will include several sample lessons from the FLOW curriculum.

 

Lesson Title: From Reflection To Action

 

Ages: 9-12

 

Approx. Time: 1.5 hrs.

 

Essential Questions: What do I love about water? What does a friendship with nature look like? How can we create and implement a local action project?

 

Student Objectives: 1. I can explain what I love about water. 2. I can discuss what I think a friendship with nature looks like. 3. I can create with my classmates a plan of action for a water project in my community.

 

Anticipatory Set: “What do we love about water? Let’s brainstorm all the ways we love and enjoy water. (ex. love drinking water, taking a bath, swimming, the rain, the snow, going to a lake or river, the feeling of water, etc.)” Create a class brainstorm list.

 

Learning Activity (1):

 

Input/Guided Practice: “While there are many things that we may love about water, water is in danger in many ways. In many parts of the world it is polluted, drying up, unsafe to drink, and/or being ‘bought’ by companies who sell it and (sometimes) take it away from people. I want us to consider, to think about, how we treat our water here. Does anyone know about water in this area? Is some of it polluted, scarce and/or owned by a private company?” Brief class discussion. “We’re going to watch two clips from a film about water. We’ll talk as a class after each one.” Show Ch. 18. “Let’s think about what this clip meant. Let’s answer some of its questions (Discuss each question): ‘How can you buy or sell the sky? The warmth of the land?’ ‘Can you own the freshness of the air and the sparkle of the water?’ ‘What does it mean for the Earth to be sacred?’ ‘Do we think that we are part of the Earth and it is part of us?’ ‘How is the Earth treated like an enemy instead of a brother?’ ‘How can the Earth be kidnapped from children?’ ‘Should anyone own water?’ ‘Is owning water different than other things, like owning a cup or a bag or a pen?’

 

Show Ch. 22. “Let’s think about this quote from this clip: ‘How much are we taking from the nature? Today we are taking, taking everything from the nature. But we are not giving to the nature. So this is the relationship, your life, your lifestyle, can survive with the friendship with nature.’ (Singh) Let’s discuss these questions: What does it mean to be friends with nature? What examples can we think of where we are friends with nature?”

 

“With both of the clips we’ve discussed today, let’s go back to what we talked about what we love about water. (Refer back to brainstorm from beginning) Now let’s brainstorm ways or actions we can take that are ways of treating water like a brother, treating the Earth as sacred and having a friendship with nature. We can think about it this way too: What sort of actions can we take to show that we love water and want to have it around so that we can enjoy it?” Create a class brainstorm list.

 

Modeling: Take part in the discussion with students and model introspective thought and discussion

 

Closure: “What actions from our list can each of us do? Better yet, what action can we take on as a class project?” Begin formulating an action project plan.

 

Assessment: Discussion contributions; Brainstorm contributions

 

Materials: pens/pencils; paper for brainstorm list

 

Next: Formulate a plan and start a local action project. See Developing a Local Action Project. 

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Lesson Title: Is Water a Human Right?

 

Ages: 9-12

 

Approx. Time: 1 hr.

 

Essential Questions: What is a universal human right? Why are they important? Should water be a universal human right?

 

Student Objectives: 1. I can describe and discuss human rights and why they are important. 2. I can consider whether or not water should be a human right. 3. I can create a poem, story, song, or drawing about human rights and describe whether or not I think water should be one.

 

Anticipatory Set: “What are the common things, for every human being that we need to survive?” Class share out. (Food, water, shelter…)

 

Learning Activity (1):

 

Input/Guided Practice: “Has anyone ever heard of ‘The Declaration of Human Rights’? Does anyone know what it is? What do you think it might be? What exactly is a ‘right’?” (Short share out) “The Declaration of Human Rights was created about 60 years ago. It was the first set of universal rights—which means it was created for all human beings—that was adopted at the global level. This means that many nations throughout the world agreed on it. Why do you think this might be an important thing?” (Share out) “The Declaration encompasses many, many things. We’re going to focus on the parts that talk about those basic needs we just discussed. Let’s look at this part of it (have handouts or large enough text so students can read along): ‘Article 25—(1) Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.’ What does this mean?” (from: http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/ ) (Break it down and discuss) “Now, this touched on a few of those basic needs we talked about, like food and housing. Did it mention water? (No) There is actually no where in the Declaration of Human Rights that specifically mentions water. But we all need water to survive right? Did you know that we are about 70% water? It’s one of those common things for all human beings and actually for all life forms. So let’s start to think—should water be in there? Think about that as we watch this chapter from a film about water.” Show Ch. 10        

 

Check for Understanding/Guided Practice: “Can a few people summarize the information from this chapter?” (Share out then address/discuss some or all of the following in order to clarify further): “I’m wondering, do you think about where your water comes from? Water is scarce, we’re running out. We’re mistreating it. Can we see any of this here in this area? So this is kind of stupid because we need water for survival. Then, here’s probably a new piece of information: private companies know that we’re running out and think that water should be bought in order for it to be used more efficiently. (Plus they can likely make money off of it.) Water is a $400 billion global industry. That’s a lot! Has anyone ever thought about whether their water came from a private company or a public company? What’s the difference? Should someone be able to make money from selling you water? The movie compares water and air. Do we charge for air? No. Should we charge for water?”

 

“So more importantly, I want to direct us back to the idea of a human right. The movie addressed a lot of things, but in general, it showed that water is scarce and that there are certain companies that want to control peoples’ access to water. They want water to be a ‘need’ instead of a ‘right.’ If water is a ‘need’ it can be sold and owned like any other good. Like your pencil. If it’s a ‘right’ it’s more protected as something that should be available to everyone, even if they can’t pay for it. Do you want it to be a need or a right? What would you do if you couldn’t get clean drinking water? (Or how have you felt when you couldn’t?) Do you think that this is something that should be in the Declaration of Human Rights? Why?” Discuss as a class.           

 

Closure: “With the information we learned about human rights and water, I want you to create a poem, story, song, or drawing about the human rights we covered today, why you think they are important and whether or not you think water should be added.”

 

Assessment: class discussion responses; individual poem, story, etc. about human rights

 

Materials: pens/pencils; paper; colored pencils/crayons

 

Next: Get involved with Article 31: Check out Extra Features-Call to Resistance-Steven Starr: Article 31; sign Article 31; further research on the Declaration of Human Rights; further research on rights guaranteed by your nation; potential action project: create a class poster project on human rights; educate your community/school about human rights and/or the right to water.

 

Check out these resources: http://www.article31.org/ ; http://blip.tv/file/1583990

 

Sample Lesson

(go to website for readings that accompany this lesson http://www.un.org/cyberschoolbus/peace/frame3_1.htm)

 

Unit One -Ecological Thinking and Respect for Life

 

Note: This Unit can be used with all ages and level of student, though it may be most suited for children between the ages of 8 to 12.

 

Overview and Objectives

This lesson is based on the Children's Hearing, as explained at the beginning of this section.  In the following suggested Learning Activity, the Appeal serves as the text from which to promote dialogue, discussion, and learning exercises. This Unit can be used with all ages and level of student, though it may be most suited for children between the ages of eight and twelve.

 

 

Learning objectives.(To see more about these objectives, go to Teacher as Learner section.)
Students will:

(Knowledge)
• Gain knowledge of the process of creating an Appeal
• Know elemental aspects of the environment
• Begin to see connections between international declarations, the environment and themselves

 

(Skills)
• Demonstrate a co-operative approach to learning
• Practice active listening
• Develop an ability to participate and express their opinions

 

(Attitudes)
• Gain ecological awareness and appreciation for Earth as a living system
• Display care for others and the planet

 

Preparation
Posterboard
Various art supplies: scissors, markers, crayons, magazines for clipping words or photos (if desired)
Children’s Appeal to World Leaders, Rio de Janeiro, June 1992The Rio Declaration

 

For background if desired: Convention on the Rights of the Child, Universal Declaration of Human Rights 

  

Suggested Learning Activity

 

Step 1: Introduce the activity in the context of other learning in the class. For instance, this exercise could fit into lessons on science and the environment, reading and communication, civic participation, etc. Because peace education aims to connect learning rather than segment or separate subjects, each activity should be related to previous and forthcoming lessons.

 

Step 2: Organise students into small groups. The appropriate group size should be determined by the teacher but should ideally be between two and four students per group. Try to make sure that groups are as diverse as possible and gender-balanced (containing an equal number of boys and girls).

 

Step 3: Hand out one copy of the Children’s Appeal to World Leaders to each group. If copies are not available, an overhead projector can be used to illuminate the Appeal for the whole class. Another option is to write the Appeal on paper or a blackboard placed in a location that can be seen by all.

 

Step 4: Read the Appeal together as a whole class. Small discussions may arise, but try to save discussion until after the activity. However, any clarifications, such as on the meaning of words, should be addressed before the small group activity.

 

Step 5: Once the Appeal has been read, ask the groups to discuss together and choose one point from the Appeal that they feel strongly about. Explain that they will be working as a group to create a poster expressing what they think is important about the point they chose. In order to learn more about the content of the Appeal, each group should be encouraged to choose a different point. Groups should be given a specific amount of time to complete the work, depending on how much time is available. (This activity could be limited to one half hour or it could be extended over several class periods. In either case, students should be given a sense of how much time they have to complete the activity.)

 

Also let the groups know that they should decide among themselves, before they finish, how they will present their poster to the class. For instance, they may want each member of the group to talk about a different part of the poster. Remind students to practice active listening and to try to really hear what the other members of their group have to say. It is very important that the voice of all students be heard, just like the class is hearing the voice of the students who created the Appeal. If at any point they are not clear what is being said in the group, they should respectfully ask the person speaking to clarify. (This type of communication may take some practice and should always be modelled by the teacher.)

 

NOTE: The teacher may choose to assign the points to each group or make other variations to this exercise depending on the dynamics of the learning environment.

 

Step 6: Monitor small group activity and help out where needed. Give students at least a ten-minute warning before the activity will end. Remind them to prepare how they will present their poster, who will speak, in what order, etc. Everyone is encouraged to speak, but no student should be forced to do so.

 

Step 7: Co-ordinate the presentations (or ask a student to do so). Encourage questions for the groups after they have presented their work.

 

Step 8: After all groups have presented and all questions have been discussed, place the posters gallery-style on the walls of the classroom. They will now serve as reminders of the themes discussed and can be referred to at any other time as needed.

 

Step 9: Assess the activity with the students. See below.

 

Source

 Adapted from Smith, David C. and Terrance R. Carson, Educating for a Peaceful Future, Toronto: Kagan and Woo Limited, 1998, pages 231-237.

 

Assessment 

Checking In: What did we learn?
Sit in a circle and ask students to share one or two things they learned in this activity. The teacher should also share something she or he learned in the activity. The teacher may want to follow up with a summary of the ideas presented by the students. These responses can then be tied back to the teacher’s learning objectives. Sharing learning objectives with students invites them into the teaching process and may help them take more responsibility for their own learning. The teacher’s openness will hopefully encourage students to trust and share in the learning environment. This process of "checking-in" after an activity reinforces the idea that teachers and students are in the learning journey together.

 

Dialogue Sheet
Another way to get feedback about an activity or to assess whether learning objectives have been met is to use a "Dialogue Sheet". A Dialogue Sheet should distributed after each activity or in particular cases. The following is a sample Dialogue Sheet:

 

____________________________________________________________________________

 

Please do not put your name on this paper.
Feedback on the Dialogue Sheet should be ANONYMOUS.

 

Name of Activity: Appeal to World Leaders Poster-making
Date of Activity:

  

What did you enjoy about this activity?

 

 

 

 

If you were the teacher, what would you change about this activity?

 

 

 

Please describe below three things you learned today.
1.

 

 

2.

 

 

3.

 

 

Please share any other thoughts, feelings, or ideas you have about today’s activity.

 

Questions for Comprehension and Reflection

• What are they key principles of environmental education?
•  

 References 

Amster, R. (2009). Pax Gaia: The ecology of war, peace, and how to get from here to there. In Building cultures of

     peace: Transdisciplinary voices of hope and action, ed. Elavie Ndura-Ouédraogo and Randall Amster, 242-57, UK:

     Cambridge Scholars Publishing.

 

Carius, A. (2006). Environmental cooperation as an instrument of crisis prevention and peacebuilding: Conditions for

     success and constraints. Report commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and

     Development, January.

 

Denvir, D. & Riofrancos, T. (2008). Ecuador: CONAIE indigenous movement condemns

     president Correa. Retrieved on June 1, 2010 from http://upsidedownworld.org/main/ecuador-archives-49/1288-

     ecuador-conaie-indigenous-movement-condemns-president-correa

 

No author. (Oct. 8, 2004). Kenyan ecologist wins Nobel prize. Retrieved May 31, 2010

     from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3726024.stm

 

Klare, M.T. (2002). Resource wars: The new landscape of global conflict. New York: Owl Books.

 

Leopold, A. (1949). A sand county almanac. New York: Oxford University Press.

 

Stapp, B. (1997). Epilogue for the concept of environmental education. Retrieved on May

     29, 2010 from http://www.cnr.uidaho.edu/css487/The_Concept_of_EE.pdf

 

Stapp, W.B., et al. (1969). The concept of environmental education. The Journal of

     Environmental Education, Vol. 1, No. 1, 30-31. 

 

Suggested Resources 

Books which focus on environmental sustainability - for use in the classroom

• The Challenge for Africa- (New York: Pantheon, 2009) - written by Wangari Maathai
• Unbowed: A Memoir - (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2006) - In Unbowed, Wangari Maathai offers an inspiriting message of hope and prosperity through self-sufficiency.  (Lessons could be written to use when reading this book.)

 

 

Videos which focus on consumerism and the effects it has on the environment

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Se12y9hSOM0&feature=player_embedded (bottled water)
• http://www.storyofstuff.com/ - (consumerism; teacher's curriculum coming soon)

 

 

Internet Resources

• Facing the Future - http://www.facingthefuture.org/- many free downloads that address global issues including environmental issues which can be used alone or in conjunction with purchased textbook - does require permission to use for commercial purposes - may need to get their permission to use materials not accessible on the internet
• http://www.facingthefuture.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=ea9ZqJMuYQk%3d - this is a 2 week down loadable unit for grades 9-12 on Climate Change: Connections and Solutions - good lessons (some real hands on activities); computer access not necessary for many of the lessons
• http://www.facingthefuture.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=NzczPJZCOQk%3d - this is a we week down loadable unit for grades 9-12 on Buy, Use Toss?-A Closer Look at the Things We Buy -  use of internet is optional - good lesson in that it analyzes needs and wants and the real cost of the things we buy/want/need.
• http://www.facingthefuture.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=JraEBUDNer0%3d - Understanding Sustainability - 2 week unit for social studies grades 9-12 - students will develop an understanding of important sustainability concepts and their connections - good lessons- but most need to be purchased - Facing the Future may be willing to let TWB adopt their materials for our course?
• http://www.facingthefuture.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=MtpFkcdPq8U%3d - Environmental Issues and Solutions - some good material that could be adapted for our purposes - covers climate change, deforestation and water scarcity.

 

• Environmental Protection Agency -  http://www.epa.gov/teachers/ - extensive resources for teachers (also contains links to other environmental programs) - however, internet access required for most lessons

 

• The Globe Program -  http://www.globe.gov/about_globe/globe_program - global environmental studies approach

 

• Global Footprint Network - http://www.footprintnetwork.org/en/index.php/GFN - great site for building awareness of personal and national impact on the environment- has some great stuff for those connected to the internet.

 

• http://www.scribd.com/doc/5561012/Flow-Press-Kit - documentary "Flow" - info on global issue of water availability
• http://www.flowthefilm.com/about - additional info on documentary "Flow" mentioned in previous entry
• http://www.karmatube.org/videos.php?id=1829- Julie Butterfly Hill talking about "disposability consciousness

 

• http://www.greenbeltmovement.org/- website of Wangari Maathai and her green belt movement.  Useful for students to explore what is being done in Kenya to promote peace through environmental stewardship - good cite for articlesby Wangari Maathai - see book idea under books
• Article on what is the Green Belt Movement - http://greenbeltmovement.org/a.php?id=178
• Wangari Maathai has written many books and articles that could be used in the classroom.  Articles are available through the internet.
• Lesson in "Peace Lessons from Around the World" is useful - See review of lessons below