Climate Justice in the Classroom by Ryan Cho

EDUCATION for EDUCATION PLANET EARTH

FALL 2015 | ISSUE 107 | $7.95

Slow Cooking with Kids

PM40069238 North American Association EARTH for Environmental Education MATTERS An environmental and energy education conference – for a sustainable future.

Canmore, Alberta October 15-17, 2015 Building a Stronger and More Inclusive Movement

GreenTeacher.com WintEr 2014 | issuE 101 | $7.95 moRe than juSt a magazine Visit our newly-designed website and enjoy more free articles and teaching ideas than ever before, including: • Read whole articles and excerpts from Thriving our magazine and books in an OutdOOr EnvirOnmEnt

PM40069238 • ConneCt with educators through our webinars SubScribe now to receive full acceSS to: • ShaRe articles easily with friends and colleagues 30+ back issues of the magazine 50+ webinars (PluS education certificates for the Follow uS on twitteR webinars at no cost) M @GreenTeacherMag ViSit greenteacher.com or Find uS on FaCebook e-mail [email protected] C facebook.com/GreenTeacherMagazine for more information Issue 107, Fall 2015

Features

Slow Cookers for Kids By Dan Hendry ...... /3

Page 4 Stories in the Data By Bob Coulter and Skyler Wiseman ...... /6

Living Deep & Sucking out the Marrow By Keith Badger ...... /9

Exploring by the Seat of our Pants By Joe Grabowsky ...... /14

A Lean Green Sun Harvesting Machine By Mark Walker ...... /18

Climate Justice in the Classroom By Ryan Cho ...... /21

Inspiring the Bioregional Imagination By Patrick Howard ...... /25 Page 29 Love Our Coral Reefs By Melody L . Russell, Stanton Belford, Laura Crowe and David Laurencio ...... /29

Take the Green Challenge By Naomi Dietzel Hershiser ...... /33.

Teaching Empathy through Animals By Robyn Stone ...... /38

Departments

Resources ...... /41. Page 40

Green Teacher is published quarterly in September, December, March and June. Subscriptions: Canada-CAD $34, USA-USD $34, all others USD $42 air mail ISSN 1192-1285; GST Registration No. 124125337; Canada Post Publications Mail Agreement No. 40069238 US Postmaster: Send address changes to Green Teacher, PO Box 452, Niagara Falls, NY 14304-0452. Canada Post: Send address changes to Green Teacher, 95 Robert St., Toronto, ON M5S 2K5. Return postage guaranteed. Printed in Canada.

Green Teacher 107 Page 1 Editorial

Issue 107, Fall 2015

General Editor Encouraging Empathy Tim Grant “In what terms should we think of these beings, nonhuman yet Editorial Assistant possessing so very many human-like characteristics? How should we Amy Stubbs treat them? Surely we should treat them with the same consideration

Editing and kindness as we show to other humans; and as we recognize human Amy Stubbs, Tim Grant rights, so too should we recognize the rights of the great apes? Yes.” ― Jane Goodall (primatologist, anthropologist and conservationist) Regional Editors Canada Gareth Thomson Alberta (403) 678-0079 “Caring – about people, about things, about life – is an act of maturity.” Laurelei Primeau British Columbia (604) 942-0267 Tracy McMillan (author of Why You Are Not Married) Bob Adamson Manitoba (204) 261-7795 Raissa Marks New Brunswick (506) 855-4144 Craig White Newfoundland (709) 834-9806 OW DO YOU TEACH young people Steve Daniel Northwest Territories (867) 873-7675 Janet Barlow Nova Scotia (902) 494-7644 to care for themselves and others in the Christine Smith Québec (819) 566-0238 world? Educators have puzzled over Barbara Hanbidge Saskatchewan (866) 254-3825 H this for years. Environmental and social justice Remy Rodden Yukon (867) 667-3675 advocates have similarly pondered this question United States for just as long. Karen Schedler Arizona (602) 266-4417 Kay Antunez de Mayolo, N. California, (650) 773-4866 The answers are many and you will find Helen de la Maza S. California (714) 838-8990 some of them well-represented in this issue of Kary Schumpert Colorado (303) 772-2548 Green Teacher. As Robyn Stone explains in Mary Lou Smith Connecticut (860) 455-0707 Kim Bailey Georgia (770) 888-2696 her article, animals in classrooms have great Cathy Meyer Indiana (812) 349-2805 potential for encouraging empathy. At her Shelene Codner Iowa (319) 404-1942 Laura Downey-Skochdopole Kansas (785) 532-3322 pre-school, she encourages young minds to take into account the feelings Jeanine Huss Kentucky (270) 745-2293 of the classroom animals in their care. When young people begin to Sandra Ryack-Bell Massachusetts (508) 993-6420 John Guyton Mississippi (228) 324-4233 recognize the feelings of other living beings, they are well on their way Bob Coulter Missouri (314) 442-6737 to adopting pro-social behaviour. All young people are empathetic by Lauren Madden New Jersey (609) 771-3319 Lois Nixon North Carolina (919) 467-6474 nature: but cultivating those tendencies into positive behavior is our role Sara Ivey Oklahoma (405) 702-7122 as educators. Catherine Stephenson Pennsylvania (724) 357-5689 In our cover story, you will read about a group of college students Anne DiMonti Rhode Island (401) 245-7500 Tim Brown Utah (801) 596-8500 who recognized that many of their classmates were eating poorly due to Jen Cirillo Vermont (802) 985-0331 inadequate food budgets. After developing successful on-campus pro- Dan Waxman Virginia (703) 993-7782 grams, they worked with local middle schools to teach younger students Green Teacher is a nonprofit how to plan, shop and cook tasty meals for their family with inexpensive organization incorporated and healthy ingredients. Empowered by their on-campus success, their in Canada. We are grateful for the financial support of the Ontario own empathy extended to those well outside their normal social circles. Media Development Corporation. The growing movement of climate justice asks us to empathize with Design and Production those we are unlikely to ever meet. As Raymond Cho reminds us, the Cover photo by Dan Hendry; Layout and cover design impacts of climate change are more severe on those around the world by Lisa Rebnord; printing by Annex Publishing and Printing, Simcoe, Ontario, on Forest Stewardship who produced the lowest emissions. Council® certified paper. Empathy is a building block of morality. It helps us to have successful relationships with others. Equally important, research confirms that Contact Us 95 Robert Street, Toronto, ON M5S 2K5, Canada empathy also enables us to overcome prejudice and racism and to help Toll-free: (888) 804-1486 Fax: (416) 925-3474 reduce inequality. Needless to say, it is an important building block for [email protected] www.greenteacher.com U.S. address: PO Box 452, Niagara Falls, NY 14304 a sustainable future. As always, it is our hope that the usual eclectic mix of articles and activities in this issue will inspire you to try new activities – and find new ways to encourage empathy among the young people you work with.

GT’s Summer issue? Attentive readers would have noticed that we did not publish a Summer issue. Our Spring issue was released so late in June, that we had little choice but to re-label this issue as our Fall issue. Nonetheless, we’ll be extending everyone’s subscriptions by one issue to make up for the shortfall.

– Tim Grant

Page 2 Green Teacher 107 Photographs: Dan Hendry Slow Cookers for Kids A unique way to build an interest in, and the skills needed to cook healthy local foods

By Dan Hendry budgets. Entitled “Food Cents”, these seminars soon morphed into Recipes for an Empty Wallet, a recipe book that is avail- “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. able for free online in both English and French editions.1 Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” The Enactus students next approached the Limestone – Chinese Proverb. District School Board to see if Recipes for an Empty Wallet could benefit Grade 7-8 students. Recognizing its value, AST YEAR, college students in Kingston Ontario Board staff worked with the student leaders to further took this proverb to heart and decided to address the enhance the recipe book. In the process, they decided to cre- Lissue that too few kids know how to cook or what ate a more specific program that would provide each Grade food to buy. After helping their fellow students to stretch 7-8 student with three days of instruction by a St. Lawrence their limited food budgets, they created valuable teaching College chef and culinary arts students, a copy of Recipes and learning moments for hundreds of middle school stu- for an Empty Wallet and a slow cooker. The intent of the dents in our school district. program was to teach young students cooking and budgeting After learning that most provincial social assistance pro- skills – skills that are currently not addressed by most curri- grams for post-secondary students allocate only $7.49 a day cula. It is my hope that the following details will inspire for food, a team of student leaders from St. Lawrence College others to create similar programs in their own communities. committed themselves to address this gap via the power of entrepreneurial action, while also boosting local food sustain- A recipe for success ability and literacy. Operating as a campus chapter of Enac- Dubbed Slow Cookers for Kids, the program helps to elimi- tus, an international student organization, they organized nate the barriers between students and cooking. The pro- seminars to help students eat healthfully on the tightest of gram also gets students excited about cooking, willing to

Green Teacher 107 Page 3 After safety lessons, Grade 7-8 students get to work on recipes that progress from simple to sophisticated.

try fresh flavours and become confident with their skills. Under the direction of a professional chef and second-year culinary college students, our Grade 7-8 students learn how to prepare and cook recipes progressing from fairly simple to more sophisticated ones over the three days. All of the recipes used in the program must meet the following criteria: that they be low-sodium, low-fat and/or low- sugar, easy-to-shop-for and easy-to-make. Thanks to the financial support of local business leaders and other partners, each student takes home a copy of the recipe book, some ingredients and a slow cooker. All of these remain theirs to keep. Providing these materials has enabled us to bridge learning between the classroom and home. Best of all, through the program, students have become engaged, confident and excited to continue cooking for themselves and their family. By developing basic food literacy and food skills in our youngest students, this unique partnership helps to ensure that tomorrow’s leaders develop – early on – an appreciation for eating and cooking healthy local foods. If programs like this become widespread, this will help us to shift from a centralized to a localized food system that is more stable and diverse. Once participating students develop a taste for fresh local foods, this will help to increase the Creating Your Own Project demand for these foods. But that shift will only happen if we ensure that young people know how to use and prepare them. When embarking on such a project, many different types of community organizations can be engaged. Like us, So, what happens? you won’t need to raise money per se, but you will need The professional chef and his culinary students arrive at to obtain enough slow cookers so that each student will the school to set up that day’s demonstrations and tastings receive one at the end of the program. Think about who in before classes begin. Their preparation includes pre-cutting your community has a mandate or interest in health pro- the ingredients and/or partially preparing the recipes for that motion, local food sustainability, children and youth, and day’s session, so students can more easily complete all the learning? Approach each one and find out what they might steps of their recipe. The chefs will also have brought two contribute to your program. To recreate the Slow Cookers to three slow cookers that contain already-prepared foods, for Kids model, it would be helpful to seek out these kinds using the same recipes, that the students will be preparing of individuals and/or organizations: that day. This food will be reheated so that each student can • Local restaurant owners; enjoy a sample. • Local chefs; When students arrive, the chefs provide safety lessons • Local farmers; that include a demonstration on hand washing and the safe • Local post-secondary institutions; handling of food. Students then go to their work stations, • Public health agencies; get acquainted with that day’s recipe and begin the hands-on • Local Enactus chapters (found in many colleges and work of preparing their dish for a family of four. Once the universities); previously prepared meals are re-heated, the students get • Fruit and vegetable wholesalers; to sample the end results of the recipe they are working on. • Farmer’s markets; Meanwhile, their own meal cooks slowly during the school • Grocery stores; day which they will eventually share with other staff and • Department stores; students. • Kitchen suppliers; During our pilot project, the featured recipes included • Granting agencies. Vegetable Lasagna, Black Bean Soup, Chocolate Pudding Cake and Curried Lentils.

Page 4 Green Teacher 107 Given the success of our first year, we have already started planning for the upcoming school year. Our hope is to expose 220 students in eight schools to the program and to use fresh local ingredients grown at some of our school gardens. Slow Cookers for Kids is a perfect example of a project that came to fruition because of a clear need. Food literacy and food skills are too important to be lost. Teaching young people to prepare food with confidence will lead to a stronger and more secure food system – and healthier students. Such projects are not possible without the support of the community. It is my hope that you will find such support in your community to create a similar project.

Dan Hendry is the Sustainable Initiatives Coordinator at the Limestone District School Board in Kingston, Ontario. While studying for his Masters at the Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden, he studied under Dr. Karl Henrik Robèrt, the founder of the Natural Step. Dan is an active Culinary arts students from St. Lawrence College take a break volunteer with both TVCOGECO and the Canadian Red from teaching their younger charges. Cross’ Disaster Management Team in Kingston. Though a variety of people and organisations contributed resources, During various breaks, students move into a “taste, see, skills and time, he would like to thank Chef Thomas Elia, smell, touch” session with specific ingredients. Most of the Jason Quenneville, Enactus SLC, the Limestone District ingredients were used in that day’s recipe, but others were School Board, Brown’s Dining Solutions, and Canadian Tire. included because they were in season. The students also receive mini-lessons on nutrition based on Canada’s Food Notes Guide and on portion control guidelines. Each lesson is fol- 1. Recipes for an Empty Wallet. English: http://enactusslc.ca/wp-content/ lowed by a question and answer session. Finally, students uploads/2014/10/2014_09_10-cook-book-final-ENGLISH-website.pdf French: http://enactusslc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/006_042_FCENTS- are schooled on how to clean and care for their slow cooker, CookBook-FRENCH-full.pdf and everyone pitches in with clean up at day’s end. Our First Year In our pilot year, 140 students from seven local schools Dawn Publications participated in the three-day program. In December 2014, Connecting Children and Nature since 1979 our first session involved Grade 7-8 students from a school whose technology program already included instruction on food preparation. In addition, students from four nearby schools were regularly coming to the school for the technology program. We knew that if our initial pilot was success- If You Love Honey ful, it would be easy to expand the program to these students Written by Martha Sullivan from the four other schools. Illustrated by Cathy Morrison After an extremely successful first session, we selected If You Love Honey takes its readers two additional schools where the students had little, if any, on a beautifully illustrated adventure food preparation skills, nor a technology classroom. We wanted to see how well the program would function, and through the intertwining natural were pleased to discover that the results were just as posi- world around us. tive. Students were clearly hungry (forgive the pun) for this kind of unique, hands-on instruction. Our follow-up surveys revealed that two weeks after the Mighty Mole and Super Soil program, 50 per cent of the participating youth used their Written by Mary Quattlebaum slow cooker to prepare a meal on their own for their parents. Illustrated by Chad Wallace One month after the program, almost 80 per cent of students Mighty Mole is a great introduction were using their slow cookers to prepare meals, and some to learn more about this wonderful had done so multiple times. resource, SOIL. Sensing a desire amongst participating students to build on the success of the first Slow Cookers for Kids program, the college invited our students to come to the commercial kitchen on their campus. In the spring of 2015, our students traveled R to St. Lawrence College. Following a lesson entitled “Burger Phone (800) 545-7475 www.dawnpub.com R R Club”, they created different types of burgers from scratch. Canadian Distributor Monarch Books 416-663-8231

Green Teacher 107 Page 5 Stories in the Data What can elementary and middle school children learn about the world around them by looking at the numbers? Photographs: Bob Coulter

This is just one example of how data can inform students By Bob Coulter and Skyler Wiseman about the wonderful world we live in. Describing and tracking changes in the non-living (or abiotic) world is an impor- HE DATA’S WRONG!” Matteo exclaimed. After tant part of coming to understand the environment, locally “ being careful to plot the increasing amount of sun- and at a distance. In this article, we’d like to share three strat- T light observed locally as we moved toward spring, egies to make this data accessible and meaningful to students the students were confronted with an anomaly in the data: at different ages throughout elementary and middle school. An unknown location was reporting declining amounts of sunlight each day. As his teacher, Bob Coulter hesitated to What’s it Like Outside? Ages 5-7 provide answers when the kids could easily figure it out for Basic language and math skills are at a formative stage themselves with a little detective work. So, he asked Mat- at this age, but kids are naturally curious about the world teo to double-check his work, and sure enough — the data around them. Careful observation and measurement tasks showed less time between sunrise and sunset. In fact, the provide opportunities in which they can develop skills with location Matteo was reacting to wasn’t the only one with language and data. Two age appropriate and engaging this pattern. At the time, we were working with the Mystery activities are to record temperatures in a simple table and to Class project sponsored by Journey North1. Participating collate basic weather conditions. These projects give kids an classrooms receive clues each week (such as the local sun- early start on data as a sense-making tool, and they help stu- rise and sunset times) for a set of ten mystery locations, with dents develop the ability to describe the world around them. a goal of discerning where each city is. With some encour- Kids this age are used to thinking of weather in qualita- agement to be patient and see what the next round of data tive terms such as “hot” or “cold.” Starting to work with brought, Matteo and the other students deferred their skepti- temperature data helps children move toward more specific, cism. In the coming weeks, intrigued by the data, they came comparative language. For this task, a simple table can orga- to understand the different seasonal patterns experienced in nize daily observations. Placing a dot sticker in the right the northern and southern hemispheres. area for the current temperature – 90’s, 80’s, 70’s, and so on

Page 6 Green Teacher 107 Going further, students can compare this daily temperature data to what is “normal” over time for your community. Most weather web sites show this data, though you might have to click past the home page to find it. (See the sidebar for tips on how to gather this data using such resources.) By carrying out this data on a daily basis for a few weeks, or perhaps a month if you have time, students will come to understand how local conditions fluctuate daily, and develop the skills to notice and describe how the conditions they notice compare with what is typical. Has it been an unusually warm or cool season? How has this been reflected in what they see outside? Linking the data to students’ lived experience in this way helps students to appreciate the role of data in our lives, and it gives context to what they are experiencing day to day. Along with temperature, precipitation is a key factor in K-temps chart describing and differentiating the local environment. For example, St. Louis, Missouri and Dodge City, Kansas have (or their celsius equivalents) – will quickly build a data set similar average annual temperatures, but very different lev- which describes both current conditions and broader trends. els of precipitation. As a result, St. Louis is largely a temper- Stringing together monthly charts will show seasonal ate deciduous forest, whereas Dodge City is predominantly change as temperatures get lower or higher. To help students a grassland ecoregion. Students can record this rainfall in a build a conceptual understanding of hotter temperatures chart daily, but it may be more useful to aggregate the data having more degrees, you can take the kids outside with into a monthly total which can be compared with what’s thermometers. By moving from place to place on the school “normal” for your region over the same period of time. grounds kids can see how a hotter area – such as on pave- Looking beyond the immediate experience, this foun- ment in full sunlight – shows a higher number on a ther- dation in data helps students to make sense of aggregated mometer than a cooler, shady area does. If you have a poster data such as monthly averages, locally and beyond. After or a large model thermometer the concept can be visually completing this project, Bob’s fourth graders were well- reinforced. equipped to go on to compare and contrast life in the desert, Going further, a similar chart can be constructed to col- rainforest, and tundra building with a strong foundation of lect weather conditions. How many days in the month are local data. When they could see that different regions were sunny, cloudy, rainy, or windy? Simple grouping and count- warmer or cooler, wetter or drier, local plant and animal ing activities like these will give kids an early start on build- adaptations made a lot more sense. ing data skills to describe their world. Adding Complexity Ages 11+ How Does it Change? Ages 8-10 Pre-teen students are ready to add complexity to their data As students get a bit older, they can start to take on more investigations. One way to do this is to continue to build on sophisticated challenges. Graphing the daily high and low the extension just suggested, with students making compar- temperatures will start to show patterns which can then be ative studies of temperature and precipitation from different analyzed. Even better, if the kids calculate the daily average ecoregions, and linking these to photos of characteristic (splitting the difference between the high and the low tem- plants and animals. Another option is to compare tempera- perature), a “cleaner” pattern will emerge. tures of cities roughly along the same line of longitude,

Students work on their Mid-temps chart.

Green Teacher 107 Page 7 Data Tips Temperature Data There are a number of web sites offering weather data. We have found that kids can navigate the Weather Underground site pretty well. As of this writing, you can locate historical data for your site by following these steps: • Go to the main Weather Underground web site (www.wunderground.com). • Search for your city. • Once you reach the full forecast for your city, scroll down to the Almanac. • Click on the Calendar View to see data for the current month. • Within the Calendar View, data from prior months can be seen. Be sure students are recording data from the prior day(s) since the current day is still in progress. Highs and lows will be subject to change over the course of the day. For those who want to drill deeply into the data, students can compare current and normal data with that from one or more prior years. It may also be interesting for advanced students to compare normal data from different web sites. The normal value for a given location will vary slightly depending on the interval of time on which it is based, for example the past 10, 20 or 30 years.

Sunlight Data Sunrise and sunset data can be found on a number of different web sites. Perhaps the easiest, though, is to follow the same steps listed in Temperature Data to use the Weather Underground web site. The data needed for sunrise, sunset, and the total length of sunlight for the day can be found in the Almanac section, right next to the historical weather data. As a developmental caution, calculating the amount of daylight between sunrise and sunset can be challenging for some students. The computations from the raw numbers representing sunrise and sunset (i.e. 7:24 am to 8:12 pm) can be difficult for young students given the different units of measure (12 hours in both the am and pm and 60 minutes in one hour). Fortunately, most web sites these days — including Weather Underground — will calculate the daylight for you. Still, graphing that data can be a challenge since the minutes will need to be converted into a decimal form. For example, 13 hours and 45 minutes will have to be converted to 13.75 hours for graphing purposes. You might find it useful to create and share a chart with the decimal equivalents of the minutes. These charts can be found online, as well, by searching for ‘minutes to decimal chart.’

Graphing Tools One decision you will have to make is whether you want students to make their own hand-drawn graphs or use graphing software. Hand-drawn graphs support students in learning the basics of graph construction as they lay out axes and plot individual data points. Conversely, this process can be quite laborious, and frustrating for students if they make a mistake and need to start over. Software options could include using spreadsheet tools such as Microsoft Excel or Numbers on Apple computers. Free online graphing tools such as Plotly are another good option. While students using software gain less experience in the manual art of constructing a graph, computer graphing supports different skill sets as students consider different plot types, enter and check data, adjust axes, and assign labels.

Another interesting factor that helps students to understand seasonal change is to track the change in sunlight over the course of the year. Locations close to the Equator have a pretty consistent amount of sunlight each day, while those closer to the poles have much more seasonal variation. Also, students (like Matteo in the opening vignette) find the rever- sal in the sunlight pattern between the northern and southern hemisphere intriguing. Combining this study with temperature data, students can start to link multiple representations of abiotic data in the local community with what they see outside. Falling temperatures, shorter lengths of sunlight, leaves falling, and animal migration all come together to give Day length chart students a data-informed view of their natural world. moving toward a pole. For example, Bob once had a wall- Bob Coulter is currently the Director of the Litzsinger Road sized line graph in his class, which enabled students to Ecology Center, managed by the Missouri Botanical Garden. record and compare daily temperatures over the course of Skyler Wiseman is the K-5 Curriculum and Instructional three months in New Orleans, Louisiana; St. Louis, Mis- Specialist for the Institute for School Partnership at Wash- souri; International Falls, Minnesota; and Churchill, Mani- ington University in St. Louis, Missouri. toba. Over the course of the three months, there was only one day where the lines for two cities crossed. Clearly, Notes latitude matters! 1. The Journey North web site can be accessed at www.jnorth.org

Page 8 Green Teacher 107 Living Deep & Sucking Out The Marrow Transforming the mindsets of teens through a wildcrafting course Photographs: Keith Badger

gather herbs, or simples; basket makers their materials for By Keith Badger making baskets. Yet there is an older and wiser understanding of this term that denotes the cultivation of a wisdom and HEN HENRY DAVID THOREAU offered an understanding gained through direct experience with Nature explanation on what he was about in his Walden – or Thoreau’s natural life. I have developed the Naturalist Wexperiment in chapter two of his book1, he stated Program (a place based field ecology elective utilizing that he wished “to live deep and suck out all the marrow of primitive skills, wilderness adventures, and rites-of-passage life” while routing out “all that was not life.” For twenty- experiences) at the High Mowing School with these aims in four years now I have been attempting to follow Thoreau’s mind – going deep into the nature of experience, where wisdom while being charged with teaching field biology to Thoreau’s dictum to “try our lives by a thousand simple the high school students in my care. For Thoreau, his path tests” and approached as “an experiment to a great extent was clearly one of immersive experience within nature, or untried by me” are met as part of our daily educational fare. what he would call a “natural life.” I have imagined stu- Before sharing a picture of some of the things I do so that dents, and myself, as wildcrafters of that natural life, pre- you might create a similar program of your own, allow me ferring the term wildcrafting to educate, which means to first to offer a little thinking exercise which may shed some draw out. Wild crafting refers to gathering natural products light upon what I mean by, and how I go about, bringing the directly from natural areas untouched by man; Herbalists study of life alive within students.

Green Teacher 107 Page 9 Take the following two (three) words, being told, and often accompanied by homework. But getting back to the baseball game, the information remains Boston New York based by opinion unless I was actually present to watch game four of the American League Championship where it …and permit both words to register with your senses, would then be first-hand knowledge. It may still be biased and observe the thoughts that come to mind. There may be though, according to who won the game, and my team affili- a rich amount of associative thoughts and thinking that take ation. Yet, if I have played the game myself, or was as good place for you? If I now add two more letters, as a professional sportscaster (often retired pro players who have lived and experienced the game at much deeper levels), Boston vs. New York I would be getting closer to a much fuller, real understanding of the event; one that would place the event in a truer … I suspect that there will be immediate streams of light or just reality. That real knowledge and understanding associative thoughts that may begin to place the words would be a reflection of multiple variables, such as time, tal- within a sports context. Again though, there will be a varied ent, dedication, patience, practice, playing experience, ups and rich tapestry according to individuals regarding what and downs, victories and losses, and study over many years. sport, and even more to add into the mix for all those who To draw out and cultivate (educate) a knowledge and may view city rivalries in a multitude of forms. However, if understanding of the living world that reflects a deeper liv- I then add, ing relationship to nature demands an immersive approach to learning which transcends the mere acquisition of data “Game 4 of the American League Championship and information, and the mastery of the mesmerizing tech- was played at historic levels of skill, expertise, and nologies that enable us to manipulate them. We need to learn competition.” how to learn, suck out the marrow of life, so to speak, and place all that is not life to the side. The first 18 years of life, … we go from thinking based upon simple data to a way spent largely in school, offer a rather generous time frame of thinking based upon solid information – Game #4 of the for drawing out such an understanding of the living world. Baseball ALC, 2004 (assuming we have done a little digging Thoreau reminds us that “knowledge is to be acquired only around on Wikipedia, as homework, from those first clues by a corresponding experience. How can we know what we and we discover that the last time New York and Boston met are told merely?”2 in a game #4 of the ALC was 2004; an epic game as a Red This learning how to learn is one of the key concepts Sox fan!). That’s what much of educational time is predi- in the Naturalist Program, as well as within education in cated upon really, data and information gleaned through general, and should be transferable to any initiative, or

Page 10 Green Teacher 107 endeavor, we undertake in life. It is related intricately to the toward biological and environmental field sciences. nature of process, and thus provides opportunities in real Much like the progression within the scientific method understanding. Much of education today involves the mere itself these questioning modalities are not ones that can be learning of facts without any true understanding of knowl- rushed or forced to obtain mere answers; they require a dis- edge because we have not had a true experience that brings ciplined mind ready and able to patiently probe the nuances us into a relationship with that knowledge. We are a genera- of experience. Likewise, I strive to carry within my pro- tion satisfied with quantum leaps and end products - fast gram design the idea of multiple intelligences, as put forth food for the mind and soul! It has been my conviction that by Howard Gardner, and very much in keeping with Rudolf youth today need more than ever the healing affects of the Steiner’s 12 senses and holistic theories of human develop- natural world and that the true focus of natural science will ment. The breakdown is roughly as follows: emerge out of a deeper understanding of its natural rhythms. Each year introduces new ways to see the same old Ultimately, to understand these rhythms we need a deeper things with new eyes! Skills, which begin in year one, such experience of them. It provides the balance, as well as the as mammal tracking, are continued and developed in a inspiration so needed today in a culture rife with hopeless- deeper way over the years. One begins with learning how to ness, cynicism and despair. observe, and then to draw comparisons with other signs in The program is built up out of the recognition that there the landscape. Finally, the track is placed within a greater are levels of experience, as opposed to grade levels. Yet context in the wider environment, and ultimately to the these levels parallel the developmental scheme worked question of what role and purpose the animal plays in this within our school curriculum where each level operates great dance of nature. One must learn to be patient, and to out of a seminal question that mirrors one’s inner develop- let Nature slowly reveal her secrets to the observer. A lan- ment or maturation. We follow a developmental model that guage that we grow more and more familiar with! recognizes that humans perceive the world differently at Today, in daily life, we are pressured by a lack of time and different periods of biological development; somewhat like resources, and the end result is a diminishment of basic aware- a hologram, where each grade level hopefully reflects a wis- ness of one’s surroundings, and how ones existence lays in dom which grows alongside of experience, and reminiscent or out of balance with the surrounding environment. It is this of Jean Piaget’s insight into the nature of maturation. For a awareness that not only needs to be gained, but honed and freshman (9th grader) for example, to understand why phe- encouraged to grow. One of the first aims in the Naturalist Pro- nomena occurs, or what his human role and responsibility to gram is to begin to understand patience; so that we may then that knowledge may be, isn’t as important as it is to develop understand nature’s process, slow yet deliberate. In today’s the ability and capacity to observe and pay attention at this world we have come to want, or expect things instantly, or in early stage to doing science. Learning how to command order to meet that need we streamline things. The bulk of what and direct one’s power of attention, and be a well-trained makes it what it is must then be stripped away. observer, takes time and becomes the critical skill in need of Time is a highly prized and critical variable with this cultivation as opposed to merely getting answers. approach, and the school has needed to embrace a rhythm to The seminal questions are simply what & where, how, the day that is predicated by the seasons (of the year, as well why (the questions of science) and who (the question of the as the day), and often clashes dramatically with the modern humanities), and are built upon over the years and form industrial model of education, where learning is fixed to set the questioning approach that we take in the program. The times. Naturalist classes run normally for two-hour sessions Naturalist Program is an elective within the school’s science three times a week and often include optional after school curriculum, open to students within grades 9 – 12. Levels and weekend excursions as additional opportunities to push usually correspond to grade level yet there remain options one’s skill level. Recently the school has been experimenting for older students enrolling at a lower level, while younger with a trimester model, where we are developing a multi- students may (although not as likely) enter a more advanced disciplined immersion experience that runs all day for the level if they come with prior experience. Some students take entire fall period (September – November). Naturalist for a year or two, but for those who do take it over Listed below are some of the core areas of study (aca- the course of four years, I find that students are more than demics) that go hand-in-hand with various skills and crafts prepared to enter any college or university program geared practiced at each year or level of the program:

Year/Level Science Skills Arts

9th /#1 Earth Science Tracking, Orienteering, Shelter Moccasins Making, Leather Work (hide tanning)

10th/#2 Plant & Animal Studies Fire Making, Cordage, Primitive Skills Capote, Baskets, Bowyers Art continued, expanded, and deepened.

11th/#3 Ecological Studies, Experimental Story Telling, Herbalism, Edible Plants Long House, Earth Lodge Project Archeology

12th/#4 Gaia Theory & Cosmology The Vision Quest, Service to Others Self wood Bow and Tackle

Green Teacher 107 Page 11 Mammalian natural history through tracking; shelter types and construction (Native American/New England studies). The seminal question for the second year is “how”. How one thing relates to another thing, and where the students power of observing what is going on is extended to, or enlarged into the realms of relationship between things observed. A large focus for the second year is the Secret Spot or Medi- cine Spot exercise; involving many elements, and levels of work. Journaling and the essay (scales of justice) becomes a primary focus as students begin to observe and inventory the trees, weather patterns, animal activity and a host of other variables that they witness at their sit spot. The Iroquois Thanks- giving Address is introduced as a technology for guiding and directing our attention while in the field (conducting natural history The seminal questions for the first year are “what & inventories). As students immerse themselves into the land, where”; “What is going on here?” – or learning how to the warp & weft of numerous variables enter their expand- observe phenomena clearly as a study skill. Not to interpret ing thoughts. Learning to sit quietly within the woods of or infer meaning into anything, but to see so clearly, and their study area provides the opportunity to stretch all their unbiasedly, what stands before us as observable fact. This is senses, but likewise allows them to be quiet within them- the basic underpinning, and first step, to doing science and selves. How often do teenagers today ever get the opportu- thus becomes the focus of much of the first year; its focus nity to listen to their own thoughts? being upon developing the powers of observation, and the From the intelligence inherent within the tools of fire beginnings of our human capacity to awaken into aware- making, where the friction from remaining within a bal- ness. Many hours are spent honing all the senses (rarely in anced state gives birth to a coal for starting fire as well as traditional schooling do we stress the the ignition, or birth for the pas- importance of all the outward senses sion of learning − or where two in doing actual scientific observation), oppositely woven strands of plant while getting students acclimated How often do teenagers today fiber impart a strength unrivaled by to being in, and feeling comfortable ever get the opportunity to listen a separate cord − primitive skills within, the natural world. Increas- to their own thoughts? offer a window into our primary ingly we are becoming a culture char- relationships with the natural world. acterized by alienation from the natu- They also provide an opportunity ral world, and the largest single aim to explore the intelligence of tech- at this point is getting attuned to what is going on within the nology from a perspective nurtured by an understanding of moment. Getting to know our place called home is a multi- process. Past skills are continued, yet revisited from other sensory experience! perspectives; while others, such as the Bowyers craft, are Map and compass work and aid-less navigation skills are introduced. The skill required in the perfectly balanced bend likewise part of this exploratory stage. How do I become of opposite limbs undergoing the opposing forces of expan- comfortable with being in nature if the real fear of being sion and contraction matches the inner developmental pro- lost within it forms part of the fabric of my experience while cess at work during this sophomoric year. growing up? Learning to map my home environs helps facil- Other related activities: Forest Ecology & Forest Man- itate my growth in qualitative observation. Shelter building agement; Species identification, use of field guides and helps develop my extended sense of place, of being at home dichotomous key use; Primitive Technology, Experimental within the natural world. Tracking becomes an activity that Archeology (history and use of tools and tool construction); fosters an attentiveness to the here and now, grounding the Journaling, journal types, journal art, and natural history student solidly within the physical world outwardly as well inventory methods; the history, craft, and science of wood as inwardly. Crafting a pair of moccasins allows us to both bow construction (Physics, Botany, Forest Economics); Cul- literally and figuratively touch the earth in a new way. tural Identities and clothing (American History and personal Other related activities (see Resourses listed at end of identity work or Place Based Educational topics. article): Awareness Games that cultivate all the senses; The seminal question for the third year, is “Why”, or Brain tanning buckskin (Anatomy & Physiology of skin); where “long thinking” or stretching ones thoughts beyond Native American Craft (Anthropology & American Colonial the immediacy of the moment is developed. This is the year History); Soil Testing (New Hampshire Geology & Systems where students are invited into a much more involved proj- Science); Meteorology & weather forecasting; Cartography ect, where primitive skills having been theoretically grasped (history of, and simple map construction using a compass); are now ready to be practically applied. This is likewise an

Page 12 Green Teacher 107 opportunity to explore the depth of meaning, purpose and just need a piece of wild land available), as many materials value inherently intertwined with human interaction with can be had straight from the natural world (with a little bit the environment. These are opportunities to explore the of work), to whatever the acquisition costs for raw material Science of the Household (Ecology) in greater depth and may be in your area. Place Based Education (PBE) does vary to stretch our thinking across the lines of time where the according to its location and the human resources available at “why” questions gain center stage. Stories and the craft of any given time or place. storytelling, whether from past times or foreign cultures can Ultimately, all the skills that we learn (within education, as reach out to us in this present moment and impart a wealth well as in life) should bring us into a deeper sense of ourselves, of wisdom gained by those who have entertained a much and to beg the larger question of what role we, the human, play deeper, holistic, relationship to the land. in the great dance of life. With my knowledge of place comes Experimental archeological undertakings such as the con- the understanding of obligation. What can I offer? What is struction of an Earth Lodge, or Native American Longhouse, my unique contribution to the whole? How can I best sing my offer the opportunities for exploring ways in which indigenous song? These are the questions that our youth should be asking. cultures have lived and interacted with the earth in healthy, Youth need to explore the wealth of opportunities to do this ecological and life sustaining ways. Past experiments have identity work, to find out how to move through process, how provided avenues for sharing our collective experience by to learn to fish in the ocean of life, and to love the dance. We such means as story telling, and/or in magazine articles for must create the invitation to that dance. A dance where we publication. Stories, like the healing insights gained through also suck out the real marrow of life, and route all that isn’t the practice of herbalism, can heal as well as inform and true to that vision out of educational practice. teach. Being able to enlarge upon our vision, by looking into our past and rekindling the wealth of wisdom found there, and Keith Badger has been teaching at the High Mowing moving creatively into sustainable images serving our future School in Wilton, New Hampshire for the past 24 years, is at the heart of the artistic, scientific, and human endeavor. where he has developed, and directs, the school’s Natural- Other related activities: History of Environmental move- ist Program. He has much more to share within the myriad ment; Myths, mythology, and myth making; visits to, and avenues utilized to bring learning and life alive! He loves to encounters with modern day re-enactor’s (Plymouth Planta- hear about others and can be contacted at badgertrack@ tion); mountain zonation study; health and human nutrition tds.net. studies. The seminal question for the fourth or final year is Resources “Who”; who is this person we call the human? And what Culin, Stewart, Games of The North American Indians, Dover 1975 does this truly mean? This is the year for seeking ones Elbroch, Mark, Mammal Tracks & Sign: A Guide to North American Species, Stackpole 2003 vision. Any student progressing through the Naturalist Pro- gram has actually undergone a rite-of- passage where these Elpel, Thomas, Participating in Nature, HOPS Press 1999 questions are seriously pondered. A true rite-of-passage, Gaty, Harold, Finding Your Way Without Map or Compass, Dover 1958 Hamm, Jim (Editor), The Traditional Bowyer’s Bible: Volume One, Bois d’Arc within the frames of reference and meaning articulated by Press1992 3 Joseph Campbell , is where youth have ample opportu- Kricher, John C., A Field Guide to Eastern Forests (Peterson Field Guide nity for discovering their unique passions and individual Series), Houghton Mifflin 1988 genius. Education itself should be seen as resonating with Keen, Jake, A Teacher’s Guide to Ancient Technology, English Heritage 1996 this theme. Ideally, this would be a culminating year where Kochanshi, Mors, Bushcraft: Outdoor Skills and Wilderness Survival, Lone senior Naturalist students would find themselves taking on Pine Press 1987 a mentoring role within the program, and school. Past years Leslie, Clare Walker, Keeping a Nature Journal. Storey 1998 have found HMS Advanced Naturalist students mentoring Liebenberg, Louis, The Art of Tracking: The Origin of Science, David Philip Pine Hill 7th and 8th grade students during the Wilderness Publishers 1990 Challenge Week in the White Mountain National Forest. Nabokov, Peter and Easton, Robert, Native American Architecture, Oxford University Press, 1989 From the bowyers craft of producing a wooden bow, and Neddo, Nick, The Organic Artist: Make Your Own Paint, Paper, Pigments, tackle, the student experiences the completion of a complex Prints, and More from Nature, Quarry Books 2015 process outwardly, while inwardly conveying the strength Richards, Matt, Deerskins Into Buckskins: How to Tan with Natural Materials, of will, where the students understand what it means to take Backcountry Publishing 1997 aim at one’s goals in life, and how to hit that mark! Wescott, David (Editor), Primitive Technology: A Book of Earth Skills, Gibbs Ideally, this would also be the time for interested stu- Smith1999 dents to do a Vision Quest. This should be a time for more Wescott, David (Editor), Primitive Technology II: Ancestral Skills, Gibbs Smith 2001 independent work, and work along the lines of service, Young, Jon, Haas, Ellen, McGown, Evan, Coyote’s Guide To Connecting With where what one has learned is in some way brought back to Nature, Owlink Media 2010 the community in a gesture of reciprocal obligation. Young, Jon & Morgan, Tiffany, Animal Tracking Basics, Stackpole 2007 Other related activities: community service activities; myths and contemporary rite-of-passage work for celebrat- Notes ing youth’s entrance into adult rights & responsibilities; 1. Thoreau, Henry David Walden, Houghton Mifflin Company, 1949. senior research project or “capstone” undertaking. 2. Thoreau, Henry David A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers, Princeton University Press, 1980. Costs associated with doing the Naturalist Program are 3. Campbell, Joseph, The Hero With A Thousand Faces, Joseph Campbell highly flexible. The range could be from almost nothing (you Foundation, Third Edition, 2008.

Green Teacher 107 Page 13 Photographs: Joe Grabowski Exploring by the Seat of Our Pants Using technology to connect with scientists all over the world

and chatting with Fabien Cousteau (grandson of Jacques) from By Joe Grabowski a lab on the seafloor barely scratches the surface of my classes now over 80 connections. And we are just getting started! N ASTRONAUT AT THE NASA Training Facility At this point you’re hopefully a little excited, curious and in Houston, Texas breaks down the ins and outs of full of questions about the project. You might even be feel- A spacesuits and dehydrated meals, from her hotel ing a little overwhelmed, so was I when I started! I want to room in Ecuador a National Geographic Emerging Explorer take a moment here to assure you that a program like this describes the excitement of discovering two new species of can easily be implemented in your classroom. Really! Bring- manta rays and a journalist in Palestine shares the hopes and ing the world into your classroom can be as easy as drafting fears of isolated Pacific islanders whose homes are slowly a few emails. I am regularly asked how I find the speakers disappearing beneath the waves. What seem like a series of and where do I find the time. In the next few paragraphs I’m unrelated, fascinating events, is actually just a typical day in going to give you some simple steps and helpful hints to get my eighth grade classroom. We’re ‘Exploring by the Seat of started in your own classroom this year. Our Pants,’ it’s easy and your students can do it too! I’ve been teaching for five years now and two years ago I Diving In was searching for something to breathe some new life into my So how do you do it? In my classroom we use two platforms science units. As a former biological sciences major I strive to for our connections, Skype and Google Hangouts. Skype is share my passion for science and nature in a meaningful way excellent for setting up your own one on one connections, with my students. In September 2013, I started reaching out whereas Google Hangouts allows multiple classrooms to to scientists from around the world to chat with my students share the experience and is favoured by many groups that via Skype as a supplement to our biodiversity unit. What was offer virtual field trips. The technology required is minimal, meant to be a few unique experiences, quickly took on a life a computer with a webcam is enough, but it’s a huge plus to of its own and grew into a challenge to connect with 50 scien- have a projector or Smartboard for a more enjoyable viewing tists, adventurers and conservationists from around the world experience for an entire class. by years end. Joining an expedition on an active volcano in In order to start finding and connecting with guest speak- Italy, hanging out in an Adelie penguin colony in Antarctica ers, I used a website affiliated with Skype called Skype in the

Page 14 Green Teacher 107 Classroom. It’s an easy to navigate website, supporting a global of the world’s museums and art galleries are wide open, you community that has quickly grown to over 80,000 educators. can ‘walk’ the hallways and zoom into the paintings to see You can easily search for guest speakers and send them direct the individual brush strokes, all in high resolution. messages to arrange classroom lessons. There are also tons of ‘Exploring by the Seat of Our Pants,’ as we have coined opportunities with this program to connect with other class- the project, comes from the fact that the whole world is open rooms, to share in teacher created lessons or to play games like to our class and we never even have to leave our desks. The Mystery Skype. When I became more experienced and name is also a great fit because we never know where confident in securing speakers, I moved on to a connection will lead us to next! As an avid seeking guest speakers independently via the diver, I set up several connections for my internet, introductions from past speakers students focusing on our oceans, par- and even people I see in programs on ticularly sharks. After connecting with TV. This way I can search for speak- marine biologist and Sharks4Kids ers directly related to where we are founder Jillian Morris, my students in the curriculum. From there I can were able to set aside the myths send potential speakers an email and unfounded fears surrounding introducing what we are doing in these animals. They realized that the classroom and asking if they’d they are actually in a lot of trouble, like to join us. The response has with 100 million being removed been overwhelmingly positive so from our oceans each year. Upon far, which was the opposite of what I learning of a shark cull beginning initially expected. When I first started in Western Australia, my students reaching out to National Geographic decided to do something by writing Explorers or scientists from documenta- open letters to the Premier of Western ries, I was sure that the response would be Australia. He replied with a disappointing no, or more likely no response at all. I was dead response, leaving us no choice but to coun- wrong, the general response has been excitement and ter. In the process we made local and international eagerness to take part. Many of these individuals remember headlines, created videos for conservation groups, did radio how powerful it was to be introduced to the right role model interviews with stations in Perth and attracted guest speak- and a common comment is how they wish their teachers had ers to come to our school in person. This is but one example done the same. Sometimes you might not hear back right away, of the many unexpected paths our connections have lead us but that’s the nature of reaching out to a scientist or explorer on so far. who can be in the field for weeks at a time. When I do get a You similarly have your own passions, find a way to ‘no’ response, it’s usually a time issue and it often comes with incorporate them into your explorations. Your students will a suggestion for someone else in the field who could step in. feed off of your enthusiasm and you’ll have a blast as well. Usually it just takes a few back and forth emails to set up a Talk to your students, let them pick the pathways from time date, time and format. The two most common formats have to time. They’ll love it and you’ll never get better writing been the guest speaker preparing a lesson or an informal Q&A assignments from them than after they’ve been introduced with some links, videos or pictures shared in advance. It’s very to an issue that excites or angers them. If you connect with easy for a guest speaker to share their screen to show Power- a speaker that resonates with your students, don’t stop there. Points, pictures and video to your students. Dig deeper, make some more connections and find a way to Beyond chats with science celebrities, is the opportunity turn it into a larger project. Let your students exercise their to take your class on regularly scheduled virtual field trips. voices and speak out about a conservation or social justice I have been using two great options to take my class out in issue they’ve discovered, whether through open letters or a the field from the comforts of our classroom. For Connected video. Send them out to a conservation group or someone Classrooms, Google has partnered with several institutions in government, let them see how powerful their voices can to provide great live field trips to places like zoos and aquar- be, even from a far. Ten years from now your students will iums. If you can’t make a session live, they are all recorded have forgotten probably every math lesson from elementary directly to YouTube and can be watched on the event page school, but they’ll never forget the time they hung out with afterwards. A session that’s always stood out for me was penguins in Antarctica or learned about canned hunting one through National Geographic of four explorers deep in from a conservationist is South Africa. the Okavango Delta in Botswana, setting up transmitters to I have already mentioned that the response has been monitor water quality. You couldn’t ask for a more African excellent so far from both sides, with many of our guests scene, a vast green plain interrupted by a meandering river, excited to try this for the first time, having never connected sure to be teeming with hippos and crocodiles below the this way with students before. Once and a while, one of our surface. Exotic bird calls created a wonderful soundtrack scientist guest speakers can get a little too technical, teaching and a large bull elephant crossing the river made for the per- a bit above my students grade level. I can recall one speaker fect ending. Google Cultural Institute is an amazing website who began to explain island ecology and evolution in terms where you and your students can easily get lost for hours well above my grade 8’s understanding. Meanwhile, I was at whatever time meets your schedule. Your class can visit quite fascinated, and it wasn’t until afterwards that I real- world heritage sites like Robben Island, complete with 360 ized that some of the lesson was lost on my students. It’s degree views and a former inmate as your tour guide. Many important to let your speakers know the age level they will

Green Teacher 107 Page 15 Students felt sympathy rather than fear towards sharks after a lesson from Sharks4Kids founder Jillian Morris. be speaking with, and step back once in a while to keep that from around the world. During our trading partners unit, in mind yourself. I use technology as well to help aid my we connected with classrooms from a top trading partner, to students in these situations. For some sessions, I’ll pass out learn about their economies. We connected with a classroom iPads and Chromebooks that students can use to dig deeper in Brazil to brainstorm ideas for how we could each green into anything they are unsure about and to help quickly our respective schools. After implementing some of the generate some questions while we ideas, we reconnected to each still have the guest available to us. share our successes. Language is Sometimes the speakers will even full of possibilities, whether con- challenge the students to find Ten years from now your students will necting with an author or match- something using their classroom have forgotten probably every math ing up your classroom with devices. lesson from elementary school, but they’ll reading buddies or pen pals from never forget the time they hung out with another country (that may even speak a different first language). Curriculum: Where penguins in Antarctica . Does it Fit? We have presented our science Science is the obvious subject area projects to other classes through- that benefits the most from this out the United States and took activity. Picture a space unit complete with a Q&A with an our persuasive writing to the next level after learning about astronaut, a virtual tour of a telescope on the top of an extinct canned hunting in Africa. One option we’ve never tried, volcano in Hawaii, a breakdown of the Mars Rover with a but is on my ever growing list of possibilities, would be a member of the Mars Science Laboratory and a lesson book study. We could find a class anywhere else in the world on the search for intelligent life in the universe with an reading the same novel and continuously connect throughout astrobiologist! My students have the chance to connect with to share thoughts and questions. The possibilities are limited world leading experts from a variety of fields, and learn first- only by your creativity! hand how global issues like climate change, overfishing and habitat loss are disrupting our planet. Yours can too, you’ve Broaden Your Horizons just got to ask. We’ve been privy to unpublished research, Since starting the project, I have been drawn into joining unreleased video footage and pioneering conservation work. the action and began to teach my own Skype lessons on Their questioning skills have grown in leaps and bounds, scuba diving and issues facing our oceans to classrooms in from ‘What’s your favourite sea creature?’ to ‘What types of Ireland, India and Argentina to name a few. My relationship symbiotic relationships do you see on the coral reef?’ with Sharks4Kids, which started by asking Jillian Morris to Social studies and geography are great fits as well, as speak with my students, has grown into the role of director students build mapping skills and learn about new cultures of education. Each month I host a Marine Science Hangout

Page 16 Green Teacher 107 with a different marine scientist from somewhere in the them with different perspectives, new knowledge and amaz- world. We often reach up to 50 classrooms each session. ing feats of endurance. Few things are more rewarding than Most recently, I connected with two adventurers based in being told by parents that their son or daughter talks their the UK who are embarking on an epic adventure to kayak ear off about one of our speakers or gets home and spends the entire length of the Amazon River. I hosted a Google the night further researching them and what they shared. Hangout with them, live from Lima, Peru days before their All of this may seem daunting at first, and I’m not saying departure. We’ll connect again about halfway through their that you have to take things to the level that I have in my trip and again in Rio when they’ve completed the paddle. classroom, I’ve definitely blown the walls right off. How- The whole way along, classrooms from around the world ever, I am challenging you to crack the window a little, to can follow their progress and then join in on the hangouts. reach out and make a connection or two. I guarantee that As you can see, there are lots of opportunities for teachers neither you, nor your students, will be disappointed. to jump in and join the fun! You really never know where a connection could take you or your students, amazing oppor- Joe Grabowski is a grade 8 science and math teacher in tunities are waiting for you just around the corner, or rather Guelph, Ontario. He’s an avid diver, living the life aquatic on the computer screen. These connections could have a whenever possible. He has just launched the not-for-profit tremendous impact on your student’s futures, introducing Exploring by the Seat of Your Pants with two goals, to con- them to an exciting career in the sciences and giving them nect classrooms with guest speakers and virtual field trips a path to follow and a potential mentor to learn from. The from around the world and to help fund innovative research, great thing about social media is that most scientists and conservation and expeditions. He has partner groups lined adventurers we connect with can now be found on Twitter or up from around the world to provide content, and there will Facebook and are more than happy to be contacted by stu- be more exciting opportunities added on a regular basis. dents afterwards. See www.exploringbytheseat.com. In the classroom, we compete for the attention of our students and we don’t always win. Smartphones, reality TV, Resources video games, terrible celebrity role models and a never end- Skype in the Classroom https://education.skype.com/ ing stream of advertisements are worthy adversaries. Explor- Google Connected Classroom https://connectedclassrooms.withgoogle.com/ ing by the Seat of Our Pants has given me a tool to help grab Sharks4Kids (dip your toes in the water with an amazing lesson on sharks and my students attention and to expose them to an amazing world their conservation) http://sharks4kids.com/ and a variety of social justice issues far beyond our local Amazon River Run (follow along, keep an eye out for Hangouts from the river community. They meet amazing role models who challenge and afterwards) www.amazonriverrun.com/

New Resources for the Trail and Classroom Acorn Naturalists’ catalog features hundreds of new tools for educators, naturalists, and interpreters. Call for a free copy of our latest catalog or visit our website.

180 Prospect, Ste 230 Tustin, CA 92780 (800) 422-8886 (800) 452-2802 FAX acornnaturalists.com

Green Teacher 107 Page 17 A Lean Green Sun Harvesting Machine Making solar energy teaching more fun by using invisible forces to power race cars Photographs: David Garlovsky

unlike a Meccano kit, many of the components are designed By Mark Walker with the surreptitious aims of teaching a variety of physics, math or environmental topics. What are the advantages of his AREN SHOWS ME the improvement she has made to car and how can it help in teaching science? her solar powered car; a tail fin made from aluminum. K It is curved to reflect light onto the upper side of the Generating Sparks: Making electricity car where the solar panel is situated. “But will this make the visible car go faster?” I ask. “How can you test this?” Karen thinks Children are not interested in how hot water systems work. for a while, “maybe if I test the speed with and without the fin But typically they are provided with the example of a water and compare which is quicker?” she suggests with caution. boiler in a house when taught about electricity and energy. The typical and rather abstract manner used to teach solar This is because such a water heating system is analogous to energy to children is with a diagram of a house with a solar how an electric circuit works. In both examples something panel on the roof. The problem is that electricity is ‘invisible’, ‘flows’ and energy, in the form of heat in the water system it can’t be touched or seen, and this makes teaching about it in and in the form of electricity in the other, moves from one a relevant and meaningful manner difficult. How can renew- place to another. The problem remains, children simply are able energy teaching be made more interesting? How can not interested in boilers and pipes and quickly lose interest. something that is invisible be made visible to young students? But they are interested in motor racing. Racing cars A solar powered model racing-car, developed by science move, and are a familiar toy that youth will associate with educator David Garlovsky, offers one hands on option to fun and they may not even notice they are learning while make renewable electricity visible. Based in Sheffield, Eng- racing them. Solar panels on houses or pipes and boilers are land, he promotes the cars in primary schools and colleges static, and something their parents take care of. Attaching a through the charity ‘Solar Active’. He has been developing solar panel to a model car immediately makes solar energy this teaching method for over 15 years, complementing the ‘visible’ as the electricity produced actually results in a vis- model car with an array of teaching lesson plans, student ible effect. Students can see what the harvested electricity challenges and support material. The car is somewhat like a causes to happen. The lesson suddenly becomes relevant Meccano kit, as it comes in pre-assembled pieces that must and entertaining. Most students experience travelling in cars be assembled by the students in order for it to work. However, every day, transit by cars (or other vehicles) is an important

Page 18 Green Teacher 107 part of their daily lives. The fact that renewable energy could and make their own cars and provides an ideal introduction actually be used in an everyday situation to replace fossil to solar energy use. fuels becomes obvious and will be remembered for years to Although students are given instructions along with come thanks to the experience. the separate components of the car, they have to decide for themselves how to put them together and which variables are Tinkering important in determining the speed of the racers. Students There is no set in stone assembly manual included in the box can be prompted to consider the variables. What affects the that shows how to put the car together. The myriad of fea- speed of the cars? How can you make them faster? How can tures that can be manipulated and which influence the func- you compare speed between cars and between trial runs to tioning of the car make it unique. Wheel size, solar panel determine what make-ups are the best? Are the same speeds elevation, car design, wiring, can all be altered. No two cars obtained in every run? If not why not? How could you will end up exactly alike. Identifying and manipulating vari- ensure you have the best features? How could you test the ables are key aims of science curricula between the ages of cars effectively? How could you record your results? 11 and 16; skills utilised to the full with the kit. Solar Active! works with teachers at Eckington School Harnessing the sun’s energy in the North of England. Teams at Eckington were provided One variable students can be challenged to study for exam- with model car kits and charged a nominal fee to cover ple is the angle at which sunlight hits the solar panel, a fac- costs. These kits can be ordered from the website (details in tor that influences how the solar panels should be mounted the end credits). Alternatively similar kits may be available on the car. This placement influences the amount of energy locally from similar organisations. Here, the car is used not the car can obtain from the sun. By concentrating on one just in a single lesson but for project work across the sub- single factor schoolchildren learn about manipulating vari- jects of math, science and technology. Students work on the ables in an experimental manner. Children have to decide car for several weeks; gradually improving their design and how to align the panels. What angle leads to the most energy looking at different aspects of how it works. being collected and in turn makes the car travel the fastest? Start with a simple challenge: Children can experiment and try out different combina- ‘Design and build a solar racer using the kits provided. Test tions, before deciding which angle of alignment is the most your cars and make modifications to improve their perfor- productive. The teacher can encourage students to take their mance. Later they will be raced, and the best car will win.’ understanding further and figure out why. Some questions that may be asked, and you should be At Eckington the students have to design the experimen- ready to address are: tal protocol or plan to work these things out. An experimental • What influences the performance of the car? protocol forces students to think about what they wish to • How do you decide which car is the best? investigate and how they wish to proceed. It focuses them on • How will testing be conducted? How will the races be designing valid experiments. The protocol asks students to conducted? define the variables, decide which should be altered and then what should be measured in order to find out how the angle The kits contain all the components needed to manufac- of the panel affects the speed. Clever questioning by a canny ture a fully functioning solar car. These parts include a solar teacher can elicit the required responses from the students. cell, motor, and all the usual parts of a model car such as One student in our trial quickly realised that although a transmission, wheels and the supporting framework, the the panel could be tested at different elevations, everything chassis, around which the car is constructed. Instructions else had to stay the same. It is no good testing a raised panel and teaching aids are also included along with worksheets when the sun shines, but a lowered panel when it is cloudy; for students to complete. The kit allows students to design all other factors must stay the same if it is to be fair.

Green Teacher 107 Page 19 Green Engineering efficient cars, and the advantages of reducing car travel and STEM, the integration of science, technology, engineering utilising other forms of transport. and math in one single project to the benefit of all, is currently one of the most popular acronyms in teaching. But Sustainable can STEM be used to teach environmental issues? Engineer- The components of the kit itself are made up of recycled ing and ecology seem somewhat incompatible. material; the plastic wheel arches are made from reclaimed Engineering, a main component of STEM, still evokes an credit cards, the wheels from old plastic bottle tops, wiring image of a (male) with a smoke blackened face and oil spat- is retrieved from recycled electrical dealers, and the boxes tered hands, eking an existence amongst a noisy and dirty the cars are delivered in are made from cut down card tubes metal workshop surrounded by various metal drilling tools. previously used to package wallpaper. All of these recycled Does this stereotype have anything to do with green, seem- and reused parts make for a nice added bonus to the les- ingly technology absent environmental issues? son. Conventional cars use an incredible amount of valuable The Solar Active Racer combines engineering ideas with raw material in their manufacturing, but the solar car shows an environmental focus; vehicle propulsion using environ- there is another way. Students see how it is possible to use mentally friendly energy. Students can actually see that recycled material to make new products. there is an alternative to mucky non-renewable fuels. They can see first-hand that green fuels work. Another advan- The challenge: Become a solar champion tage is that this work widens participation to girls who may Not only do the model cars make renewable energy visible, previously have been taught toy cars are for boys. Through they also tap into children’s competitive spirits. The lessons use of the model they can see that they too can design cars, typically end with children conducting races, where teams and may even create the winning model. In our experience, compete with each other to see which has built the best car. many girls were particularly drawn to designing the cover- As children are naturally competitive, the idea is to encour- ing for the car, such as studying whether different outer cov- age them to ask, “Who can make the fastest car?” erings, wings, or added shapes will aid movement. The students at Eckington loved this part of the lesson! A key feature of the kits is that they coerce students to Races were conducted outside with students all lined up at a think about the factors involved in making the car run effi- starting point to see whose car reached the finish line first to ciently. Students have to take into account factors such as become a solar champion. All the cars set off together after friction, how weight affects the speed of the car, and how a shout of one, two, three, go! The students decided that the different parts work as a whole. Thus it entails the use of starting all the cars at once, rather than in heats, was the best many relevant physics skills such as an appreciation of elec- way to ensure all cars had the same ‘solar’ conditions. trical circuits, motion, and efficiency. The key advantage of Inquiry can even be built into this part of the lesson. We this method is that it introduces these theoretical ideas usu- asked students to develop the racing protocol, while asking ally taught on the blackboard in a practical hands-on form. them the following questions: Should races be conducted only once or should there be a series with the winner being Environmental Issues the best overall? What distance should races be run over? At Eckington the car is used in environmental education, to Should all cars start at the same time or should they go one teach about human effects on the environment. The teacher after another with each being timed? How can racing be uses the car as a real example of a renewable energy source, made ‘fair’? With questions like these the lesson can be when teaching this topic. Typically they start with discuss- made as open as required depending on the abilities of the ing fossil fuels, where they come from, and what effect they students involved. As described by the creator, David Garlo- have. Of course, students see this type of technology every vsky, “It helps bring renewable energy alive in a way teach- day when driving around with their parents. But after working from a book does not. Instead of learning about solar ing on the solar car, the teacher can provide a real (minia- energy from the teacher they get the chance to build some- ture) example of a ‘green’ car, and compare it with conven- thing sustainable themselves.” tional cars. Suddenly students have an example they have seen first hand and built themselves. The idea of a ‘green’ Mark Walker is a research scientist at Sheffield Hallam car somehow does not seem as foreign anymore. University in northern England and is passionate about Despite the fact that everyday use of solar powered cars getting people to realise how special our world is. He has is a long way off, the importance of solar technology is published widely on inquiry-based science. He works for shown. Ten photovoltaic panels have the potential to reduce Solar Active helping promote STEM science. the average household’s energy needs by more than 30 per cent. The topic illustrates our attempts to find alternatives to fossil fuels. Conventional cars are a major source of green- house causing emissions, motor vehicles account for a quar- Solar Active is a non-profit charitable organization ter of all CO2 emissions, burning one gallon of fuel produces dedicated to promoting solar and renewable energy 25 pounds worth of CO2. Students learn through the lesson through education. They work with many local schools, that trying to reduce this figure is a good starting point in including Eckington School in Sheffield, to deliver project attempting to reduce our overall effects on the planet. days. For more information or to order the kits visit The solar powered car shows one way in which this http://new.solar-active.com/. Email David at: david@ could be done. It could be used to open up discussion of solar-active.com. other methods as well; such as electric cars, purchasing fuel

Page 20 Green Teacher 107 Climate Justice in the Classroom Help high school students connect equity, economy, ecology, society and hope Alejandro Moran Alejandro

equity, racial justice, historical responsibility, and function- By Ryan Cho ing democracies all need to be a part of any viable plan to address climate change, and that all those things are worth HEN I WAS YOUNGER, I didn’t call myself an focusing on and fighting for. More than that though, it saw environmentalist; I still don’t really. Don’t get me that actions that reduce our carbon emissions and better W wrong: I’ve always cared about environmental adapt our communities to climate change are our best chance issues. I recycle, carpool when I can, use my re-useable gro- to ensure our long-term economic security and improve the cery bags, but was I (am I) an environmentalist? Nah – that lives of the poor and marginalized people of the world. label isn’t for me, nor is the responsibility and expectation Working with the British Columbia office of the Cana- that comes with it. dian Centre for Policy Alternatives, I helped to develop For a long time, I had the same kind of mixed relation- a new climate justice resource for teachers to use in their ship with the topic of climate change. I knew that it was hap- classrooms. The resulting curriculum package2 includes pening, I knew what it was doing to our planet and to life on eight highly interactive lessons designed for secondary stu- it, and like the vast majority of scientists and researchers,1 dents (and adaptable for grades six to eight) that explore I knew that we humans were the cause. However, the sub- climate change in the context of British Columbia’s com- ject was not something I focused on; it was something that I munities, history, economy, and ecology. Looking at the chose to engage with sometimes, and chose to ignore other issues through the lenses of fairness and equity, each les- times. Its effects seemed far away, in a distant time and son explores how we can chart a course forward to face the place, its causes seemed overwhelming and the distress of world’s climate challenges, and how that work can improve thinking about it seemed to outweigh the benefits. the lives of people throughout the country. It is a free My ambivalence with the topic changed when I discov- resource, available both online and in print and can easily be ered the movement for climate justice. More than just saving adapted for cities and towns all over North America. trees, protecting (often the cutest) animals, and enjoying and The lessons provide frameworks to unpack modern experiencing nature, climate justice recognized that climate social and environmental issues such as our industrial food change was a social equity issue, and a moral one. It named system, consumerism/waste, the potential in a green econ- that the people suffering the most from the consequences omy, and provincial fossil fuel development. It offers les- of burning fossil fuels were the ones who contributed to, sons to teachers and students that are different from other and benefited from them the least. It recognized that social resources out there.

Green Teacher 107 Page 21 All of the lessons in the package want?” and “What might our role focus on system change, and not per- be in this coming change?” Using sonal choice approaches to tackling Too often we think of the negative partners, students speak to family social and environmental problems. effects of climate change as something members seven generations in the This is a major departure from edu- that happens to poor people “over future, naming our current crisis cation materials and environmental/ there” in the global south . within the context of history, recog- social justice campaigns of the past, nizing some of our current obsta- which focus mostly on encouraging cles and challenges, and imagining people to buy green products, or a person’s ability to make and identifying the possibilities of resilience, transforma- individual lifestyle changes such as switching to reusable tion, and hope. grocery bags or recycling. Although small personal changes Together, we can help young people connect the dots and do help people to engage with an issue, those approaches build a bridge between the world we want, and the world often do not make impacts big enough to change our direc- that is possible. All of our students, whether they be future tion as a whole. Such strategies also privilege those with the doctors, lawyers, engineers, entrepreneurs, carpenters, or financial ability to buy into the solutions, while they are less construction workers, or stay-at-home parents, can be a part accessible to people who are poorer or have low income. It of the movement and the story of remaking our world for is this focus on systems thinking, local contexts, and local the better if they recognize the potential in a greener, fairer, solutions that I try to focus on in my own teaching, and I more climate just future. As teachers, it is through exploring hope these resources provide other teachers across North these themes with our classes that we can share the gifts we America the opportunity to do the same. have and find our own role in the movement to recreate our All of the statistics, graphs and examples in the Climate future for the better. I hope that you and your students find Justice Curriculum Package are pulled from local studies the following lesson and the others helpful and valuable as and stories in British Columbia, but can be applied across you explore the possibilities of a better world. North America with a bit of your own research. Too often we think of the negative effects of climate change as some- Ryan Cho teaches at Terry Fox Secondary School in Port thing that happens to poor people “over there” in the global Coquitlam, BC. He developed classroom Climate Justice south whilst all of us lucky people in North America are Curriculum Resources for the Canadian Centre for Policy insulated from its impacts and the other true inequities of Alternatives, exploring how climate change issues connect the world. There is some truth to this narrative, but over- to the issues of inequity and fairness in British Columbia. all, this story of the privileged west and the downtrodden Previously he worked as a Curriculum Coordinator for the south blinds us to injustices and opportunities for change Pearson Seminar on Youth Leadership. Ryan currently sits in our own backyard. It allows us to ignore the facts that on the anti-poverty committee with the British Columbia British Columbia has the highest child poverty rate of all Teachers’ Federation Committee for Action on Social Jus- of the Canadian provinces3, and that Canada is one of the tice. As a writer, Ryan received a Golden Leaf Award from worst nations in the world for carbon emissions per capita4. the Canadian Educational Press Association for his piece It allows us to overlook that if food or transportation prices Privatization and privilege comes at a price. go up because of climate disruptions, poor people in cities such as Victoria, Chicago, and Texas have their food security threatened. It also allows us to forget that proposals for The Climate Justice Curriculum Package, including 8 modules new or expanded oil pipelines transporting bitumen from with embedded videos, downloadable graphics, Power Points, the Alberta tar sands, and proposed fracking and liquefied print-friendly PDFs, and additional resources is available free natural gas industries would release more carbon into the air to use and adapt at www.teachclimatejustice.ca. The follow- than scientists say is safe for our continued existence on the ing lesson is Module #7 in the unit and draws on Climate Jus- planet5. By focusing on North American content and con- tice Project research including: Avoiding Collapse: An agenda texts, the lessons make climate justice meaningful and real for sustainable degrowth and relocalizing the economy www. to people here at home. policyalternatives.ca/publications/reports/avoiding-collapse The lessons focus on solutions, and use local schools and A Green Industrial Revolution: Climate Justice, Green Jobs and communities as examples where students can plan actions Sustainable Production in Canada www.policyalternatives.ca/ or redesign systems. The focus on projects in students’ local publications/reports/green-industrial-revolution. contexts was a deliberate choice. Today, many schools are embracing a cross-curricular and holistic approach to education and are actively searching for resources and projects that draw connections between different curriculum areas References and classes. The Climate Justice Curriculum Package is full 1. http://environment.yale.edu/climate-communication/article/scientific-and- of resources that allow teachers to discuss an issue in Social public-perspectives-on-climate-change Studies, write about it in English, explore its physical char- 2. http://teachclimatejustice.ca/ 3. www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/b-c-has-highest-child-poverty- acteristics and systems in Science, and do a school project rate-in-canada-report-1.2440909 around it in a course on Leadership. 4. www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/11/18/canada-climate-policy-worst_n_4296396. One of the eight lessons is based on the work of Joanna html Macy. It asks and explores the questions of “What can we 5. www.straight.com/news/497706/will-liquefied-natural-gas-frenzy-blow-bcs- do in this current moment of crisis to build the future we carbon-budget

Page 22 Green Teacher 107 Imagining the Future We Want

Responding to a big issue like climate change can make people feel overwhelmed, even though there are lots of alternatives and solutions. In this module, we engage students to imagine the world they want.

OBJECTIVES • Students will view the current climate crisis as a call to action. • Students will connect to the ecological story of our time and the implications for their future descendants. • Students will be motivated to take action to make a better life and future for themselves and the people they care about.

Time: 60 minutes

Read aloud: “The human enterprise has already overshot global carrying capacity and accelerating global change will soon force the world community to contemplate the end of material growth. If our best climate and environmental science is basi- cally correct then humanity faces a choice between maintaining business-as-usual — in which case nature is likely to impose a chaotic implosion — or planning an orderly equitable contraction. In short, to achieve sustainability with justice we will have to deliberately scale back the global economy (or at least reduce the throughput of energy and material) and consider means to redistribute ecological and economic wealth at national and local levels.”— William Rees, Avoiding Collapse Many people see the climate crisis as a call to action – to make things better and to strive for climate justice. The transition away from fossil fuels can be a way to improve the lives of all people and to ensure the benefits and burdens of the transition are distributed equitably. As we make major changes to reduce our GHG emissions and adapt to climate change, there are many opportunities for well-paying jobs and innovation. We do not face a technological challenge so much as a challenge of finding the political will to make change. The climate justice questions for this moment become: • How can we build a sustainable future that strengthens our economy and society, and that doesn’t only benefit some at the expense of others? • What things are young people doing to start this revolution?

Show video: What can young people in your community do to react to climate change? youtu.be/IdgPEUvjGSs

Activity: “The Double Circle” This activity draws on Joanna Macy’s The Work that Reconnects, specifically Chapter 9 – “Deep Time: Reconnecting With Past and Future Generations”: www.joannamacy.net/theworkthatreconnects/guidebook.html NOTE: The following exercise should have an atmosphere of shared space and ceremony. Student and teacher cell phones/ mobile devices should be turned off and inaccessible during this time in order to maintain the feeling of a sacred space and eliminate distraction of focus. Teachers should also put great intention behind how they are speaking and the character of their cues for transition. The use of a bell or chime to signal the end of response time is highly recommended. Create two concentric circles (an inside circle and an outside circle that encompasses it). There should be the same number of people in both circles. People in the inside circle face out, and people in the outside circle face in, so that everyone is facing a partner. Once students have made this formation, ask them to sit in silence for ten seconds before they start the exercise to set the tone. Throughout this exercise, when one person is talking, it is important for the listener to be totally present for them and to listen actively. Keep in mind that body language to indicate active listening will differ for people for cultural and other reasons; the important thing is for each student to bring all of their attention to what they are doing, saying and hearing.

Read aloud: The people on the inside circle – the person sitting across from you is your descendant. Through a miracle of fate, you are able to be face to face with your great, great, great, great, great grandchild – seven generations from now. The future is a very different world than it is today, and our present moment is known in the future as a pivotal one in the history of humanity. [Insert current year here] is a time of ecological disaster. Centuries of burning fossil fuels have altered the climate of our planet, and it is this present moment that determined the future for generations after. Your descendant asks this question: “Ancestor, is what we’ve been taught by our teachers and learned in our history courses true? Is it true that in the times in which you lived, wars and preparations for war, hunger and homelessness, the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer, poisons in the seas and soil and air, the death of many species… all these things were happening all the time? What was that like for you?”

Ask the person from the present to respond to the person from the future. Ring a bell or chime to signal the end of the response time. Ask the people in the outside circle to rotate clockwise to the next person in the inside circle.

Read aloud: The descendants ask a second question: “Ancestor, we have stories and films and songs that tell of what you and your friends did back in your time to bring important changes to the world for the better. What I want to know is how did you

Green Teacher 107 Page 23 start? You must have felt lonely and confused sometimes, especially at the beginning. What first steps did you take? How did you take part in that change process?”

Ask the person from the present to respond to the person from the future. Ring a bell or chime to signal the end of the response time. Ask the people in the outside circle to rotate clockwise again.

Read aloud: The descendants ask a third question. “Ancestor, I know you didn’t stop with those first actions on behalf of the Earth, despite the challenges you faced. Tell me, what gave you hope? Where did you find the strength and what gave you joy to continue working so hard, despite all the obstacles and discouragement?”

Ask the person from the present to respond to the person from the future. Ring a bell or chime to signal the end of the response time.

Read aloud: Descendants, please stay where you are. Now it is your turn to talk, while your ancestor listens. Share what you thought and felt after all you have heard from your ancestors.

Ring a bell or chime to signal the end of the activity.

Debrief exercise as a class. Students can respond to these questions verbally or in writing: • What emotions came up in the course of this exercise? • How did it feel to tell the story to your descendants, or to hear the story from your ancestors, in the context of “history”? • What ideas came to mind when you described, or heard about, how we took action to address climate change? • What came to mind when you spoke or heard about what provided hope when hardships or obstacles arose? • What would you like to do in this present moment to make a better life and future for you and the people you care about? Be specific: • What can I do in my family? • What can we do as a classroom? − What can we do as a school? • What can we commit to now?

Teaching About Invasive Species A new book from Green Teacher Whether working inside or outside schools, youth educators will find in Green Teacher’s new book the tools to engage young people from 6-19 years of age in this challenging topic. Invasive species, if unchecked, will continue to have significant negative impacts on our environment and on our economy. Fortunately, the spread of many invasives can be checked. To succeed, we’ll need effective education strategies to be widely deployed. This book aims to fill that gap. Included in its 80 pages are descriptions of 11 innovative, youth education programs, and 20 ready-to-use activities that are appropriate for various age groups.

$14.95 single copy, bulk prices as low as $5.25 Praise for the book: Education and awareness are key to preventing the spread of invasive species across the landscape. Green Teacher Magazine has compiled an excellent resource for teachers and other youth educators to guide young people through this important subject and encourage practices that will help maintain balance within ecosystems. Luba Mycio Mommers, Executive Director, Canadian Wildlife Federation Learning Institute

Studying invasive species creates conflicting ethical and ecological dilemmas. This book excels at defining invasive species and helping teachers navigate and understand the complexities while teaching their students this important topic. Jeanine Huss, Associate Professor, Western Kentucky University To learn more or place an order visit: greenteacher.com email: [email protected] call: toll free 1-888-804-1486

Page 24 Green Teacher 107 Don Kiehn Inspiring the Bioregional Imagination Deepening the connection to place through reading, writing and ecology

By Patrick Howard watersheds, the landforms (mountains, prairie, coastal zones) and the human cultures connected to these regions. Bioregionalism, a term coined in the 1970s, offers a VERY DAY TEACHERS ARE challenged to more human scale to ecological issues that impact com- design creative learning activities connecting kids munities. Often large environmental crises can overwhelm E with the places they live. We are finding interesting us, and teachers understand that children, particularly, can ways across the curriculum to deepen students’ relation- be affected negatively by dire predictions of global crises. ships with their larger living communities. In suburban and Bioregionalists prefer a more positive approach by imagin- rural schools, this may mean exploring the biotic commu- ing our local places as communities where we live sustain- nity through outdoor learning, wilderness and field trips. ably by learning to “re-inhabit” our places and by getting to In larger urban areas, student and teacher interest may lean know our places more deeply. toward schoolyard clean ups, gardens, establishing safe play My interest is in how literature; story, poetry, visual, areas and beautification projects. No matter the activity or and digital representations of a bioregion can broaden and the place, rural or urban, wild or densely populated, each deepen the imagination and our understanding of what it community belongs to a specific bioregion. truly means to live within a place. When we become attuned Literally, the word bioregion means life-place. A bio- to our places, our neighborhoods, the issues, history, biology, region is definable by natural boundaries with ecological and literature, and art we point away from ourselves to know climatic characteristics that support distinctive human, plant the world as filled with a variety of locally interdependent and animal communities. Bioregional thinking and imagining places. In this sense bioregionalism leads out into the larger provides another way to understand our reliance on the places world for a deeper understanding of the place of the local we live and to appreciate the plant and animal ecosystems, the community within the world.

Green Teacher 107 Page 25 Voices of Appreciation Louise Chawla1, an environmental psychologist, interviewed fifty- six environmentalists about their motives for protecting the environment. Two sources of commitment were overwhelmingly indicated; firstly, positive experiences of natural environments in childhood and adolescence, and secondly, role models who demonstrated an attentive respect for the natural world. Chawla described family members or other adults mentioned by the environmentalists, as “voices of appreciation” to encourage the child to be in natural areas without fear, or defensive control. The question I have been asking is, “In what ways can the literature of the bioregion, the work of writers who give voice to place support, or stand in for, those “voices of appreciation” so important in the development of children’s attachment to the places they live?” While Aileen Rodgers teaching in rural Newfoundland I learned firsthand the power of introducing literature of the Where to Look bioregion to middle school students. During North America has a rich tradition of writers who give those years communities and families struggled with the voice to the urban and rural places and regions of the coun- fallout from the collapse of the ocean ecosystem. I looked try. I live on the east coast of Canada, in a bioregion that is for ways in my Language Arts classes to help students defined by the ocean, the geology, the boreal forest, and the make sense of what was happening. It was my students’ Bras d’Or Lakes. These features affect the architecture, the personal, expressive writing in response to Newfoundland pattern of settlement, and the place names of the communi- writers that showed me the potential of creativity and the ties. They loom large in the history, the folklore, the music, power of language to provide another way of knowing more the poetry and art. Writers and artists give voice to the expe- deeply how to grow in our relationships with the living riential, lived dimension of living in a place. They challenge places we inhabit. us to activate and re-activate an attunement and awareness As teachers we can identify writers of our unique biore- for the bioregions in which we live. Without doubt, the bio- gions who reflect our places back to us. There are writers of region in which you live has a unique cultural and natural every place who allow us to be open to the myriad others of history, with writers and artists who are giving voice to the our life region whether it is river valley, desert, lakeshore, specificity of the local. Keep these characteristics in mind prairie, mountain or coastline, rural village or city centre. while selecting content appropriate for your students. Each Yi Fu Tuan2, the great humanistic geographer, writes of the place is unique, however there are some shared strategies to potential of literature this way; help us look for great bioregional writing. The landscape looms large in the Canadian identity mak- Still better is the use of literature for its power to ing almost any anthology or collection of national literature clarify the nature of experience… for at a deep level a good starting place for writing that inspires the bioregional literature is the accurate depiction of the ineffable in imagination. For example, in her collection Nancy Holmes3 much of our lives. Most people have difficulty articu- offers a wide selection of poems arranged chronologically lating even simple feelings and thoughts. Writers over two hundred years. It is a survey of Canadian writers present a world that we have known (ie. experienced) with poems that reflect, and celebrate the unique bioregions and yet know only darkly; explicit knowing requires that produced them. the illuminating structure of words and images. A recently published poetry collection invites readers to go beyond the celebratory and inspires students to resist As a teacher I can scan the horizon where I live for those environmental degradation. In ReGreen: New Canadian “voices of appreciation” and lead my students toward those Ecological Poetry,4 writers from Newfoundland to British voices. For when we attend to those voices we know our Columbia provide striking examples of bioregional atten- place in a different way; the words lead to awareness that tion to place that considers nonhuman and well as human our lives are part of an intricate web of perceptions and sen- members of the community, the despoiled as well as the sations that make up a living, dynamic environment. beautiful and challenges us to look with new eyes at the

Page 26 Green Teacher 107 Award Winner for Poetry in 2014 is a bioregional text Lake of Two Mountains9. It explores the region between the Ottawa and St. Law- rence Rivers. Local writers can be contacted and are often willing to visit schools and classrooms to talk about their work and the relationship with the places that inspired their work. Community naturalist groups, historical societies, conservation groups and NGOs (non governmental organizations) have plenty of interesting people who are more than willing to share what is happening locally and what is being written and produced in your city, town and region. These organizations have outreach and education as part of their mandates and welcome invitations from teachers. Discuss the possibility of doing cross-curricular projects with an Chelsea Howard environmental group, conservation and historical organization. places we live. Places can disappear for us as they become Invite them into your classroom! all too familiar. Poets invite us to re-discover and learn to A simple request from friends and colleagues from re-inhabit our places. across North America turned up many great examples of Another excellent starting point for bioregional writing that the bioregional imagination at work. There’s the Dig Your spans our continent, as well as Australia, A Place on Earth5. It Neighbourhood Project10 in Kelowna BC where university is a beautiful collection of some of the finest voices of apprecia- students create art and literature for city neighborhoods. The tion, writers who describe amazing places and ordinary places. Calgary Project: A City Map in Verse and Visual11 show- A challenge for place conscious teaching is to find ways to cases the work of local poets and introduces writers and allow children to see their places anew. We often do not truly artists to teachers and students. The Toronto Poetry Map see, or appreciate our immediate surroundings until we grow project12 allows students to explore the city through poetry. up, leave and then come back. But when we can see our Similar projects are being developed across the United places through the eyes of others, then they become visible for States and other countries. You may be fortunate enough to us in a very special way. Teachers can find bioregional works share a bioregion with First Nations people13. Aboriginal (i.e. in the “Local Interest” section of their neighbourhood book- Native American) writers draw on ancient and rich tradi- stores. These sections can usually be found near the entrance. tions out of which come compelling stories and art that rep- Local and regional publishing has exploded in many coun- resent deep relationships between people and their places. tries. These small publishers provide a mix of genres, from field guides to fiction that enable residents of a place to recog- What to Do nize their bioregion as culturally and ecologically distinct. Deepening students’ relationships with their bioregion is For younger readers there is no shortage of bioregional linked to introducing them to the writing of authors who literature. Breakwater Books in Newfoundland and Labra- reflect our place back to us. Teachers are challenged to dor, to offer a local to me example, offers delightful titles design meaningful ways for students to respond to biore- that model interconnectedness with place, with culture, lan- gional literature. Classroom activities provide children the guage and nature. Picture books include titles like Gaddy’s opportunity to write, read, discuss and engage in explor- Story6, and the classic Down by Jim Long’s Stage.7 Each atory language events as they make meaning and share their book in the American series Stories from Where We Live8 experiences of relationship with the living landscape. focuses on a different North American bioregion, presenting During my teaching on coastal Newfoundland I relied stories, both fiction and non-fiction, poetry and artwork that heavily on Atlantic Canadian poetry14. The poems were convey each region’s distinctive natural and human story. chosen for suitability keeping in mind reading level, vocabu- Each book in the series includes in the appendix information lary and complexity of thought and representation. Poems about the plants, animals, and habitats of the region as well representing a wide variety of topics and experiences were as lists for further reading. chosen, however, the interests of the grade 9 students also Bioregional literature is not difficult to find when we are guided the selection process. Students chose poems that aware of its potential. In Canada, the Governor General’s spoke to them in some way and wrote personal responses

Green Teacher 107 Page 27 to them. Students crafted their own poems modeled on the of local writers, their own work, and digital photos, art work poets they were reading. They imitated line length and line and recorded readings. When our students read bioregional break patterns to write poems that captured imaginatively literature and from their reading bump into a deeper sense of and lyrically the local landscapes in which they lived. their embeddedness in a larger living system, and from this Bringing bioregional literature into the classroom allows encounter reach toward writing, the lines between reading, those voices of appreciation to let students see with new writing and living blur. Distinctions collapse and literature, eyes, that which often disappears in familiarity – namely indeed literacy, can lead to life. the places they live. Before reading bioregional literature As teachers we are challenged as in no time in the past to students can be encouraged in their conceptual readiness for help students connect more deeply to the living community powerful place based writing by practicing encounters of outside the classroom walls. Exploring the school yard, the estrangement. This means helping students develop an atti- neighborhood, and inviting community members into the tude of attentive awareness that allows them to see, hear and school to share and talk about what they do in the community sense the world around them in a way that de-familiarizes forges stronger bonds between kids, the school and the wider the familiar. community. Emerging societal trends hastened by technology, To do this I took students outside. The school sat atop growing social exclusion, a widening disconnect between the a rough outcropping of exposed rock with low lying black young and their immediate outdoors environments are very spruce and other flora typical of the northern boreal forest real. The child, the classroom, the community are part of a surrounding the building on three sides. Each student care- much larger whole. Introducing students to the life of their fully chose a small item connected to the more than human place through the words of writers and the visuals of artists world. Students collected twigs, stones, seedpods, various deepens a sense that local issues are global issues, that our plants, fungi, and leaves. Returning to the classroom, I relationship with the Earth, and issues of development, health, led the students through a series of sensory activities that peace, social and environmental justice are interconnected. allowed them to experience their item through all their The space between the young reader and the bioregional senses. Each student recorded minute details, first impres- text can be a space of the poetic, creative, imaginative and sions, connections, and memories in a manner typical of expressive dimension. It is where we are able to make and free writing. Using the writing generated in the free write, re-make images of ourselves and of our ecological relation- the students crafted free verse poems that captured the items ships. Students are able to address sensitively the connec- they found outside in creative, unique and personal ways. tions of body, mind, emotions and spirit and experience In response to the bioregional literature they were read- deeply the bioregional voices of appreciation to re-discover ing, students created multimedia texts combining the work and re-inhabit with imagination the places they live.

Patrick Howard is a former middle and high school Webinars from teacher. He is currently Associate Professor of Education at Cape Breton University in Sydney, Nova Scotia.

Notes 1. Chawla, Louise. 1998. Significant life experiences revisited: A review of research on sources of environmental sensitivity. The Journal of Environmental Coming this Fall: Education 29 (3):11-21 2. Tuan, Y. (1976). Literature, experience and environmental knowing. In G. Addressing Aquatic Invasives Moore and R. Golledge (Eds.), Environmental knowing, theories, research and with Melissa Doubek, Alice Holcomb and Bob Thomson methods. (pp. 260-272). Stroudsbourg, Penn.: Dowden, Hutchinson and Ross. Thursday, October 1, 2015 7:30 - 8:30 pm EST 3. Holmes, Nancy. 2009. Open Wide a Wilderness: Canadian Nature Poems. Making the Next Generation Sir Wilfred Laurier Press. 4. Anand, Madhur and Adam Dickinson. 2009. Regreen: New Canadian Eco- Science Standards Work for Us logical Poetry. Your Scrivener Press. with Gerry Lieberman 5. Tredinnick, Mark. 2004. A Place on Earth: An Anthology of Nature Writing Tuesday, October 6, 2015 7:30 - 8:30 pm EST from Australia and North America. University of Nebraska Press. 6. Goddard, Sally. 1995. Gaddy’s Story: The First Weeks in the Life of an Atlan- All of our upcoming webinars are FREE tic Cod. Breakwater Books Ltd. We also have over 50 past webinars, available to subscribers only 7. Pittman, Al. 1976. Down by Jim Longs Stage: Rhymes for children and young fish. Breakwater Books Ltd. For more information and to register visit 8. St. Antoine, Sarah. 2004. Stories From Where We Live (series of 4 books). www.greenteacher.com/webinars Milkweed Press. 9. Pare´, Arleen. 2014. The Lake of Two Mountains. Brick Books. Recently added to our webinar archive: 10. Dig Your Neighbourhood. http://blogs.ubc.ca/theecoartincubator/. • Invasive Species: Towards a Deeper Understanding 11. Dronyk, Dymphyny, and Kris Demeanor. 2014. The Calgary Project: A City • Promising Practices for School Food Gardens Map in Verse and Visual. Frontenac House and House of Blue Skies Press. • Why Risky Play is So Important for Children 12. Toronto Poetry Map. www.torontopoetry.ca • Building Resilience Through Eco-Crafts 13. Eigenbrod, Renate, Georgina Kakegamic and Josias Fiddler. 2003. • Envirothon - what? why? how? Aboriginal Literature in Canada: A Teacher Resource. www.curriculum.org/ • Taking Kids to the Community storage/30/1278480166aboriginal.pdf 14. Thurston, Harry. 2005. The Sea’s Voice: An Anthology of Atlantic Canadian Nature Writing. Nimbus Books.

Page 28 Green Teacher 107 Love Our Coral Reefs Teaching 6-14 year-olds about environmental stewardship and coral reefs using modeling materials found in most cupboards Photographs, left: Creative Commons CCO; right: Melody Russell Photographs, left: Creative

on coral reefs. This lesson can be taught to both elemen- By Melody L. Russell, Stanton Belford, tary and middle school aged students as well as pre-service Laura Crowe and David Laurencio teachers. The primary goal of this lesson is to allow students to engage in a lesson that addresses the characteristics of COSYSTEMS CAN VARY greatly in size, may have ecosystems to promote environmental awareness. definite boundaries (the edge of a pond), or less E obvious ones (a grassland as it goes up a mountain) The Coral Reef Ecosystem and are found in all terrestrial, aquatic and marine biomes. Coral reefs, sometimes called “the rainforests of the sea”, Ecosystems not only provide homes for organisms, they are considered one of the invaluable hotspots of global bio- also maintain energy flows through food chains and cycle diversity. They are also an extremely valuable ecosystem to nutrients. Additionally, as humans, we interact with, and humans. Coral reefs account for over $30 billion per year in affect the environment of all organisms that share our space. goods and services through activities such as tourism and Unfortunately, our world’s very diverse ecosystems are fishing2,3. Unfortunately, ten per cent of the coral reefs have increasingly threatened throughout many areas of the world. been damaged significantly and beyond recovery.4 Moreover, If these human threats continue unchecked over the long two thirds of the coral reefs around the world are damaged by term, our environment, economy and quality of life will con- climate change and human activity.5 Many organisms (fishes, tinue to be adversely impacted from local to global levels. crustaceans, echinoderms, and mollusks) use the coral reefs Coral reefs are one of the most diverse and valuable eco- as nursery habitats. Protection of coral reefs is important to systems on Earth, but also one of the most endangered. Today, environmental awareness and using coral reefs in this lesson they comprise about one per cent of the ocean floor, but can promote good stewardship over the environment. provide a home for up to 25 per cent of marine life, including Symbiosis is a close association between two or more cnidarian.1 Approximately one million species of plants and species. This association may be detrimental to one spe- animals in the ocean depend on coral reefs for survival. cies, whilst the other one flourishes as seen in parasitism. A lesson on coral reefs can be used to introduce the For example, there may be an association where one species effects of climate change and pollution on our environment. benefits, and the other species neither benefits nor is harmed It is also a good topic to promote discussion on the role by the association, as seen in commensalism. However, an human interactions play in the environment. association that involves the beneficial gain between two The following lesson is designed to give elementary and species is called mutualism. middle school students the opportunity to explore biodiver- Cnidarians include corals, sea anemones, and jellies, and sity, ecosystems and their interrelatedness through a lesson the name itself suggests that these organisms are “stinging”

Green Teacher 107 Page 29 organisms with the presence of cells called nematocysts. The • Samples (or pictures) of dry coral most recognized Cnidarians are corals and sea anemones • Link for the YouTube video clip of clownfish and sea which maintain a mutualistic relationship with microscopic anemone9 protists called zooxanthellae (i.e. Symbiodinium spp.). The • Paper plates (1 per/student) aforementioned relationship is obligate; hence the absence • Paper towels of one is detrimental to the other species. Corals survive • Cups (small 8 oz. cups for teacher to pour chocolate in nutrient-poor waters due to their symbiotic relationship syrup in) with the photosynthetic microalgae zooxanthellae.6 Corals • Spoons typically grow in waters that are clear and warm, gener- • Large marshmallows (1 large bag) or Bananas (1 bunch) ally between 18°C – 29°C, however some species can grow • Licorice (3 bags of licorice in red or black) in water temperatures between 30°C – 35°C.7 During long • Graham crackers (2 boxes) periods of lower or higher than normal water temperatures, • Chocolate syrup (2 small bottles) zooxanthellae leave their coral hosts and appear pale white • Oyster crackers (2 boxes) in color.8 The corals are highly stressed during this period • Sprinkles or Sugar crystals (1 small jar) and if inadequate temperatures persist it results in coral • Sugar cookie (2 boxes) mortality. When bleaching events affect entire reefs, the • Toothpicks (1 box) event is known as mass coral bleaching. Another example to provide students with is the relation- Extension activity materials if time permits: ship between clownfish and sea anemones. Interestingly, • Wildlife or plant/animal magazines clownfish only associate with ten of the plethora of sea • Scissors anemones found throughout the oceans worldwide. This • Glue means that clownfish populations are limited by the pres- • Paper ence of their obligate mutualistic hosts. Consequently, many of the 29 clownfish species currently known are endemic. Procedures For instance, the Two-Band clownfish Amphiprion( bicinctus) Engage (10 minutes). The lesson will begin by engaging stu- is endemic to the Red Sea. Simply put, this particular spe- dents with the video clip or the teacher can provide pictures cies resides in only one geographical area in the world. In of clownfish in their natural habitat. The teacher will then fact, other than the sea surrounding the Papua New Guinea pass around samples of dry coral for students to note physi- chain of islands, which possess ten species of clownfish, cal characteristics of the coral (i.e. texture, color, size, shape). most of the other species are found in little pockets of the Check a local aquarium for samples of either dry coral or vast ocean. artificial coral. Students are to observe the texture of various hard corals from pictures provided and make comparisons Exploring Coral Reefs between the pictures and the samples. Place students in This lesson can be implemented through the five-step learn- groups of two and have them as a pair list characteristics they ing cycle model (5 E’s) developed by the Biological Sciences observe in the different corals. Students may use observation Curriculum Study (BSCS), which includes: Engage, Explore, sheets or a science notebook to record their observations. Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate. The objectives of this Explore (35 minutes). The students in assigned groups activity are as follows: of two will conduct a Webquest on ecosystems through the 1. Students will describe the characteristics of coral reef Webquest website.10 Students will be assigned a specific ecosystems and evaluate the importance of biodiversity Webquest in QuestGarden.11 Upon completion of the Web- in maintaining them. quest activity students will explore the structure and shape 2. Students will illustrate the essential characteristics of of coral polyps. This is an excellent Webquest designed to mutualism (a type of symbiosis) found in Cnidarians. demonstrate the impact that humans can have on an eco- 3. Students will investigate how interactions are important system. Students can relate human activity and human eco- to marine ecosystems and our society. logical threats to coral reef ecosystems. Students can also use hand-held magnification lenses to view the tiny pores Time: One to two class periods depending upon class located on the surface of the samples of hard corals. Addi- time schedules. This activity can be completed in one tionally, they will view photographs of coral polyps with the 90-minute block or two 45-minute class periods. intention of understanding the basic anatomy of polyps, such as its base, column, mouth, and tentacles. Furthermore, the Safety: photographs will be used to discuss the location of these • Please be sure that students do not have any food polyps with respect to the coral animal. allergies. Explain (15 minutes). The lesson will continue with the • Students should wash their hands since they will be discussion of the relationship between the clownfish and sea allowed to eat the model coral polyps they design. anemone. Because clownfish are considered poor swimmers, they would become easy prey, but the sea anemone provides Materials needed: Amounts provided are based on one them with protection. Students can research the multiple average class size, but may vary depending on number of species and organisms that exist in the coral reef ecosystems students. Each student will construct their own coral polyp. and how they interact. Students will then describe the char- All food grade items can be purchased at the local acteristics of an ecosystem and provide examples of various grocery store. ecosystems.

Page 30 Green Teacher 107 Melody Russell Students make observations and examine an authentic coral The lesson is elaborated upon by having students construct for the engage phase of the lesson. their own coral polyp with edible supplies.

Elaborate (25 minutes). After viewing the hard corals, that can sometimes account for 90 per cent of the cnidarian’s students will then focus more in depth on the anatomy of nutrition. The zooxanthaellae in return receive nutrients, the coral polyp and begin a guided inquiry activity to design carbon dioxide, and a substratum deployed in the sun.12 One their own model coral polyp. Students will then move on to student in the pair should not add sprinkles to demonstrate the coral reef ecosystem and begin a guided inquiry activ- coral bleaching. ity to design their own model coral polyp. Each student will After students have constructed polyps, all students will be supplied with a large marshmallow (or piece of banana), be asked to share them. Students will be allowed to compare multiple sticks of licorice, graham crackers, one small cup their polyp to other students and note differences, the teacher of chocolate syrup, oyster crackers, green sugar sprinkles, can highlight structure and function of different parts of the and a sugar cookie. The teacher should distribute all materi- polyps. Students will be asked how their structure resembles als and monitor how much each group receives. The teacher the others and how coral bleaching is demonstrated with will allow students to describe what they think each mate- their constructions. Through discussion students are asked rial and supply represents before having them design model how the polyp without green sprinkle could represent coral coral reefs and polyps. bleaching. Coral bleaching, in most cases a result of the Each pair of students will be asked to use the materials photosynthetic organism zooxanthellae as well as abnormal to construct two coral polyps, one that has not experienced environmental conditions13, will also be introduced. The coral bleaching and one that has. Students will be asked importance of zooxanthellae and the survival of species to draw sketches in their science notebook prior to the within the coral reef can be emphasized throughout the construction of their polyps. Chocolate syrup, which will lesson. Without zooxanthellae, the symbiotic relationship work as glue, should be placed on the graham cracker and becomes nonexistent. The zooxanthellae provide up to 90 per the cracker will represent the base of the coral polyp. The cent of nutrition for cnidarians and in return receive nutrients chocolate syrup applied to the marshmallow at the base to and carbon dioxide that can be converted into oxygen. represent the column of the polyp. Licorice tentacles could Students can brainstorm ways to minimize coral bleach- be placed on top of the marshmallow; green sugar sprinkle ing and protect the environment. For instance, sunscreen zooxanthellae can be placed on top, and all around their from tourist diving and swimming as well as herbicides can polyp; the introduction of the sugar cookie can be used to cause coral bleaching. With this in mind students can devise illustrate the coral reef placed under the coral polyp. Zoo- alternatives to these products in order to minimize or pre- xanthellae provide their cnidarians hosts with photosynthate vent coral bleaching that may be caused from human impact.

Green Teacher 107 Page 31 Mass coral bleaching has a detrimental impact across the dents can be allowed to conduct a mock town hall meeting world. A multicultural science connection can be made by where argumentation can be used as a pedagogical strategy allowing students to investigate various reefs and how the for students to investigate how to promote alternatives to population surrounding the reefs is dependent on coral reefs products and factors that cause coral bleaching and highlight for food and protection from shoreline damage, storms, and legislation they could introduce to prevent coral bleaching. floods. Students can research the ten largest reefs around the Moreover, the impact of global climate change should be world14 and find where these reefs are located on the world highlighted and students can have a mock town hall meeting map to make the lesson interdisciplinary. on ways to help the environment and minimize the effects of Students will be asked to describe the importance of global climate change. symbiosis and mutualisms in marine habitats such as seen in corals and zooxanthellae, as well as the relationship between Melody L. Russell is an Associate Professor of Science clownfish and sea anemones. Students can also make other Education in the Department of Curriculum and Teaching comparisons for organisms with similar relationships. at Auburn University in Alabama. Stanton Belford is an Assistant Professor of Biology at Martin Methodist College Extension and Cross-Curricular in Pulaski, Tennessee, Laura Crowe is a physical science Applications teacher and doctoral student in the science education Since the warmer water impacts the coral reefs and changes program at Auburn University and David Laurencio is in water temperature are attributed to global climate change also a doctoral student in the science education program at students will discuss strategies and organizations that are Auburn University. working to protect the coral reefs as a way to promote good stewardship over the environment. See the Teach Ocean Sci- This lesson is modified from the “Anytime lesson plan: Build ence website for a resource on extension activities and cross- a coral polyp lesson” California Academy of Science16 and curricular applications on coral reefs.15 Students can design co-taught by the authors, one of which is a certified science a mock ad entitled “Save the Coral Reefs” with information teacher. Authors for this lesson modified the materials, sup- on factors that adversely impact the coral reefs and provide plies, and some of the content based on the diverse content environmentally friendly alternatives to products that get backgrounds of the authors and also wanted to make the into the water supply and damage the reefs. Lastly students lesson apply to the elementary classroom. should research and discuss the economic and political impact of damaging the corals on the global economy. Stu- References 1. Spalding, M.D., Ravilious, C., & Green, E.P. (2001). World Atlas of Coral Reefs. Prepared at the UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Center. Univer- sity of California Press 2. Hoegh-Guldberg, O. 1999. Climate change, coral bleaching and the future of the world’s coral reefs. Marine and Freshwater Research 50: 839-866. Environ. Our Supporters and Friends provide us with extra Change, 11(Suppl 1): S215-S227. funds to help sustain Green Teacher. 3. Van Oppen, M., Gates, R. 2006. Conservation genetics and the resilience of reef-building corals. Molecular Ecology 15: 3863-3883. Join the list and find out more at www.greenteacher.com 4. Federal Task Force Study as cited in www.eco-pros.com/endangeredreefs. htm To our Friends 5. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration as cited in Vicki Agee Glenda Fauske Jeannine Palms www.eco-pros.com/endangeredreefs.htm Crystal Auger Jennifer French Stephanie Pearl 6. Muscatine, L. and J.W. Porter, (1977) Reef corals: Mutualistic symbioses Leigh Bird Amie Gaudet Lynn Prosen adaptive to nutrient-poor environments. Bioscience, 27: 454–460. Robert Bixler Lee Gluck Cory Redl Holly Brose Ronald Grochowski Petra Rempel 7. Garrison T. (2005) Oceanography, an invitation to marine science. Stephen Campbell Michelle Hoefs Peter Salmansohn Fifth Edition. Belmont (CA): Thomson. 522p. Amanda Chesser Jo Low Brandy Schell 8. Hoegh-Guldberg, O., (2011). Coral reef ecosystems and anthropogenic Richard Clark Anya Marin Astrid Steele climate change. Reg. Pauline Coupe Candace Jaruszewicz Christina St-Pierre Liz Couture Melanie Kane Malcolm Siegel 9. Clownfish and Sea Anemone Chapter from Explore Coral Reefs: The Adven- Carol Fern Culhane Laura Leet Zoe Ann Stinchcomb tures of Ocean Annie www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVNW3mO8hCE Gregory Dahlin Caitlin MacDonald Lyndi Toohill 10. Webquest http://webquest.org/search/index.php Greg Derbyshire Jenny McGregor Andra Yeghoian 11. QuestGarden http://questgarden.com/151/13/6/121112074627/index.htm Sarah Doxon Lori Milligan East Bernstadt Susan Driscoll Todd Moore Independent School 12. Ruppert, E.E., Fox, R.S., & Barnes, R.D. (2004). Invertebrate zoology. Lisa Duckworth Cindy Murdough (7 ed., pp. 112-177). 13. Jones, Hoegh-Guldberg, Larku, Schreiber, & Hoegh-Guldberg, O. (1998). To our Supporters Temperature-induced bleaching of corals begins with impairment of the CO [sub 2]. Plant, Cell & Environment, 21(12), 1219-1230. Debra Bridgman Susan Kill Stan Kozak Herbert Broda Clifford E. Knapp Lois Nixon 14. The World’s 10 Largest Coral Reefs http://geography.about.com/od/lists/a/ Garry Enns The-Worlds-10-Largest-Coral-Reefs.htm 15. Teach Ocean Science www.teachoceanscience.net/ 16. Anytime lesson plan: Build a coral polyp. (n.d.). Retrieved from www.calacademy.org/teachers/resources/lessons/build-a-coral-polyp/

Page 32 Green Teacher 107 Take the Green Challenge Green Challenges provide easy access points for incorporating environmental themes into school culture, and help green schools get back to the basics Naomi Herschiser

my reasons for taking students outside to learn. While we By Naomi Dietzel Hershiser certainly present multiple viewpoints about the complex environmental issues that affect modern society, it’s never HE GYM IS DARK on an early February morning, been in question that our school will support eco-friendly illuminated faintly by the low winter sun streaming solutions and courses of action. And yet, several years ago, Tthrough windows two stories up, and a few candles I realized that while we were engaging students in learning dotting the stage. They shine on the 7th grade classes sing- about sustainability at a deep level, we had neglected some ing a song about energy, accompanied by their teacher on of the most basic environmental behaviors. I could walk into acoustic guitar. The rest of the school listens, some of the a classroom and hear a meaningful discussion on the local younger students swaying and bouncing as their bodies food movement, but look into the trash can and see students’ naturally find the music’s rhythm. This all-school assembly papers on food systems tossed away carelessly in the bin will kick off the month’s Green Challenge – Save Electricity bound for the landfill. Oh the irony! We had come so far that – and the students who planned the assembly didn’t want to we’d forgotten where we started. use electricity to show a PowerPoint, or even to light up the Thus was born our Green Challenge program, which stage. The concert ends, and the whole school is informed brings our entire school community – teachers, students, of some of their common tasks for the month. Each class non-instructional staff and parents – together to focus on will be making light switch plates for their room and com- one environmental topic or behavior each month. We learn mon spaces throughout the school that will remind people about the topic academically first, with each child studying, to turn off lights when leaving. Classes will be assessing at an age-appropriate level, the science, politics, economics, their use of ghost power and devising solutions to reduce it and other aspects of the issue. We analyze our current by unplugging unneeded appliances. Inspired by the presen- behaviors, set goals, and aim to lessen our environmental tation of the month’s initiatives, students file back to their impact. For us, the Green Challenge program has been a classrooms to start working on ways to use less electricity way to get back to the basics, making sure that we don’t for- throughout the school. get the simple things that people can do every day to help I feel extremely fortunate to have spent the past 12 years the planet. For other schools, the Green Challenge program at Prairie Crossing Charter School, a K-8 school with an could serve as an entryway to creating a school culture that environmental focus. Unlike many other educators with a encourages conservation behaviors. Whether you’re at an passion for environmental education, I never have to defend established Green School or are looking for a way to start

Green Teacher 107 Page 33 implementing environmental remind everyone, including visi- initiatives in your school or class- tors to campus, of the month’s room, try Green Challenges to The Green Challenge program could serve focus! When the month ends, unite your community through as an entryway to creating a school culture posters remain hanging, and eco-friendly behaviors. This that encourages conservation behaviors new ones get added next to them article will explain how to start so that by the end of the year, implementing the program, classrooms and public spaces including helpful tips for sustaining it and suggestions for have an entire row of Challenge posters to remind all of two-years worth of monthly challenges. what we’ve accomplished through the year. Facilities Components (if applicable). We strive to The Formula make our campus environmentally friendly, and to set up Each month of the school year, embrace a Green Challenge. systems that encourage lessened impact. Challenges may At our school, several weeks prior to the month’s start, staff have facilities components that are very involved. For members receive a challenge overview. This document instance, the first time we did our recycling challenge, we details the challenge’s outcomes and activities. Month after made sure that every trash can in the school was paired with month each challenge contains the same or similar elements. a recycling bin and vice versa. We also provided uniform These include: labeling for each receptacle to provide consistency. Other An Opening Assembly. Near the beginning of each challenges have minimal facilities components – for our month, we hold an all-school assembly to introduce the “Drive Less” challenge, we installed student-created anti- newest challenge. At the assembly, students learn what the idling signage in our parking lots, but no other changes were month’s focus will be, get some background information, made to the campus. Some challenges, such as “Leave No and begin to learn about what they will be asked to do Child Inside” and “Trash-Free Lunches,” have no facilities through the course of the month. Assemblies often involve components at all. student participation, like the one described at the top of Content Components. These start out as simple state- the article; classes have performed skits, created books that ments of what we want students to understand about the were projected and read aloud, created videos about chal- month’s topic. The content components are accompanied by lenge topics, and performed concerts. a variety of resources for teachers – lesson plans, videos, A poster. Each month’s theme has a visual image that readings, websites and other resources. This allows teach- represents it. At our school, I created these images using ers to easily teach the content and meet the needs of their bold colors and following a similar visual look for each chal- class. Some of the months feature required activities that lenge. You may want to take this task on yourself, or make each classroom must complete; other months have a menu of it an assignment for one of the upper grade art classes. The options from which teachers can choose. graphic is inserted into a poster that states “In (Month) and Behavior Components. At the heart of each challenge beyond, we (challenge topic).” For example: In November is the goal of changing people’s behaviors in such a way and beyond, we Compost. The posters are hung in each that we reduce our impact on the planet or improve student classroom and in school public spaces, with large banners health. Behavior components vary from large changes with lining one wall of the gymnasium. The posters serve to time-consuming behavior monitoring and data collections,

Page 34 Green Teacher 107 Month Odd-even year (2015-16) Even-odd year (2016-17)

September Recycle This is a basic challenge, but it’s always Focus on Wellness This challenge involves looking at an important topic to address, especially at the the links between healthy choices (food, free time, etc.) beginning of the year. The challenge requires and environmental impacts. Students learn about the looking at behaviors as well as ensuring that the dimensions of wellness, including physical, environmental, campus is well equipped and set up for proper social, emotional, and intellectual. This challenge focuses recycling behaviors in terms of bin labelling and on environmental components of wellness, but also ties placement. in with anti-bullying initiatives that lead up to Bully Prevention Day (the first Monday in October).

October Strive for Trash Free Lunches This challenge Eat Real To correspond with Food Day on October 24 heavily involves families, and is especially (more information at www.foodday.org/), students learn important for those schools that do not have a about the connections between food choices, the envi- lunch program! ronment and health, with an emphasis on the impact of the food system on the planet.

November Compost During this challenge, we review our Celebrate our Values PCCS’ value statements include procedures and ensure that students understand environmental learning, academic excellence, partnering the complete cycle of nutrients, as well as the with parents and personal responsibility; this challenge benefits of composting. ensures that all students know what your school stands for, and why it’s important and unique!

December Share Don’t Toss This is a holiday-time initiative Use Less Stuff In December, as the holidays approach, that encourages students to donate used items, we look at the amount of resources we consume; and think about gift-giving practices; at our students assess needs vs. wants, and learn to think school it aligns with the “Holiday Bazaar” event about what’s really important to them, and how that can – a gift donation/exchange arena where stu- tie into their holiday traditions. This challenge tackles dents can buy used items to give to their family the “reduce and reuse” concepts from the 3Rs. members for the holidays

January Use Less Paper In a school, paper is a heavily Save Energy Students learn about energy sources and used material; this challenge encourages think about all of the things in their lives that aren’t students and staff to rethink and reduce paper possible without energy. This challenge includes elec- usage without compromising their academic tricity and transportation, but focuses in on things like integrity. heating/cooling due to overlaps with “Save Electricity” and “Drive Less” challenges.

February Save Electricity This challenge is designed Design Green During this month, students learn about primarily to ensure that everyone in the school the green aspects of the physical campus; at PCCS this is thinking about turning things OFF when they includes a LEED certified classroom building, native are not being used, but involves students in landscaping, and others. thinking about sources of energy and natural resources as well.

March Conserve Water In this month, we look at how Drive Less This is an initiative to involve our families, much water we use and for what, and determine/ since our students are all too young to drive themselves enact ways to reduce usage of this precious (but if teaching the program at a high school could be resource both at school and at home. a way to get new drivers started on the right path). This challenge is especially relevant to PCCS’ carpooling procedure, since our school has no bussing.

April Leave No Child Inside Timed to line up with Take Tech Outside This challenge involves getting stu- Earth Week, this challenge involves getting students outside, and invites teachers to explore how we can dents outside for meaningful, integrated learning use technology to enhance environmental education. It was experiences, as well as play and adventure. also specifically designed to coordinate with Earth Week.

May Retool our School Supplies In May, ask stu- Garden This challenge encourages classes to use the dents and teachers to think about what will hap- school’s raised beds and classroom discretionary garden pen to still-good school supplies at the end of areas, and integrate them with academic studies. the year. We implemented store-your-stuff-for- next-year options and collect donations.

Green Teacher 107 Page 35 publish bi-monthly newsletters. Green Challenge updates, appropriate facts, ideas, and discussion topics are included in these. In addition, students may have homework assignments that relate to the Green Challenge, and encourage family discussion. The Challenges At Prairie Crossing Charter School we have developed a two-year cycle of challenges. These 18 topics provide variety and interest; by the time students repeat them they are older and the content level has become more challenging. See the challenges chart on the previous page, feel free to add or change to meet your school and student’s needs. Of course, schools can create their own challenges based on their own environmental needs and their situations. Chal- lenge creation could be the task of the school’s Green Team, a group of committed teachers and/or administrators, or it could fall to classes of students. In fact, after we completed our first two-year cycle through Green Challenges, a class of 3rd and 4th grade students asked me if they could develop new Green Chal- lenges to fill holes that they, as students, saw missing in the program. These students created three new challenges – Save Endangered Species, Don’t Litter, and Reduce Fossil Fuels. Using our templates, the students created challenge overviews. They performed at the assemblies, implemented Students check the recycling bin for sorting errors. contests, and made announcements over the PA system each morning. Their energy and involvement reinvigorated the Green Challenge program in its second cycle. to smaller actions that can’t be measured. For example, in the “Reduce Paper” challenge, each classroom and office Five Tips for Implementation area monitors all paper usage for a week to get an accu- 1. Go it alone (if you have to). Part of what we love about rate picture of what people use before modification begins. the Green Challenge program is that it involves our Then each class/space sets a goal or reduction target. This entire school in a united effort. With kindergarten could involve photocopying or office paper, but just as often through grade eight students, we don’t often have topics it has to do with the paper towels used in hand washing or and foci like this that apply to the entire school popula- cleaning practices. Then classes spend the remainder of the tion. However, if there isn’t administrative support or the month trying to achieve their goal, still tracking all paper entire faculty is not on board, Green Challenges could be used. It’s a very involved month, which for our school has implemented by a single grade level or even classroom. led to long-term changes in paper use habits. On the other Done well, this could be a springboard for whole school hand, during our Drive Less challenge, all behavior goals participation in years (or months) to come. Participat- occur outside of school and are mainly suggestions for fam- ing classes may be able to prove to the administration ily conversations, as our students are not old enough to drive that they saved money or improved student performance themselves! through their environmental initiatives, and their enthu- Contests/Incentives. Some challenges naturally lend siasm and fun may make other teachers want to join in! themselves to contests between classrooms or students. 2. Start slow. Jumping into a monthly Green Challenge We use these sparingly because in my experience there are program can be overwhelming. I advise schools that are often negative elements to competitions. For one thing, they starting out to consider implementing only four chal- can cause students to place blame on each other, often for lenges each year, and skipping a month in between (or choices that were made at home by their parents and not by even allowing longer time for each challenge, perhaps the students themselves (such as the choice to buy packaged lining them up with the school’s grading quarters). This lunch-foods). For another, they provide an external motiva- allows more planning time, and will make it easier to tion that ends as soon as the contest ends, and sometimes develop the challenges. don’t lead to permanent change. Still, contests can be a fun 3. Switch off. If doing challenges every month, try inter- way to get students involved in lessening their personal spersing challenges that involve more classroom activi- impact. ties and behavior changes with ones that are relaxed, Literature Links. Provide teachers with a list of ideas and focus on issues that won’t take as much energy. For for picture books, books for older readers, and articles that example, the “Conserve Water” challenge involves data tie into the theme and can be used in reading instruction. collection/auditing, which may involve research into Home Connections. These are delivered via several water flow and fixtures. This is followed by behavior methods. First, both the school and individual classrooms modification and additional data collection. In many

Page 36 Green Teacher 107 cases, it also involves homework as students monitor students to understand its importance and impact… and their home water usage. That month’s intensity is fol- we didn’t have to develop a big new thing for the chal- lowed by the fun challenge of “Leave No Child Inside,” lenge! Similarly, we already had big, themed Earth Week which is a challenge we meet every month regardless. celebrations at our school, so we tied challenges to those Some challenges are naturally less labor intensive than events. The included chart notes other all-school-event others, but every challenge can be done to the level that integration. We also try, when possible, to align chal- is appropriate for the school at the time. lenges to academic curriculum. The energy challenges 4. Use the buddy system. At Prairie Crossing, each class coordinate with times when classes are studying electric- is matched up with a buddy class – older and younger ity. The “Conserve Water” challenge happens around the students are matched up to work together. These classes time when students are learning about the water cycle. start as reading buddies; reading together several times This allows teachers to enhance their content in both a year and developing a relationship while working on their academic classes and with the Green Challenge. critical literacy skills. We found that these student buddies were great for the Green Challenges, especially after The Green Challenge Program provides a framework for we had been through our first cycle. At that point, the classrooms or schools at any level to embrace or enhance older buddy may have already done the Green Challenge eco-friendly behaviors. It gives schools and teachers a struc- a couple of years prior. They are able to take a leadership ture for making classroom changes and introducing envi- role and teach what they know to their younger counter- ronmental topics. It fosters community togetherness and parts. This keeps the older students invested, engaged involves families. Challenge your school to go green today! and on task. Meanwhile, the younger students get to see, as a role model, an older student engaging in eco- Naomi Dietzel Hershiser is the Dean of Environmental friendly behaviors and telling them why it is important. Learning at Prairie Crossing Charter School, a K-8 school 5. Line it up. Integrating subject material makes learning with an environmental focus in Grayslake, IL. She works more meaningful to students. We have taken great efforts with teachers and students to ensure that all classes at to align and integrate our green challenges with either Prairie Crossing focus on environmental literacy and learn- all-school events or grade level curriculum. For example, ing in and from nature. For more detailed information on we created our “Donate, Don’t Toss!” challenge to high- any of Prairie Crossing’s Green Challenges, contact Naomi light the Holiday Bazaar. The accompanying challenge through the school’s website, http://prairiecrossingcharter- allows us to celebrate and promote the event and help school.org/team/administration/.

Global Sustainability Curriculum and Teacher PD

Motivate and Equip Your Students Award-winning, standards-aligned, interdisciplinary K-12 curricula designed to develop critical thinking skills, build global awareness, and engage students in positive solutions for a sustainable world.

facingthefuture.org

10% discount for Green Teacher readers by using code GT2015.

Green Teacher 107 Page 37 Teaching Empathy Through Animals Pets in preschool classrooms allow students to establish an emotional connection while also learning about responsibility Harker Preschool

It is Dr. Dorian’s response that came to mind when Anya By Robyn Stone told me about the talking chicks:

HE CHICKIES ARE TALKING TO ME!” three- It is quite possible that an animal has spoken civ- “ year-old Anya said as she keenly listened to the illy to me and that I didn’t catch the remark because I T “pips” and “pews” of our Barred Plymouth Rock wasn’t paying attention. Children pay better attention chicks on our preschool farm. “What are they saying?” I than grownups. If Fern says that the animals in Zuck- asked, as the chicks gathered around our ankles. We were erman’s barn talk, I’m quite ready to believe her. Per- sitting on tree stumps in front of the chicken coop. “They haps if people talked less, animals would talk more. say, ‘Anya we love you!’” she replied with a big grin while giving herself a hug on their behalf. Is it a question of people talking less or listening more? In that moment, Anya reminded me of Fern, a character When I observe the chickens or the rabbits on our preschool in the novel Charlotte’s Web1. In a dramatic demonstra- farm with my young students, the children narrate for me tion of empathy, Fern attempts to rescue a piglet runt from what the animals are saying, thinking, and feeling, and the an untimely death. With a sophisticated ability in perspec- intentions behind the animals’ behaviors. The young chil- tive taking, she asks her father, “If I had been born small dren seem intuitively aware. But are they simply project- at birth, would you have killed me?” Father acquiesces and ing their own thoughts and feelings onto the animals? Are Fern raises the piglet Wilbur. When he outgrows their home, they anthropomorphizing? In the preschool classroom we Wilbur moves to a barn where there is quite a menagerie of actively teach students how to recognize and name emo- opinionated animals: geese, sheep, a greedy rat, and a crafty tions. When children break a toy, we might ask how the toy spider called Charlotte. feels. When we read a picture book, we might ask how the Every day after school Fern would visit Wilbur and the characters feel. These are all steps toward building social other animals and listen to their conversations. After relay- competence in perspective taking. ing one such conversation to her mother, Mother thinks Fern Glancing out the classroom window, we can ask chil- is ill. She complains to the doctor, “Fern says the animals dren ‘How is that squirrel feeling?’ as it dashes down a tree talk to each other. Dr. Dorian, do you believe animals talk?” with an acorn in its mouth. By wondering about the squir-

Page 38 Green Teacher 107 rel’s emotional state, we invite the children to take on the by Schumann, Zaki, and Dweck4 indicates that a malleable perspective of a living being who shares earth’s precious view of empathy predicts greater empathic efforts. This sug- resources with us. That’s a good thing, suggests Virginia gests that teachers could help all students increase empathic Morell in her book Animal Wise2. Morell goes on to discuss behaviors and grow in their empathic responses even when a ant teachers, laughing rats, elephant memories, and more— situation is most challenging. thus revealing that animals have minds. She states: Lucas, a four-year-old on the Autism Spectrum, was obsessed with our classroom rabbit. “Is it time to pet the They have brains and use them, as we do: for bunny?” he’d ask upon entering the class. He had extreme experiencing the world, for thinking and feeling, and difficulty relating to peers. An aide shadowed him to con- for solving the problems of life every creature faces. stantly redirect him to morning circle time and table centers. Like us, they have personalities, moods, and emo- But when open play ensued, Lucas headed straight for the tions; they laugh and they play. Some show grief and rabbit cage. The rabbit was an object he wanted to experi- empathy and are self-aware and very likely conscious ence. In the first week of class, he violated the classroom of their actions and intents. . . By embracing this rules of petting the rabbit by stepping into her enclosure, larger understanding of our fellow creatures, we may reaching his hand into her hiding place, and pushing food yet succeed in overcoming the great tragedy of the into her face. The consequences were obvious. The rabbit Sixth Extinction. refused to leave her hideout. We talked about his behavior from the rabbit’s perspective. He grew in his recognition The Sixth Extinction referenced by Morrell, is a term of the rabbit as a living thing with thoughts and feelings. made popular by Elizabeth Kolbert’s Pulitzer Prize winning Lucas’s desire to pet the objectified rabbit evolved into a book of the same name3. It describes the devastating effects deeper desire to care for the needs of Miss Potato the bunny. of humans on our planet in perpetuating and hastening the By the second week of school Lucas was able to sit on a extinction of a wide array of species—plants, invertebrates, “bunny carpet” next to the rabbit enclosure and patiently and animals. Empathizing with these living things in our observe her until she chose to visit him for a petting. In world may be the key to saving them. Many preschoolers short time, Lucas became the unofficial guardian of Miss have already been exposed to the concept of ‘extinction.’ Potato—instructing other children in how to observe and Even as they classify plastic dinosaurs and wear adorable touch her. He even prepared little salads for her that she t-rex t-shirts, the children know that dinosaurs no longer gladly consumed whilst being pet. roam the world. Teaching preschool students to show empa- Lucas’s parents were instrumental in helping him thy for live animals may be the key to creating a generation develop empathy for Potato. Having recently immigrated of animal advocates as they grow up. from Shanghai, they had left their own pet rabbit behind. Unfortunately, some people see capacity for empathy At home, they talked about their lost bunny and the school as fixed. Teachers often identify key preschoolers as hav- bunny, thereby making a home-school connection. Par- ing more or less empathy than others. Yet, new research ents are pivotal partners in helping young children grow

Empathy with Live Animals — Tips for Teachers

• Only take on a live animal in the preschool classroom if you are comfortable being the sole caregiver, even during school holidays. • Find key developmentally appropriate animal care tasks for young children. (Example: feeding fish, refilling a water bowl, refilling a food dish) • Establish clearly stated positive norms for how and when animals can be handled. • Coach young children in how to observe animal behavior by narrating what you see. (Example, “I notice the bunny is in her hideout.”) • Engage the children in wondering about the animal’s thoughts and emotional state of being. (Example: “When bunny is in her hideout, how does she feel? Does she want to be pet?”) • Discuss the animal’s life cycle and wonder about its family. (Example: “Do you think the bunny has a mommy and daddy or brothers and sisters?”) • Recognize the elements of the animal’s natural habitat and why they are important. (Example: “Bunnies usually live in the forest. Why would they need to hide?”) • Identify the many ways the animal and the child are similar. • Invite parents to help with animal care at school and with discussing the child’s relationship with the animal at home. Robyn Stone

Green Teacher 107 Page 39 Robyn Stone empathic behavior. They are encouraged to help with animal Early childhood teachers can coach young children in mak- chores at preschool. ing observations about an animal that reveals what it might Teachers can assign students, and even their parents, be thinking or feeling. In and through this process, young individual roles for caring for the classroom pet. At our children grow attached to the animal as they view it as an preschool, five-year-old Ava was in extended day care until intelligent being and learn to take the animal’s perspec- 6pm. She and her mom had the role of saying goodnight to tive—a key factor in developing empathy. the farm rabbits every evening and locking up their hutch. Teaching social and emotional skills is foundational in Parents are also encouraged to wonder with their children early childhood. Using live animals in the preschool class- about the preschool animal’s thoughts, feelings, and fami- room, early childhood educators can teach children how to lies. In dialoguing with their children, parents underscore care for animals and look after their well-being. Also, teachers educators’ efforts in teaching the young children to be curi- can coach young children in making observations about the ous about school animals. Curiosity for animals in children’s animal that reveals what it might be thinking or feeling. In immediate environment can also be leveraged into growing and through this process, young children grow attached to the empathy for all animals. animal as they view it as an intelligent being and learn to take In our verdant outdoor play yard, the preschoolers’ the animal’s perspective a key factor in developing empathy. impulse to squish snails is palpable. They enjoy the sensation of hearing the shell crunch underfoot. Likewise, preschoolers Robyn Stone is the STEM Specialist at Harker Preschool have an impulse to roll and possess pill bugs (a.k.a. “rolli pol- in San Jose, California. She is also an instructor in the early lis”) that invariably causes isopod injuries. But, by helping childhood education department of the University of Califor- young children pause and take the perspective of the snail or nia, Santa Cruz Silicon Valley. pill bug, educators can develop alternative ways of re-directing that curiosity in exploring a new life form and empathiz- Endnotes ing with its unique way of life. The humorously illustrated 1. White, E.B. (1952). Charlotte’s Web. New York: Harper Collins. “diary” books by Doreen Cronin5, such as Diary of a Worm, 2. Morrel, V. (2013). Animal Wise: The Thoughts and Emotions of Our Fellow can be light-hearted tools to help young children get a new Creatures. New York: Crown. 3. Kolbert, E. (2014). Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History. New York: Henry point of view about the everyday critters in their midst. Holt & Co. The value of pets in the classroom has been well docu- 4. Schumann, K., Zaki, J., and Dweck,C. (2014). Addressing the Empathy Defi- 6 mented, by Daly and Suggs for example. Indeed, Steven cit. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. V. 107, No. 3, pp. 475-493. 7 King’s article Pets and Pedagogy in the Winter 2015 issue 5. A.Cronin, Doreen. (2003). Diary of a Worm. New York: Joanna Colter Books. of Green Teacher discusses the way those benefits connect B. Cronin, Doreen. (2005). Diary of a Spider. New York: Joanna Colter Books. with curricula. In elementary school classrooms, older stu- C. Cronin, Doreen. (2007). Diary of a Fly. New York: Joanna Colter Books. dents can independently care for pets and employ them in 6. Daly, B. and Suggs, S. 2010). Teachers Experiences with Human Education the acquisition of language arts, mathematics, and science and Animals in the Elementary Classroom. Journal of Moral Education. V. 39, skills. However, in early childhood, our primary focus is on No. 1, pp. 101-112. the social and emotional development of young students. 7. King, S. (2015). Pets and Pedagogy. Green Teacher, Issue 105.

Page 40 Green Teacher 107 Resources

Reviewers in this issue: Patricia very different up, that dives much deeper than simply Darby, Jennie Kim, Annie Lisa sustainable recycling. In the one hour viewing Levine, Matthew Pariselli, methods, use few students will learn about the severity of Deb Roe, Becky Tzagadouras, fossil fuels, cut our single use society, the power of the Stacey Widenhofer out the middle plastics companies, the importance of man and man- our oceans and wildlife, and what each age to make a one of us can do to help. – (SW) The Whale Who Won Hearts! successful profit. Bullfrog Films, 2014, ISBN 1-94154-524-6 Brian Skerry is a man who has Whether they (DVD), 57 min, US $350 (buy) or $85 (rent) experienced some fiercely exciting are producing from Bullfrog Films www.bullfrogfilms.com and awe-inspiring events. Luckily for vegetables in a us, he’s also an underwater wildlife confined space; grains, meats and ber- Yoga for photographer who has managed to ries in a large space; or have converted Children capture some of a rooftop into a space for growing; they The health ben- those incredible all place environmental impact at the efits of yoga are moments on top of their list of concerns. This DVD, world renowned. film. With his which runs just shy of an hour, offers Not only does the book The Whale the viewer a peek into the day to day practice increase Who Won operations of each farm while high- physical strength Hearts!, Skerry lighting their carbon reducing efforts. and manage leads the reader It is amazing to me that their passion, stress, it outlines down into the on each scale, is able to produce qual- positive guidelines for creating a ocean waters ity food while simultaneously fostering healthy lifestyle. Subtitled “200+ Yoga off the coast of the health of the environment and the Poses, Breathing Exercises, and Medi- Nova Scotia. It local community. This DVD would co- tations for Healthier, Happier, More is in these waters he met the charming incide nicely with lessons on food sys- Resilient Children”, Yoga for Children and playful Wilma, a beluga whale he tems and sustainability for high school is a simple guide to help make these developed a friendship with. Wilma’s age students and beyond. – (SW) benefits available to children and fami- heart-warming title story is only one Monde Films, 2014, (DVD), 52 min, US $89 lies. With photos of kids doing each of four in the book, supported by Na- (k-12) or $225 (Colleges & Institutions) from pose, benefits listed for each and an tional Geographic, and aptly subtitled Green Planet Films www.greenplanetfilms. outline of what to do and say this book And More True Stories of Adventures com will work for parents, and could easily With Animals. The remaining three be modified for use in a classroom. stories in the book chronicle the Plastic With six different sections of yoga photographers encounters with leath- Paradise practices, one such section is entitled erback sea turtles in Trinidad, harp Did you know? Family Yoga Games. These coopera- seals of the Magdalen Islands, and the There is a plastic tive games promote team building and reef sharks around the Line Islands in oceanic wasteland physical contact, two relationship fac- the Pacific Ocean. Using simple text bigger than the ets which may be hard to come by in to communicate each of his stories, state of Texas near today’s world that demands more and supported by his enchanting photos, one of the most re- more time away from our children. this is a book teachers of young chil- mote islands in the Cooperative games bring families dren will be eager to weave into their Pacific. In Plastic closer together and have been proven lessons. It’s tough to imagine a child Paradise filmmaker Angela Sun takes to help groups bond. The Hoop Circle hesitant about diving headfirst into the a look at The Great Pacific Garbage game requires a hula hoop and the subject matter of this book. – (MP) Patch as it gathers on Midway Atoll. group to join hands. Everyone must National Geographic Society, 2014, ISBN The plastics from three distant conti- work together to pass the hoop around 978-1-4263-1520-6 (pb), 111 pp., US $5.99 nents are eaten by seabirds, act like a CA $6.99 from National Geographic Soci- the circle by stepping through and not ety www.nationalgeographic.com/books tumbleweed in the ocean destroying letting it touch the ground. I have used our coral reefs, and never really de- cooperative games exactly like this New Farms Big Success compose. Sun takes us on her personal one with adjudicated youth groups and journey to bring to light our plastics Anyone can farm – on an acre, 800 in Outdoor Education settings. The problem. She talks with scientists, acres, or even a rooftop. Regardless results are awesome. In my case the researchers, plastics manufacturers and of the size, shape or even elevation of kids really broke out of their shells and wildlife agents to help the viewer un- the farm, farmers can be ecologically worked together. Another section at derstand the vastness of this problem. responsible. Each of the three farms the end of the guide is for songs and This DVD is a wonderful education highlighted in the New Farms, Big chants. These activities remove people and instruction tool for grades five and Success DVD do just that. They all use from their comfort zones and place

Green Teacher 107 Page 41 everyone on an equal plane, allow- emotional ones Growing Up Green ing bonding to occur. This is totally such as com- I wish every educator could view Bob applicable to both families and school munity. As well Gliner’s Growing Up Green. Here we groups with children age two to twelve as tackling why see children throughout Michigan to- who wish to strengthen body, mind humans live on tally engaged in authentic place-based and soul. – (ALL) Earth, Vermond environmental learning as a result of Adams Media, 2013. ISBN 978-1-4405- addresses why a statewide program. Youth designing 5463-6 (pb), 319 pp., US $17.95 from we choose to and using robots to investigate invasive Adams Media www.adamsmedia.com live in the city lake species, elementary school stu- or community that we do. The book dents raising salmon and conducting How to Save a devotes a double page spread to each stream studies, some high school Species of the physical and emotional reasons students mapping shipwrecks while It’s a grim reality for why we live where we live, allow- others conduct that some of the ing the reader to delve deeper into environmental wondrous and each topic. This resource asks a unique home audits – beautiful species question and stimulates young read- these are among we share this plan- ers, ages 8-12, to engage in the world the many projects et with are on the around them. It would be a great inclu- that the audience verge of extinc- sion to any social studies, history or witnesses in this tion. However, it’s encouraging to learn science curriculum to help youngsters short film. The about the work that’s being carried out to understand the way society has evolved profiled students save them, as profiled in Marilyn Baillie, and their place within it. – (ALL) and their teach- Jonathan Baillie, and Ellen Butcher’s Owlkids Books, 2014, ISBN 978-1-77147- ers explain how fascinating and inspiring book, How to 081-0 (pb) 48 pp., CDN $12.95 from Owl- the various Great Lakes Stewardship kids Books www.owlkidsbooks.com Save a Species. Seventeen of the world’s initiatives lead to a learning that extends 100 most endangered species, as identi- far beyond the classroom. Physics, fied by the International Union for the Lost Rivers algebra, geometry, and biology take on Conservation of Nature (IUCN), are Take a trip where few have ventured real meaning in such contexts. Students given the attention they deserve within in Lost Rivers. In this documentary become part of the democratic process the pages of this book. Each species, by Caroline Bacle, we follow “drain- by starting conversations, creating whether it be the humpback whale or the ers” down into the sewers in order to community partnerships, and providing wild yam, is featured with compelling explore the urban fate of rivers from lawmakers with new insight. This is the photographs and text that explores its Montreal, Quebec to London, England type of inspired learning that should be background, how many of the spe- inspired by a project in Seoul, South happening in every North American cies are left, where the species live or Korea. In metropolitan cities, rivers school, and you can start by showing grow, what threatens its existence, and have often been trapped, wrangled your students this film. – (DR) what needs to be done in order for it to into pipes, and Video Project, 2012, (DVD) 27 min., survive. Also including the IUCN’s full sent under- US $79 (k-12) or US $150 (Colleges and list of threatened species, as well as a ground to Institutions) from Video Project helpful glossary, this book for middle be seen only www.videoproject.com school children makes for an infor- through rare mative and engaging read that could glimpses of the Catch the Fire complement any science lesson on the sewers. The “Who would ever imagine that a pile of topic of endangered species. – (MP) burying of riv- paper and some crayons could trans- ers started back form lives?” With that question, Peggy Owlkids Books Inc., 2013, ISBN 978-1- 77147-080-3 (pb), 48 pp., $12.95 from in the indus- Taylor and Charlie Murphy introduce Owlkids Books www.owlkidsbooks.com trial revolution. readers to their inspiring and insightful These highly book, Catch the Fire. Subtitled An Art- Why We Live Where We Live polluted waterways and their foul full Guide to Unleashing the Creative Beginning with an interstellar glimpse stench were deemed a menace and Power of Youth, Adults and Communi- of the planet, author Kira Vermond sent underground. However, today ties, their book explores the power of moves inward to hone in onto how and people are starting to reconsider the art and its unwavering ability to foster why we call Earth home. In Why We wisdom of keeping these resources deep, meaningful bonds between us Live Where We Live, she explains that underground. In this DVD we witness all. At the heart of the book is the no- our planet is “just right” for life as it projects, such as the Sawmill River tion that art is a tool which anyone can is located in a “Goldilocks” zone. The project in Yonkers, New York where rely on to establish connections – it is reasons why Earth is perfect for us forward thinking communities are re- not a form of expression reserved only weaves an intricate web. Our intel- storing their rivers above ground. This for practiced “artists.” Split into four ligence as a species has allowed us to video would be of great interest to sections, the book examines the com- build houses that make living in dif- high school environmental education ponents of creative communities, ferent climates possible and comfort- and social studies classes. – (DR) the ingredients that comprise commu- able, given us access to physical needs Icarus Films, 2012, (DVD)72 min., US $390 nity experience, the art forms available such as food, water and energy and (Sale/Institutional) from Icarus Films www. to facilitate creative environments, IcarusFilms.com

Page 42 Green Teacher 107 and the ways something here to satiate everyone’s specifically with to engage large taste buds! – (MP) all school-age groups of diverse National Geographic Society, 2014, ISBN children. Games individuals. It 978-1-4263-1717-0 (pb), 160 pp., and other prac- offers over 100 US $19.99/CAN $23.99 from National tices are outlined easy-to-lead Geographic Society 1-800-437-5521, throughout the activities, such as nine chapters creating a group and described mandala (a cir- A Bird on Water Street in enough detail cular piece of work) in order to open As the world becomes more and more to replicate at dialogue on a particular theme. Each urbanized, children are getting less home or in the activity provides a list of materials and exposure to the growing things in their classroom. The provided examples of detailed steps to complete the project. environments. Elizabeth O. Dulemba’s dialogue may be especially helpful to Especially crucial is that all art forms book, A Bird On Water Street, is a adults who have never had these types (not just visual) are touched upon, from novel that helps children aged 10-14 of discussions and interactions with poetry to dance and everything in be- to acknowledge the significance of the children before. – (DR) nature in their lives. Many readers will tween. This is an appealing and enrich- Free Press, 2010, ISBN 978-1-4165-8300-4 ing guide for teachers of young adults become deeply engaged in the story (pb), 219 pp., US $16.00 from Simon and and anyone aiming to build substantial of a thirteen-year-old boy who lives Schuster www.simonandschuster.com ties in a group setting. – (MP) in Coppertown. Jack longs to live in a place with trees and birds and fresh New Society Publishers, 2014, ISBN The Animal Book 978-0-86571-757-2 (pb), 307 pp., US/ air. However his region is economi- The howler monkey is the loudest CAN$29.95, from New Society Publishers cally dependent on industrial mining, land animal. The titan beetle has jaws 1 800 567 6772, www.newsociety.com and his town strong enough to snap a pencil in half. looks like “a The oarfish is the longest living fish at Kids Cook Book wrinkled, brown 50 feet and is credited as inspiring sev- National Geographic is known for paper bag” with eral legends about sea monsters. These taking its audience to the most extreme considerable facts leap out of The Animal Book, edges of the world in search of the wild- erosion and bare Steve Jenkins’ compilation of over 300 est adventures. With Kids Cook-Book, ground. As read- fascinating and exotic creatures from however, they aren’t taking us to the ers explore Jack’s around the world. Subtitled A Collec- sweltering African savanna or to the barren world and tion of the Fastest, Fiercest, Toughest, tip of an Arctic glacier. Instead, we trek find themselves Cleverest, Shyest – And Most Sur- it to the kitchen. Chef Barton Seaver’s empathizing with prising – Animals on Earth, the book book takes the reader on a year-round him, the book’s engaging plot will scales the highest mountains and dives food tour, stopping off at each month remind them how important it is to down to the deepest corners of the and offering new and exciting season save the nature around them. –(JK) seas to include insightful information appropriate recipes from the cultures Little Pickle Press, Inc., 2013, ISBN 978- on a remarkable range of creatures. of the world. In March we learn to 1-939775-05-4 (pb), 247 pp, US $9.95 The book is cook West African Mafe (a traditional from Little Pickle Press (877) 415-4488 or composed of Senegalese stew) and in October the eight compel- ghoulishly festive Roasted Eyeball The Mindful Child ling chapters, and Brains including ones In today’s hectic, over-scheduled Bruschetta (made on animal senses world, a child’s life can often be with grapes and and defenses, devoid of mindfulness. Susan Kaiser cheese). Aside and vibrant, Greenland reveals how parents and from mouth- detailed illustra- teachers can bring this essential ex- watering recipes, tions by Jenkins perience back to children in her book, Seaver also con- that bring the book to life. Six to ten The Mindful Child: How to Help Your cocts a challenge year-olds will sink their teeth into Kid Manage Stress and Become Hap- for each month, this book, but it can also be enjoyed pier, Kinder, and More Compassion- like Septem- by any teacher, librarian, budding ate. Over her many years of practice, ber’s Pack Your Lunch, where young scientist, or curious older student. The Greenfield has witnessed the effec- readers are put to the test and asked to chapter titled ‘The Story of Life’ is tiveness of her techniques in helping assemble their own health-conscious particularly enlightening as it provides children to develop attention, balance, quality lunches. There’s a Green Scene context for how we as humans, and and compassion. She discusses a wide addition to each month as well, where all the creatures we share our planet variety of techniques that may be used Seaver instructs and informs on ways with, have evolved. Don’t let this book starting with breathing and moving into to nurture our planet and preserve our slither away unread. – (MP) natural elements. Full of juicy sidebars, activities that encourage visualization, attention-focus, awareness and more. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing enticing graphics, savoury photos, and Company, 2013, ISBN 978-0-547-55799-1 delicious tips, this book is ideal for For adults who practice meditation, (hb), 208 pp., US $21.99 from Houghton children ages 8-12 (with a little help in some of these activities may be familiar Mifflin Harcourt the kitchen from their parents) – there’s but Greenfield has adapted them for use

Green Teacher 107 Page 43 Books for Young Readers

Flight of the Honey Bee The Prairie That Nature Built “A bee the size of a cherry pit Some books long to be read aloud, others inspire quiet crawls from the hive.” And so observation through detailed illustrations. Luckily for us, begins the first day out of the The Prairie That Nature Built by Marybeth Lorbiecki hive for Scout. The delight- is both. Young children will love hearing the rhyme and ful Flight of the Honey Bee by patterning of the text read aloud, while older children Raymond Huber takes on the will enjoy independently studying the detailed illustra- timely topic of the importance tions in which Cathy Morrison of honey bees. The author showcases the rich biodiversity makes it personal and relatable of prairie flora and fauna. The for young children through the telling of a day in the life verse and illustrations combine of one young honey bee. Young children, between three to guide the reader through the and seven, will instantly relate to the story of trying prairie ecosystem from bottom to something new for the first time. We are introduced to top, beginning with the builders our heroine, Scout, on her first day scouting for flowers of the soil, the base of life in the in which to collect nectar and pollen to keep her family prairie. As we work our way up, fed throughout the winter. On her journey she encounters each section showcases other perils such as a hungry blackbird, rain, and a predatory aspects of the prairie: the dig- wasp. Feisty Scout endures and returns to the hive safely gers of tunnels, the deep rooting to tell her sisters the exact route to the flowers through a plants, pollinator insects, and birds. During a rainstorm, dance of waggles and twists. Accompanying the colorful a lightning strike sparks a fire causing the plants to burn verses on each page, is informative text which highlights and the animals to flee, but lest our young friends fear the facts of the story. Brian Lovelock’s illustrations are for the prairie life they have just met, the rain quenches warm, breezy, and filled with light making this an ac- the blaze and the illustrations show the animals are safe. cessible teaching tool to read aloud for early childhood Soon green stalks appear and life continues in the prairie, education. – (PD) refreshed and once again vibrant. This is all part of the Candlewick Press, 2013, ISBN 978-0-7636-7648-3 (pb), prairie cycle; which we learn more about in three informa- 32 pp., US $6.99/CAN $8.00, from (800)-733-3000 or tion rich pages at the back of the book. – (PD) www.candlewick.com. Dawn Publications, 2014, ISBN 978-1-58469-492-2 (pb), 32 pp., US $8.95, from (800) 545-7475 or www.dawnpub.com. Who Needs a Reef? Set out on an enchanting expedi- Pitter and Patter tion through a bountiful and If you have been looking for a way to teach preschool dynamic ecosystem, a coral reef, children about the water cycle, then look no further than in Karen Patkau’s Who Needs Pitter and Patter by Martha Sullivan (and illustrated by a Reef? The amount of text per Cathy Morrison). The book follows two drops of rain as page of this expository text is they fall from the sky and make their way through two just right for seven to ten year separate water systems. Pitter falls onto a tree and drips olds ready to dig a little deeper down to a valley stream which opens to a river, a wetland into a subject. The crisp text and then the ocean. Meanwhile, Patter finds himself in a pairs well with the detailed illus- meadow before descending into trations as we learn how a coral reef forms and supports a stream in an underground cave, sea life. The reader learns to appreciate the smallest of which in turn flows into a river creatures; coral polyps whose skeletons build up over and then the ocean. Pitter and centuries to compose the structure of a coral reef and Patter are reunited again where tiny phytoplankton who form the base of many of the they evaporate back up to the reef’s food chains. More inhabitants live in a coral reef same cloud. Each meet different than anywhere else in the ocean and the author high- animals as they make their way lights many of these fascinating creatures: porcupinefish, through different ecosystems. At luminescent moon jellies, sea cucumbers, and enormous the end of the story, a watershed whale sharks to name a few. The reef is not only a home, map shows the journeys that each it is a valuable barrier for the shore against strong waves, drop took, and some activities creating natural harbors and beaches. The author in- are presented to help children explore the watershed even cludes additional information at the back of the book on further. This story provides a wonderful introduction to 24 species touched upon in the text. Who needs a reef? the water cycle and how everything is connected. – (BT) We all do! – (PD) Dawn Publications, 2015, ISBN 978-158469-509-7, (pb), 32 pp, Tundra Books, 2014, ISBN 978-1-77049-390-2 (hb), 32pp. USD $8.95 from 800-545-7475 or CAN $19.99/US $17.99 from

Page 44 Green Teacher 107 My Magic Tree House Journal track results by drawing, colouring, them digest You don’t need to climb Mount Ever- and writing about their adventures. the light!” est or kayak the Amazon River in The book includes several fun facts for As the album search of adventure – it can be found a readers to enjoy and comes with two Sea Blue Sea few steps from your front door. Mary pages of bright stickers readers can opens, the Pope Osborne place throughout their journal. The trumpets hol- and Natalie Pope book goes beyond the backyard, to ler and come Boyce’s book places like the beach, and offers ideas together with My Magic Tree for activities throughout all seasons, the instruments and vocal harmonies House Journal: including a scavenger hunt for each. to tell the story of the seas and how Explore Your Teachers and parents will be pleased they need our help. The energy in this World with Jack to add this book to their tool box, and album could definitely ignite the fire and Annie! asks children will be equally pleased to within any young environmentalist. It young children race outdoors the moment they get features rock, jazz, calypso, country aged seven to ten their hands on it. – (MP) and reggae styles from the eclectic to explore the Random House LLC, 2014, ISBN 978-0- collection of part-time musicians that outdoors surrounding their house and 385-37505-4 (hb), 144 pp., US $12.99/CAN make up the band. Each of the mem- document their discoveries. One of the $14.99 from bers share a love of nature and bring Magic Tree House series, this book their varying daytime professions, chronicles the journeys of fictional Sea Blue Sea such as preschool teacher, to the lyrics. characters Jack and Annie around The third album from The Whizpops! Music has such incredible power to Frog Creek. They list things they find, opens with some epic keyboard/harp- raise awareness and convey the feel- like the local animals and plants, and sichord and whaling electric guitar. ings that we have from nature, why then challenge readers to investigate “Zooplankton with their tentacles in we love it so much, why I am writing their own surroundings and similarly the moonlight! Zooplankton to help and you are reading. Throughout the

Orca Chief a simple descriptor word of one animal’s unique traits, Authors Roy Henry family life and habitat, as well as a visual of where in the Vickers and Robert world they live. We meet a Panda mother and her cubs Budd recount the poi- eating some bamboo living in the Minshan Mountains gnant and hauntingly- in Asia, a mother wombat with her joeys who snore as beautiful First Nations they sleep in the Australian Blue Mountains, a father tale of the Orca Chief. and mother emperor penguin and their chicks waddling This is the story of a around Antarctica – and more from other continents. group of four men fish- Each of the twenty animals are presented in a fun sing- ing off the coast of British Columbia who need a lesson in song rhythm that children aged 2-6 can equally enjoy. respect, patience and care. The Orca Chief takes pity on A pleasure to read and explore with your children! – (BT) them after they accidentally drop an anchor on his house. Dawn Publications, 2015, 978-1-58469-519-6 (pb) 32 pp, He and his fellow whales teach them the importance of US$8.99 from 800-545-7475 or respect for the food they eat, the ocean and how to catch various fish and crabs. Reminiscent of Native art that you Blue Ocean Bob would find in a gallery, the beautiful illustrations pull you Follow along with Bob, a budding even further into the story. This is a timeless story about oceanographer as he learns the the importance of respect for nature that children of all ropes and navigates the sea and ages can appreciate, as they begin to understand how the life’s challenges in The Adventures earth and its inhabitants are connected. − (BT) of Blue Ocean Bob: A Challeng- Harbour Publishing, 2015, ISBN 978-155017-693-3 (hb), 40 pp, ing Job. Written by Brooks Olbrys CAD $19.95, USD$19.95 from 800-667-2988 or story is written in rhyme, making it simple for young readers to follow Over on a Mountain along and stay engaged. In every chapter, a different Over on a Mountain: life lesson is tackled, such as being accountable for your Somewhere in the World actions, not missing out on an opportunity just because by Marianne Berkes and you’re scared and to never be afraid of learning and try- illustrated by Jill Dubin ing new things. The illustrations are quite life-like, full is a beautifully-illustrated of emotion and help to tell the story. Bob has been a fa- biology, geography and nu- vourite of my four year old daughter. It is perfect for her meracy lesson all rolled into age range as she is beginning to be able to follow longer one. The simple structure of stories written in the third person. − (BT) the story will have young children following along and Children’s Success Unlimited, 2015, ISBN 978-0-9829613-5-3 anticipating what will come next. Each page combines (hb), 54 pp, USD$12.95 from

Green Teacher 107 Page 45 ten animal themed songs, kids learn The young fascinated by, the tail of a rooster or sea life vocabulary. I can see kids biologist retraces grouse you’re drawn to, or the wings of enjoying this from as soon as they the footsteps of a hummingbird or heron you want your can run, dance and play right up to Dian Fossey and creature to soar with, you have full middle school. Parents might want to Jane Goodall reign to piece together your ideal bird. keep this one on repeat in the car, and (sitting down This book is ingenious and would add teachers may want to add it to their with the latter) an element of creativity and fun to any activity time playlist. – (ALL) by traveling to science lesson. Teachers and parents of Stretch McCoy Records, 2014, (CD), US the jungles and young children need to strap on their $9.99 from The Whizpops www.thewhiz- rainforests of wings and order this irresistible book pops.com Africa and Indo- before it flies away. – (MP) nesia to study, record, and bask in the Clarion Books, 2014, ISBN 978-0-547- The Get Outside Guide glory of these enchanting animals. 97899-4 (hb), 32 pp., US $17.99, from The Get Outside Guide lives up to its Each 23-minute episode focuses on Houghton Mifflin Harcourt www.hmh- subtitle All Things Adventure, Explo- a different primate, such as lowland books.com ration, and Fun! Regardless of where gorillas and chimpanzees, and under- you live or scores their unique personalities and Place-based teach this handy habits as well as the pressing threats to Curriculum guide by Nancy their safety. With the mountain gorilla Design for example, we witness the animals Honovich and There’s a wealth hanging from trees, practicing what Julie Beer of knowledge looks like primate yoga, and interact- will provide to be acquired ing with the team of scientists and ideas, games, outside the filmmakers. Visually stunning, this activities and classroom door, series is ideal for grade six and above crafts to help and with her and could easily be threaded into a sci- you and your book Place- ence lesson on endangered species. Do children of all based Curricu- not let the chance to walk alongside ages explore the lum Design, Amy B. Demarest takes these captivating creatures pass your amazing world around you. Each of a microscope to what lies beyond the students by. – (MP) the five sections explores a different traditional educational setting and area outdoors: from your backyard, Video Project, 2014, Product Code WGA- what can be learned from it. It follows to the water, all around the town, up 1078 (DVD), 139 mins, US $79 (k-12) or US $295 (Colleges & Institutions), from logically that the subtitle of the book in the trees and parks of all sizes. In is Exceeding Standards through Local true National Geographic style, the Video Project 1-800-474-2638 or www.videoproject.com Investigations – Demarest investigates imagery and photography used in this what local places offer and how visits book are incredibly engaging and eye Aviary Wonders Inc. to such sites can be woven into exist- catching. As a Nature Educator I per- ing curricula. For example in chapter sonally enjoy the ‘fun facts’ that are “Some species are disappearing. Oth- ers are already gone. Not to worry!” 4, she delves into specific school scattered throughout the guide as well subjects and how lessons can be ex- as the double-page spreads dedicated With those sentences, Kate Samworth opens her unique and charming book panded and enhanced to link students to meeting and learning about actual to local places To further understand National Geographic Explorers and Aviary Wonders Inc.: Spring Catalog and Instruction visions of utopia as suggested by Scientists. Richard Louv wrote a very literature like 1984, Demarest explains fitting foreword and I cannot say it Manual. The book is a hypo- in the “Language Arts Investigations” better, “Whether you live in the coun- section how one high school teacher try or the urban metropolis, this book thetical resource for children challenged his students to imagine will reveal the windows of nature right utopia in the context of a local setting. at your doorstep.” – (SW) (or adults with a thriving The students had to consider what National Geographic Society, 2014, ISBN elements would be added or removed 978-1-4263-1502-2 (pb), 160 pp, US $14.99 imagination) from National Geographic Society www. to consult once to achieve a utopian state, as well as nationalgeographic.com birds become how those amendments would apply extinct as a to them. Demarest is clear and con- Walking with the Great Apes consequence of insecticides, habitat cise with her language and profiles The mountain gorilla is one of the loss, exotic pet trade, or their ferocious six different teachers throughout her rarest in the great ape family, with predators, cats. Readers get to play mad book to highlight and complement her less than 1,000 of its kind worldwide. scientists as they peruse the visually central points. Current K-12 teachers These majestic and magnetic creatures compelling sections of the book to and those studying to become teachers are not easily caught on film, but in select parts of birds they wish to use themselves would benefit immensely Walking with the Great Apes they are in constructing the bird specimen of from the tools provided here. – (MP) documented in all of their beauty. The their dreams; one hopefully built to Routledge, 2015, ISBN 978-1-138-01346-9 six-part series by Holly Carroll and last. Whether it’s the body of a swan (pb), 172 pp., US$47.95 from Routledge (800) 634-7064, Jeremy Hogarth turns the spotlight on or vulture you’re in the market for, the the world’s largest remaining primates. beak of a sparrow or cardinal you’re

Page 46 Green Teacher 107 Breath of of two brothers over the course of Children, Citizenship Wilderness: a month in Greenland. The boys’ and Environment journals are very engaging and lively The Life of so that the readers can easily imagine In Children, Citizenship and Environ- Sigurd Olson the scenery vivid and alive. Gannon is ment: Nurturing a Democratic Imagi- the impulsive brother and Wyatt is the nation in a Changing World, author Sigurd Olson Bronwyn Hayward uses her research is an important more scientific. They introduce readers to the wonders, animals and people to advance a model of environmental figurehead in citizenship that all those working with American wil- of Greenland. The bilingual English/ Greenlandic text at the beginning of children eight derness preser- and up will find vation. Like his many predecessors the book and various aspects of Inuit culture introduced in the storyline relevant. Hav- of the Romantic Movement including ing studied the Muir, Thoreau, Leopold and Word- make this a useful classroom resource for aboriginal studies as well. Travels environmental sworth, his achievements are worthy of and social con- recognition by the environmentalists with Gannon & Wyatt: Greenland will enable children from grade 4 to 6 cerns of children of tomorrow. Olson contributed to the in Christchurch, drafting of the Wilderness Act of 1964, to enjoy the boys’ exciting adventure and journey as they bury their noses New Zealand, and participated in the creation of the her “SEEDS” Boundary Waters Canoe Area in Min- in the book. You can find Gannon and Wyatt’s real life blog, photographs, model asks us to nesota, the Alaskan Arctic National listen to children and support them in Wildlife Refuge, Voyagers National and video footage at www.youthex- plorationsociety.org − (JK) becoming actively engaged citizens. Park in Minnesota and the Point Reyes Hayward encourages us to move away National Seashore in California. He Greenleaf Book Group Press, 2014, ISBN from a focus on individual responsi- 978-1-62634-120-3 (hb), 160 pp, US $12.95 also served as President of the Wil- bility for environmental change, and derness Society from 1968-1971 and from Greenleaf Book Group Press replace it with the idea of social agency earned the John Burroughs Medal, the – citizens using resources collectively highest honor in nature writing. Author Toxin Toxout to enact social change. Another part of Kristin Eggerling’s eloquent telling her five part model is environmental of his story reveals his lifelong jour- The book jacket for Toxin Toxout education, which she argues should ney to preserve our natural resources form a cornerstone of education along beginning with his love of the outdoors says “There are over 80,000 syn- with reading, writing, and math. as a young boy. She describes this Thirdly, embedded justice must be a intimate and complex attachment in thetic chemicals in commerce today, part of teaching as we help children to terms simple enough for readers ages develop strong reasoning skills and an 9-12 to appreciate. Olson’s philosophy and the authors prove how easily understanding of fairness so that they was, “A man fights for the land he may resist illegitimate uses of power. loves, and if he loves it enough he will our bodies absorb these chemicals.” I will admit I was The final two pieces of the model are never give up.” This guiding principle de-centered deliberation and self-tran- allowed him to make incredible strides skeptical when starting to read this book – what could I possibly do to reduce scendence. The latter refers to having in American wilderness preservation. an ongoing democratic dialogue that This is a book that offers inspiration the amount of environmental toxins entering and staying in my body? Well, crosses local, regional, and national for all young readers today, whatever boundaries that begins with teach- their goals may be. – (ALL) as it turns out, each of us can do quite a bit! Lourie and Smith offer enough ing children storytelling and listening Fulcrum Publishing, 2014, ISBN science to prove a point but not to over- skills. Hayward directs policymakers 9781938486104 (pb) 93 pp., US $12.95 to shift the focus away from aging from Fulcrum Publishing www.fulcrum- whelm or scare. They also provide real books.com life personal experiences to help you Baby Boomers and back to the world’s understand exactly what is going on and children who are most severely impact- Travels with how to undo some of the damage. The ed by environmental injustice. Written in an academic style with many refer- Gannon first obvious choice in reversing toxin damage is eating and choosing organic ences to previous studies, this book & Wyatt: food, but this book offers many more must be read slowly and thoughtfully. Greenland options including which paint and car- However, the ideas presented will be Travels with pet to choose and which vehicles to buy! worth the effort. – (DR) Gannon & Because of this book, I have changed Routledge, 2012, ISBN 978-1-84971-437-2 Wyatt: Green- some of my buying habits, downloaded (pb), 190 pp., US $48.95 from Routledge www.routledge.com land is one of a new app to help make better health a series of ad- and beauty choices in the store, and venture books. recommended this book to friends. An Blueprint for Tomorrow (Past volumes have focused on explo- interesting read for anyone interested in Parents may not always consider rations of Africa, the South Pacific, their own health. – (SW) design when selecting schools for their children, but Prakash Nair aims to Iceland and Egypt.) The Greenland St. Martin’s Press, 2013, ISBN 978-1-250- installment consists of daily journals 05133-2 (hb), 289 pp, $25.99 from St. change that. His intriguing and infor- Martin’s Press www.stmartins.com mative book Blueprint for Tomorrow:

Green Teacher 107 Page 47 Redesigning Schools for Student- Zoology for Kids My Chemical Mountain Centered Learning successfully proves Husband and wife team Josh and Thought-provoking and gripping, that the effective use of space is of Bethanie Hestermann have a palpable Corina Vacco’s striking debut novel My paramount importance and needs to be passion for the diverse animal king- Chemical Mountain gives rise to envi- prioritized. Divided into eight chap- dom, and with their book Zoology for ronmental questions and concerns that ters, each focusing on its own area of Kids: Un- are more pressing today than they ever the school, Nair recommends simple, derstanding have been before. The story follows cost-efficient ways to revamp schools and Work- Jason, a rebellious and daring teenager, in the name of student-centered ing with and his partners-in-crime, fearless learning. Referencing six educational Animals, Charlie and geeky Cornpup. The strategies, such as technology integra- they share three boys live in a decrepit, industrial tion, and four design principles, such that affec- wasteland of a rural town, surrounded as sending positive messages, Nair is tion. Aimed by abandoned mills and factories. They convincing and at children aged nine and older, it is a cope with their substandard living comprehensive comprehensive, fact- and photo-rich conditions by finding adventure in in his assertions. guide to exploring the several facets of danger – they occupy their spare time For example, zoology. This bright and enticing book by trespassing into old buildings, van- in chapter 4 he is conveniently split into two parts: dalizing the sources that pollute their urges teach- Zoology for Beginners and Working town, and plotting their revenge on the ers and project on the Wild Side—Zoology in Real forces that contaminated their com- planners, who Life. In the first part, the reader is in- munity. But on a the book is di- troduced to what it means to be an ani- seemingly typical rected towards, mal, how humans can study and learn night, one mistake to approach sci- from animal behaviour, and the varied sparks a spiral of ence labs like garages. Garages breed ways in which animals interact with changes that none hands-on project work and invite each other and their environments. In of the boys antici- experimentation without the threat the second, the authors demonstrate pated or prepared of damage. They are all-purpose what zoologists do on a daily basis, for. At times dark spaces that support self-directed and how the world of zoology is impacted and dreary, but confidence-building learning, pillars by veterinarians, aquarists, conser- always exhilarat- that science labs should be modeled vationists, and wildlife researchers, ing and envelop- around. Reflecting the nature of his and how readers can transform a ing, Vacco’s novel is most successful in argument, the book itself is a testament curiosity about animals into a stimu- expressing the circumstances we would to design – it’s clean and aesthetically lating, nourishing career. With 21 fun face if our own homes were ravaged pleasing, and employs engaging photos and educational activities, including by chemical waste. What was reality to supplement the text. Regardless of a constructing an Antarctic food chain for the boys in the novel is possibility school’s budget for renovation, this is a using paper plates, this is an illumi- for the reader, and her words bring this book all educators need to familiarize nating book that children, parents, grim picture out from murky waters themselves with. –(MP) and teachers hoping to enhance their and to the surface. Although male-cen- Harvard Education Press, 2014, ISBN 978- science lessons will frequently return tric, this is an ideal novel study for all 1-61250-704-0 (pb), 206 pp., US$26.95 to. –(MP) young teens to engage with. –(MP) from Harvard Education Press, (617) 495- 3432 or www.harvardeducationpress.org Chicago Review Press, 2015, ISBN 978-1- Delacorte Press Books for Young Readers, 61374-961-6 (pb), 131 pp., US $18.95/CAN 2013, ISBN 978-0-385-74242-9 (hb), 192 $22.95 from Chicago Review Press www. pp., US $16.99/CAN $19.99 from Delacorte chicagoreviewpress.com Press, www.randomhousekids.com

Page 48 Green Teacher 107 20 15 New England Environmental Education Alliance Conference

Waterville Valley, NH November 8 - 10, 2015

Information at www.NEEEA.org

Subscribe to GREEN TEACHER Fifty pages of ideas and activities, four times a year! •Unique perspectives on rethinking education in light of environmental and other global problems. •Practical articles describing what successful outdoor educators, teachers and schools are doing. •Cross-curricular, ready-to-use activities for youth of all ages. •Reviews of dozens of new books, kits, games and other teaching resources

1-year print and digital $34 Yes, start my subscription to Green Teacher! 2-year print and digital $58 Name: ______1-year digital $27.50 Address: ______2-year digital $47 ______Send me a sample copy $8 Email: ______Credit Card: ______Prices applicable in Canada & the USA. Add $8 per year for Internation print subscriptions If paying by credit card in US funds, the amount charged to your credit card may vary slightly, depending on your bank’s exchange rate. Canadian orders include all applicable taxes in your province or territory. Cheques payable to “Green Teacher.”

1-year bulk digital for schools & organizations $42 Also available: Bulk Digital Subscriptions Add $10 per year to add a print subscription Now everyone in your school district, school, or organization can access Green Teacher for one affordable price! 1-year bulk digital for school districts Over 1500 schools now receive Green Teacher digitally through bulk subscriptions. All new Contact us or visit our website for pricing, as low as $3/school subscribers receive access to 25+ digital back issues.

Phone: 1-888-804-1486 28 Lennox St. suite 8 PO Box 452 www.greenteacher.com Fax: 416-925-3474 Toronto, ON M5S 2K5 Nigara Falls, NY 14304 Natureasa Classroom

A free teaching guide from The David Suzuki Foundation

THIS FALL GET BACK TO SCHOOL, AND GET BACK OUTSIDE!

Download your free copy at { getbackoutside.ca {