Earthwards - Transformative Ecological Education

“Miss, do you think we are going extinct?” a student asked teacher Katharine Burke one day. Burke recognised 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

The book

• addresses the dread and anxiety of students facing the climate crisis by offering practical hope.
• provides teachers with a comprehensive and inspiring, ready-to-use ecological learning resource.
• includes hands-on examples, projects, lesson plans, and reflective exercises.
• suggests ways to deepen students’ and teachers’ connection with nature, e.g. with sit spots, observation, reflection, survival challenges, gardening, and outdoor experiences.
• informs students’ analytical skills through the use of systems thinking – taking up cycles, paradigm shifting, embodiment exercises, imagination, and the concept of deep time.
• provides a strong foundation of relevant theory, principles, and methods, plus access to an interactive resource-sharing website being built by a community of Earthwards educators.

Author

Katharine Burke M.Ed., is a primary and secondary teacher, deep ecologist and regenerative curriculum designer, from Skagerak International School, Sandefjord, Norway.