麻豆传媒入口

Climate change is a multifaceted problem that requires interdisciplinary solutions, points out Margaret Wang, cofounder of , a national nonprofit that supports teachers across all content areas and grade levels with credible and engaging resources (including full lesson plans) about climate change. What sparks the interest of one student (say, math) may be totally different from another (say, art). And we need everyone, across all disciplines, to be involved in finding solutions.

In keeping with this approach, New Jersey recently became the first state to start integrating climate education across all content areas, K鈥�12. It makes sense, says wellness teacher Suzanne Horsley. 鈥淲e are a state with a huge shoreline鈥攁nd are impacted by climate change in a lot of ways.鈥� Kids are hearing about climate-related natural disasters on a regular basis, and they鈥檙e passionate about the topic. 鈥淪o the ways in which we can provide a foundation, as teachers, are really important.鈥�

While many teachers may feel daunted by the idea of incorporating climate education into their classes, Wang offers assurances. 鈥淪chools in other states can learn from New Jersey by seeing how climate change can seamlessly integrate into what teachers are already teaching,鈥� she says. What鈥檚 really important is that teachers have the support and resources to do so.

And while New Jersey may be the first place to teach climate change across the curriculum, it won鈥檛 be unique for long. The Los Angeles Unified School District has passed a resolution for climate change to be taught in all grade levels and subjects. In Oregon, legislation is pending to follow suit. In Maine, the government has allocated $2 million for professional development in climate change. And in Wisconsin, there are new environmental literacy standards.

Horsley and Wang agree that the way teachers approach the subject is important鈥� playing games and doing design challenges are just two great ways to get kids out of their seats and moving while they鈥檙e learning about climate change, which has the potential to be anxiety provoking. It鈥檚 important that kids be reminded of solutions and their own agency in helping with these solutions. After doing a recent climate change Jamboard with her third-grade students, teacher Cari Gallagher noted, 鈥淲hen I see the positivity in the responses, I feel just great inside. Their takeaway is, 鈥極K, this is how it is, but this is how we鈥檙e going to fix it.鈥欌��

Her student Max agrees: 鈥淐limate change is dangerous, but we shouldn鈥檛 panic, because we can help stopping it. We could help stop it every day by doing little things that add up to big things.鈥�

To learn more about the efforts in New Jersey, read Daniel Leonard鈥檚 article for 麻豆传媒入口, 鈥�Teaching Climate Change in Every Subject.鈥�&苍产蝉辫;