Earthwards: Transformative Ecological Education

by Katharine Burke

Overview

Katharine Burke was asked by a student, " Miss, do you think we are going extinct?" She recognized a growing malaise in response to the climate crisis and asked herself, " How do we teachers help these capable, yet vulnerable young people develop the ecological literacy and personal resilience they need?" She provoked her students to think and act ecologically. She then invited other teachers to participate in action research for developing nature connectedness with their students. Earthwards shares these transformative stories, concepts and methods of connecting with nature for life. Earthwards shifts the lens from using nature as a throwaway object to understanding nature as a living organism. This crucial paradigm shift comes through peak experiences of nature. The educator' s job is both to create the conditions for such transformative ecological experiences and then to bring out the observations, feelings, thoughts and questions of students. Educators can use innovative action research to engage with students in a variety of settings - including classrooms, clubs, volunteer groups, outdoors, gardens, forest experiences, camping and hiking. Sharing these learning stories helps build the culture of a real eco-school. Each chapter includes the story of practical learning projects from primary through secondary school; ecological principles, a reflection section for educators, a ' curriculum connections' section to bring those principles into practice, and suggestions for multiple age groups. Helpful resources, a comprehensive bibliography, index and sharing website offer further help to educators. Sales Points • Addresses the dread and anxiety of students facing the climate crisis by offering practical hope. • Useful and inspiring ecological learning resource for teachers • How to deepen students' profound experience of nature e.g. with sit spots, observation, reflection, survival challenges, gardening, and outdoor experiences. • Practical examples fro

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781912480982
Publisher:	Hawthorn Press
Publication date:	08/01/2024
Series:	Education Series
Sold by:	INDEPENDENT PUB GROUP - EPUB - EBKS
Format:	eBook
Pages:	208
File size:	4 MB

About the Author

Katharine Burke holds a MEd in Nature, Ecology and Sustainability. She is a Regenerative Design Practitioner and a Permaculture farmer. She teaches Nature Connectedness sessions for Rudolf Steiner University College, Oslo, founded the Small Earth Institute in 2017 for school ecological awareness and action, offering workshops for teachers and for the sustainable development of schools. She is newly retired from Skagerak Primary and Middle School, Sandefjord Norway, where she taught for 21 years. She hosts the website EARTHWARDS: : https://earthwards.mn.co Katharine Burke holds a MEd in Nature, Ecology and Sustainability. She is a Regenerative Design Practitioner and a Permaculture farmer. She teaches Nature Connectedness sessions for Rudolf Steiner University College, Oslo, founded the Small Earth Institute in 2017 for school ecological awareness and action, offering workshops for teachers and for the sustainable development of schools. She is newly retired from Skagerak International School, Sandefjord Norway, where she taught for 21 years. She hosts the website EARTHWARDS: : https://earthwards.mn.co

Table of Contents

Table of Contents Introduction PART ONE: HOW TO START 1. Student Despair and a Culture of Care: Generation Not Much Longer 2. A Unit on Resources: From source to appreciation 3. Teachers Plan for Change: Circles of self-organisation PART TWO: IN THE PRIMARY SCHOOL 4. In The Garden: The Enticement of Tomatoes- 5. A Compost Project: Meeting Worms 6. Reflecting in Nature: Sit Spot 7. A Unit on Cycles: Converging Cycles of Awe 8. A Unit on Adaptation: Out in the Woods PART THREE: IN THE SECONDARY SCHOOL 9. A Service Club in the Middle Years: Green Squad 10. A Language Unit: Satire As a Tool for Shifting Paradigms 11. A Geography Unit: Deep Time and Earth Systems – 12. A Social Studies Unit: Social Change 13. Economics Tasks: Economics and Systems Games 14. Environmental Studies: A Contagion of Gratitude PART FOUR: GOING FORWARD 15. Earthward: Principles and practices 16. The Role of Schools