‘We have suffered here because we can no longer see the sacred in the trees, flowers, and our fellow men’ (Segovia 2010 p.749)

I have often wondered how we, as humanity, have come to view ourselves as separate from the natural world. The conclusions that have become apparent to me are not based on research that I have read but more of a combination of analysis from viewing the history of Australian Aboriginals and my own heritage. 

After watching the documentary Kanyini last year in the subject Introduction to Sustainable Development I became very aware of the reasons for the current situation Australian Aboriginals find themselves in. They have lost their culture and as a result their identity. According to Segovia (2010) many indigenous groups like the Australian Aboriginals have their culture tied with the rhythms of the earth. They view themselves as not being separate from nature but an integral part of the landscape along with the creatures who also belong to the same earth (Segovia 2010). It can be assumed, then, that as a result of oppression with European arrival to Australia, Australian Aboriginal’s lost their connection with the natural world. Could this be the reason for our Western anthropocentric views of the world? Did we lose our connection with the natural world?

I am lucky enough to be aware of some of my heritage. My father and his family come from Wales. Of the little history that I know of Wales, the Welsh, like the Australian Aboriginals, suffered oppression and had to fight to keep their culture from other invading groups. However, unlike the Australian Aboriginals who have only recently felt the oppression of an invading force, my ancestors suffered centuries before my time. 

According to Segovia (2010) our prehistoric ancestors would have had myths and legends for the patterns that are existent on Earth. Yet we have lost these stories and with it, our connection with the natural world. I have wondered what it was like for my ancestors to lose their connection with the natural world and therefore their culture. Although some still exists through our language, the Welsh and their way of life is very much integrated into the Western anthropocentric context. Did we feel disillusioned and disconnected?

When I think of my Welsh heritage and that they too would have shared the same connection with nature as indigenous groups do today (Segovia 2010) there is a feeling of hope that we may be able to regain this connection. Perhaps through regaining our connection with nature we can start protecting it instead of using it as a commodity.

Segovia V M 2010 Transforming mindsets through Education for Sustainable Development Demography and Social Change- Social Change Elsevier Ltd.

Lesson Plan for Environmental Education

Today I had an interview for an Environmental Education position. As part of the interview I had to do a ten minute demonstration from a lesson plan I had designed for an outdoor environmental education lesson. Below is the lesson plan which I used for this demonstration. In analysis of this lesson plan, I believe it shows my underlying beliefs of environmental education: the importance of developing connections between the learner and their natural environment.

 Rationale

Current research into the life experiences of those who are working to protect the environment suggest that a common theme amongst participants is a positive experience in the natural environment as a child (Chawla 1999). Due to the necessity of the ecosystem services that nature provides for our survival it is important that we have a positive and symbiotic relationship with the environment.

It is of concern, then, when considering the lack of time children currently spend in the outdoor environment for their relationship with nature and their treatment of the environment in their future. For this reason, this lesson is designed to build a positive relationship between children and their natural world. It is hoped through learning about the different ecosystem services that nature gives humans and through stopping to acknowledge the natural environment, children will want to develop a relationship with the natural world further and believe that the future of the environment can be a positive one.

Chawla L 1999 Life paths into effective environmental action The Journal of Environmental Education 31(1):15-26.

Syllabus Outcomes and Indicators HSIE: ENS1.6: Demonstrates an understanding of the relationship between environments and people. - Identifies ways in which people depend on the environment. Environmental Education Policy K1: knowledge and understanding about the nature and functions of ecosystems and how they are interrelated. V1: Values and attitudes relating to a respect for life on Earth. Education for Sustainability World Viewing			In this lesson learners will… -          Have opportunities to interact with the natural environment. -          Start to develop an understanding of how we rely on the environment to meet our needs. -          Participate in skills that will enable the development of a positive attitude towards the environment.
Orientation                                                                     15 min 1.       Meet and Greet, introduce self and inform learners they will be exploring nature today. 2.       Focus activity: Play ‘Find my mate’ activity. Students pull an Australian animal from a bag. There are two of the same animal in the bag. Students are to behave and make noise like their animal, through doing this students are able to find their corresponding mate. This will be their buddy for the duration of the lesson. 3.       Engagement activity: Read to students ‘Through my window’ (self-developed narrative- See attached.) 4.       Access background knowledge: Inform students that we are going to explore nature today like the boy in the story. Ask students what things might we find when exploring in nature? Go through the rules of appropriate behaviour in an outdoors environment.			Reflection                                                                   10min     7. Sitting in a circle, discuss with students the experience they just had in nature. Ask students what they enjoyed the most about exploring nature and what new things they learnt. 8. Pose the question: If you were a ranger and you were in charge of looking after trees, what things would you do to look after them? Ask the same question but for water cleanliness and protecting animal species like birds.
Content The elements in nature we rely upon to meet our needs.	Time 40min	Guided Discovery 5.       Take students on an exploration of their outdoor surroundings. Look at a native tree, a water course (pond, creek) and a shaded area with tall trees. 6.       At these places follow the activity card provided with this lesson plan.	Group                 Teacher Structure            Role Whole group        Teacher                                     guided	Assessment		Resources Activity cards Outdoor environment with native trees and a water course. Shears. Two clear containers. Two birds’ feathers.
				What? Ability to identify ways in which we rely on the environment. Their treatment of the natural surroundings- are they showing respect and care?	How? Responses to questions. Observations of students’ interactions with their environment.

Narrative for orientation phase of lesson:

One day a little boy, not unlike you, was sitting inside his home looking through his bedroom window.

Through his window he could see his back garden, he could see the tall green tree that cast a shadow over his long concrete driveway.

Next to his concrete driveway he could see his path full of pebbles leading from the back wooden door to his concrete driveway.

He looked at the green grass that lay next to his path full of pebbles and his small garden with a beautiful bottle brush bush. He watched as a bee buzzed its way down to the bottle brush flowers and collected the nectar.

The little boy thought to himself, I wonder where the concrete comes from for my concrete driveway, where do the pebbles come from for my pebbled path, why are trees so important and where is the bee going with its nectar?

With this thought the boy stopped looking through his window and opened the door to his back garden to explore the wonderful world of nature and seek the answers to his questions.

  

Activity card

Native Tree Activity 1.       At a chosen Native tree with accessible leaves and flowers. Get students to explore the tree. Looking at and touching the bark and leaves. 2.        Ask students to sit in a circle. 3.       Cut off a few leaves and a flower, pass them around to students. 4.       Get students to feel and smell the leaf and flowers asking them to describe these sensations. 5.       Discuss why trees are important and why the interactions between the tree and other animals are important in helping us meet our needs. Possible questions: Why do trees exist?                                     What do trees do that makes them so important?                                     How do trees help us?                                     What animals/insects call trees their home? Water course 1.       Move onto a water course (creek, pond). Take students on a walk around the water course, pointing out the animals that call the area home and other features to incite their curiosity. 2.       Ask students to sit in a circle. 3.       Take two water samples in a clear container and pass around to students. 4.       Get students to feel and smell the water asking them to describe these sensations. 5.       Discuss with students the importance of clean water to us and other animals. Possible questions: What is the purpose of water?                                     Should water be clean? Why/Why not?                                     What would happen if we and the animals did not have water? Shady spot under large trees 1.       Find a shady spot under some large trees. 2.       Sitting in a circle, get students to lie on their backs looking up at the trees and see if they can spot a bird. 3.       Get students to point and call out ‘bird’ when they have spotted one. 4.       Sitting back up, pass around to students two feathers. 5.       Get students to feel and smell the feathers describing the sensations and guessing which bird the feather comes from. 6.       Discuss with students the importance of animals and birds to us. Possible questions: Are animals and birds important to us? Why/ Why not?                                    What special things can birds and animals do that help us survive? (Guide through questioning. Search for answers in regards to seed dispersal, pollination, honey, clothing etc).

Should we be impartial?

After reading Implementing curriculum guidance on environmental education: the importance of teachers’ beliefs by Cotton (2006),I found myself questioning some of Cotton’s summations. In a study of three geography teachers in the United Kingdom and their ability to impart environmental attitudes onto students, it was found that teachers preferred to present their students with holistic views of subjects. Rather than suggesting that they should hold a particular view point or possess particular beliefs about the environment, teachers held a neutral stance and instead presented them with the necessary information and the skills to analyse and critique this information. According to Cotton (2006)this belief in a constructivist approach to education goes against the grain of environmental education. It appears that Cotton (2006) views the role of environmental education as imparting ones beliefs of the environment onto the learner so they will protect and take action for the environment. Cotton (2006) also states that through remaining an impartial educator we are not acknowledging the fact that education is not value free.

Personally, I find Cotton’s (2006) view of environmental education and its role to be in opposition of my belief of the purpose of environmental education. While I believe that as an environmental educator I will be seeking to incite in learners a want to protect the environment, I do not believe it should be done through imparting my beliefs and ideals onto learners. To me this is indoctrination, not education.

In looking back on the Framework of Education for Sustainable Development that I developed last year in this blog in the element of Cognition I have set out three sub-categories. Within these subcategories are the ability to critically think, be a reflective thinker, systemically think and envision the future. Within the element of Values clarification are the sub-categories of metacognition and questioning the dominant world view. If I were to take Cotton’s (2006) view of environmental education, these elements and sub-categories would become redundant. In a learning environment that imposes one’s ideals onto learners there can be no critical, reflective of systemic thinking, envisioning would be impossible and clarifying one’s values by being metacognitive and questioning the dominant world view would not be applicable.

I find the teachers in Cotton’s (2006) study to be quality educators who are pushing their students to question stated truths and thus following the principles of Education for Sustainable Development. I believe this creates a populace who will take action for the environment because through the elements of Cognition and Values clarification they will not accept injustice. As we all rely on ecosystem services to provide us with essentials for survival, the degradation of the environment can only be described as an injustice, therefore through remaining an impartial educator we are in fact creating a populace who will care for their environment.

Quality education and educators who develop within their learners the ability to question, critically assess and clarify develop deep thinkers who will have the skills to create a sustainable world.

Cotton D R E 2006 Implementing curriculum guidance on environmental education: the importance of teachers' beliefs Journal of Curriculum Studies 38(1): 67-83.