Fires, Floods, and Melting Ice: Can't We Talk About Something Nice? Bright Points and Barriers to Climate Education in Idaho from Kindergarten to the University Level
Abstract
Only 24 % of Republicans in solid-red Idaho agree with the scientific consensus that climate change is caused mostly by human activities, the lowest percentage of any state (http://climatecommunication.yale.edu, 2016). While Idaho approved the inclusion of climate education in the state standards in 2018, there is currently a need to provide teachers with the knowledge and skills they need to implement climate science and global change education at the K-12 level throughout the state. To help address this, Boise State Geosciences faculty, students, and staff engaged in climate outreach in the K-6 rural and metropolitan schools in the Treasure Valley of Idaho. Using new and existing curriculum, we developed a 1 to 2 hour lesson using hands-on, interactive activities such as 'greenhouse gas tag.' Students first learn the basics of how the greenhouse effect works, then draw and present their ideas on what they can do to reduce fossil fuel emissions. We have recently started placing this lesson within the context of existing frameworks for understanding global change (www.ucmp.berkeley.edu). Preliminary assessments of the efficacy of these lessons indicate this instruction is effective, with demonstrable improvements in understanding of the greenhouse effect and possible climate solutions. These experiences suggest that climate education at the K-6 level is effective and overdue. In addition, this age group is positive and creative in their approaches and ideas for climate change solutions—student solutions include new inventions such as CO2 digesters, solar-powered skateboards, and solar powered clothing.
However, at the university level, teaching efficacy of a climate change course at the 100 level is mixed. While some student reviews state the class 'changed their lives,' other student reviews and comments indicate they still deny the anthropogenic role in climate change at the end of the course. We hypothesize that when anthropogenic climate change runs counter to their family and peer values the challenge of accepting climate change is too great.- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2018
- Bibcode:
- 2018AGUFMED43E1275P
- Keywords:
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- 0805 Elementary and secondary education;
- EDUCATIONDE: 0810 Post-secondary education;
- EDUCATIONDE: 0815 Informal education;
- EDUCATIONDE: 0820 Curriculum and laboratory design;
- EDUCATION