Books
Beyond Ecophobia: Reclaiming the Heart in Nature Education (Nature Literacy Series, Vol. 1)
By David Sobel
Link:More information at Goodreads
Summary: Beyond Ecophobia speaks to teachers, parents, and others interested in nurturing in children the ability to understand and care deeply for nature from an early age. It includes descriptions of developmentally appropriate environmental education activities and a list of related children’s books.
Childhood and Nature: Design Principles for Educators
By David Sobel
Link: More information at Goodreads
Summary: Public discussions of global climate change and other threats to the planet are making children more aware of environmental issues. As increasing numbers of kids come to school wishing to take action, educators want to know how to teach in a way that fosters a love of nature and an understanding of the complexity and seriousness of these issues. In Childhood and Nature, noted educator David Sobel makes the case that meaningful connections with the natural world don’t begin in the rainforest or arctic, but in our own backyards and communities. Based on his observations of recurrent play themes around the world, Sobel articulates seven design principles that can guide teachers in structuring learning experiences for children. Place-based education projects that make effective use of the principles are detailed throughout the book.
Dire Predictions, Understanding Climate Change
A visual Guide to the Findings of the IPCC
By: Michael E. Mann and Lee R. Kump
Link: More information at Goodreads
Summary: These experts take scientific findings about climate change and global warming and use analogies, striking images, and understandable graphics to make the global warming question clear to both skeptics and scientists. Dire Predictions shows the evidence and the causes that respected scientists have documented in IPCC findings and climate change studies — this powerful, illustrated book is updated with the latest IPCC information and is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding global warming and climate change and in joining the debate over the best way to combat global warming.
Into The Field: A Guide to Locally Focused Teaching (Nature Literacy Series No. 3)
By Clare Walker Leslie
Link: More information at Amazon
Summary: Into the Field provides teachers with curriculum ideas for engaging students in the natural and cultural history of their communities. The book is both theoretical and practical, combining pedagogical background on why field work enhances educational experiences with the nuts and bolts details of how one gets started.
Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder
By Richard Louv
Link: More information at Goodreads
Summary: Never before in history have children been so plugged in-and so out of touch with the natural world. In this groundbreaking new work, child advocacy expert Richard Louv directly links the lack of nature in the lives of today’s wired generation-he calls it nature deficit-to some of the most disturbing childhood trends, such as rises in obesity, Attention Deficit Disorder and depression. Last child in the Woods is the first book to bring together cutting-edge research showing that direct exposure to nature is essential for healthy childhood development-physical, emotional, and spiritual. What’s more, nature is a potent therapy for depression, obesity, and Add. Environment-based education dramatically improves standardized test scores and grade point averages and develops skills in problem solving, critical thinking, and decision making.
Place-Based Education: Connecting Classrooms and Communities (Nature Literacy Series, Vol. 4)
By David Sobel
Link: More information at Amazon
Summary: In Placed-Based Education, David Sobel, the author of the highly influential book Beyond Ecophobia, details and celebrates an approach to teaching that emphasizes connections among school, community , and environment. Through academic research, practical examples, and insightful strategies drawn from classrooms throughout the United States, Sobel outlines the practice and pedagogy of this transformative philosophy of education.
Teaching Climate Change to Adolescents
Website for Teaching Climate Change To Adolescents
Summary: Climate Change to Adolescents is THE essential resource for middle and high school English language arts teachers to help their students understand and address the urgent issues and challenges facing life on Earth today. Classroom activities written and used by teachers show students posing questions, engaging in argumentative reading and writing and critical analysis, interpreting portrayals of climate change in literature and media, and adopting advocacy stances to promote change. The book illustrates climate change fitting into existing courses using already available materials and gives teachers tools and teaching ideas to support building this into their own classrooms. A variety of teacher and student voices makes for an appealing, fast-paced, and inspiring read.
On-line Resources
Communicating Climate Change, Free download
Connecting the Dots
Free Download: Set up an email account to download digital copy
Connecting the Dots answers the question: what are the learning strategies for environmental education that we can employ to prepare our young people to take their place as informed, engaged citizens? Throughout the process, a secondary line of inquiry emerged: how are these strategies aligned with 21st century learning skills including collaboration, creativity, communication and critical thinking? We delved into the literature to find strategies that develop the concepts, real-world connections and learning skills that build engaged citizenship. The result is this guide, which shows ways of organizing learning experiences — in other words, the “how to” of learning.
Online Photovoltaics Textbook
By: Stuart Bowden and Christiana Honsberg
This free online textbook about photovoltaic semiconductor solar cells in English, Korean, and Spanish contains some interactive electronic calculators and graphs. This textbook is appropriate for advanced high school and college students and as a teacher reference.
Yale Program on Climate Change Communication
Yale Climate Change Communication is a scientific, health, political, economic, national security, environmental, moral and religious issue, among many others. This Yale program investigates what messages and messengers best engage different audiences in climate science and solutions. Their website has current research, publications, and visualizations and data.