module 10
ECOLOGICAL
LITERACY
Module 10: ECOLITERACY
I. CONCEPT EXPLORATION
In many places, people are struck and devastated by various
natural disasters, locally,nationally and globally. Thus, disaster
preparedness and risk management have been the targets of
the government and educational institutions through various
plans and programs.In this case, environmental awareness has
to be reiterated and strengthened in schools and integrated
in the curriculum, while everyone has to be oriented
on taking care of and sustaining the environment through
ecoliteracy practices.
II. LEARNING OBJECTIVES
1. Explain ecoliteracy in developing a sustainable
environment.
2. Discuss the seven environmental principles of nature.
3. Describe a green school.
4. Articulate how ecoliteracy can be integrated in the
curriculum, practiced in the school and demonstrated in
the classroom.
5. Draw relevant life lessons and significant values from a
personal experience on initiating or participating in an
environmental activity.
6. Analyze a research abstract on ecoliteracy and its
implication to teaching-learning process.
7. Make a community service action plan on environmental
care and protection.
Ecoliteracy and Sustainable Development
Ecoliteracy considers ecological systems and
awareness of how society operates within
natural aspects as an educational imperative.
The basic principles of ecoliteracy are good
starting points to explore fundamentals
lessons that can be learned from nature for
the reform of society (Wahl, 2017).
David Orr (1992) posited
that by failing to include
ecological perspectives in
education, students are
taught that ecology is
unimportant.
Orr and Capra (1990) coined the idea of
‘ecological literacy’ as creating a new emphasis
on the need for education to integrate
understanding of the interdependence between
natural processes and human ways of life.
Therefore, ecoliteracy is the ability to
understand the organization of natural systems
and the processes that maintain the healthy
functioning of living systems and sustain life on
Earth.
In another perspective, ecological literacy is an
understanding of the principles oforganization that
ecosystems have evolved to sustain the web of life,
which is the first stepon the road to sustainability.
The second step is the move towards eco-design, of
which thereis a need to apply the ecological
knowledge to the fundamental redesign of
technologies andsocial institutions, to bridge the
current gap between human design and the
ecologicalsustainable systems of nature (Capra,
2003).
Sustainability is a qualitative and quantitative condition
that demonstrates the human Capacity to Survive Over
time. It is qualitative in a way that we want well-being
although, it is difficult to measure. But it is also
quantitative in that natural capital and ecological carrying
capacity can be measured with foot printing tools. It is a
biological and ecological imperative for human society to
exist within the carrying capacity of the ecosystem.
Ecological literacy therefore, provides the basis for
integrated thinking about sustainability. It supports the
frame of mind, ethics, and the type of practice that will
support the kind of thinking that prioritizes ecological
imperatives.
To achieve sustainability, we must trace the roots of
our cultural assumptions and Work
On ecological illiteracy. Our society has created
industries, processes, programs and institutions that
are destroying the ecosystem's ability to support
life. This unsustainable and reckless action is a
direct result of lack of ecological understanding and
lack of sense of urgency. With this in mind,
ecological literacy aims to replace fragmented
thinking with new cognitive and social capacities
necessary for the design of sustainable ways of
In this case, Eco literacy is founded on a new integration of emotional,
social and ecological forms of intelligence. While social and emotional
intelligence extend students' abilities to see from another's perspective,
empathize, and show concern, ecological intelligence applies these
capacities to understanding of natural systems and cognitive skills with
empathy for all of life, By weaving these forms of intelligence together,
Eco literacy builds on success from reduced behavioral problems to
increased academic achievement to foster social and emotional
learning.
To help educators foster socially and emotionally engaged Eco literacy,
the following are identified practices in age appropriate ways for
students, ranging from pre-kindergarten through adulthood and help
promote the cognitive and affective the abilities with the integration of
emotional, social and ecological intelligences.
1. Develop empathy for all forms of life. By recognizing the common needs we
share with all organisms, we can Extend our empathy to consider the quality of
life of other life forms, feel genuine concern about their wellbeing and act on
that concern.
2. Embrace sustainability as a community practice. By learning the wondrous
ways that plants, animals and other living things are interdependent, students
are inspired to consider the role of interconnectedness within their
communities and see the value in strengthening those relationships by thinking
and acting cooperatively.
3. Make the invisible visible, if we strive to develop ways of living that are more
life affirming, we must find ways to make visible the things that seem invisible
by using web-based tools, such as Google Earth, Good Guide and Fooducate
Apps.
4. Anticipate unintended consequences. Teachers can teach students
strategies for anticipating unintended consequences. These include
precautionary principle, that when an activity threatens to have a damaging
impact on the environment or human health, precautionary actions should be
taken. Another strategy is to shift from analyzing a problem by reducing it to
its isolated components, to adopting a systems thinking perspective that
examines connections and relationships among various components of the
problem.
5. Understand how nature sustains life. Eco literate people recognize that
nature has sustained life for long that resulted to turning to nature when their
teachers imbibe three crucial tenets to Eco literate living: (1) Eco literate
people learn from nature that all living organisms are complex and
interconnected that inhabit a particular place for survival; (2) ecoliterate
people tend to be more aware that systems exist on various levels of scale;
and (3) ecoliterate people collectively practice a way of life that fulfills the
needs of the present generation while simultaneously supporting nature's
inherent ability to sustain life in the future.
Seven Environmental Principles of Nature
Considering the key to understanding environmental problems is to
learn about ecosystem. Ecology can be best appreciated in schools
through a more practical and more relatable perspectives and manner
of orientation and realization.
The following are basic environmental principles of ecosystem
(adapted from Barry Connmoner; cited in Butler, 2012).
1. Nature knows best.
People need to understand nature and have to abide by the
rules it imposes. In essence, one must not go against the natural
processes if he/she would like to ensure a continuous and steady
supply of resources.
2. All forms of life are important.
Each organism plays a fundamental role in nature therefore,
all living things must be considered as invaluable instruments
in maintaining balance in the ecosystem.
3. Everything is connected to everything else.
In an ecosystem, all components interact with each other to
ensure that
the system is sustainable, of which any outside interference
may result in an imbalance and deterioration of the system.
4. Everything changes.
People must rethink their relationship with the environment
through relevant technologies for positive changes.
5. Everything must go somewhere.
Since wastes may go back to one's own backyard
in some other forms, it is important to become aware of the
different types of waste, classify and segregate those that are
toxic and potentially hazardous.
6. Ours is a finite earth.
Awareness of the earth's limited resources leads to a conscious
effort to change one's attitude and initiative to recycle them.
7. Nature is beautiful and we are stewards of God's creation,
Being the most intelligent and being gifted with reason, humans
are capable of controlling and taking care of the creation to their
own advantage.
Towards a Green School and Education for Sustainable
Development
Schools play a great role in the development of academics but also
environmental ethics and care for nature among students.
The school environment, therefore, should encourage, support and nurture
students' capacities on green environment as integrated in the curriculum
and instruction. This will allow them to connect with their surroundings and
attend to their health and safety needs, while motivating them to learn and
imbibe a sense of belongingness and sensitivity towards the school, society
and even this planet.
Environmental issues and concerns can be effectively addressed when all
efforts of staff and students are geared toward adopting environmentally
sustainable principles at all levels, from planning and decision-making up to
their execution in the school's functioning as part of the daily routine, such
as creating a Green School.
Green School: The concept and background
The concept of Green School was introduced in Europe in the 1990s while the Rio Earth
Summit of 1992 took cognizance of the need to take action in every area in which human impacts
on the environment. The World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in Johannesburg in
2002 catalyzed the efforts to bring about a shift in educating about the environment' to 'educating
for sustainability.
This shift reflected the international climate of thinking about Sustainable Development that
meets the needs of the present without compromising future generations to meet their own
needs.
There was a continuous misuse and abuse of natural resources in quest for development that
would tend the future to be at stake. Hence, we need a deeper
understanding and action to respond to environmental issues and challenges that our Earth is
confronted with.
Recognizing education as a critical means to achieve sustainability, the United Nations
launched the 'Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD)' in 2005, to integrate
principles, values and practices of sustainable development into all aspects of education and
learning in order to encourage behavior that will create a more sustainable future in terms of
environmental integrity, economic viability and a just society for present and future generations
(UNESCO, 2005).
A key objective of the UNDESD is to foster better-quality teaching and learning for ESD. This
calls for reorientation of thinking and practice of formal education, including teaching-learning
approaches and assessment.
Green Schools and ESD.
The Green School is visualized as a school guided by the principles of environmental
sustainability. It seeks to create a conducive environment to fully utilize all resources and
opportunities inside and outside the school and orient teachers and students on
environmental sustainability through active involvement of the community It demands ongoing, continuous and synergistic efforts of all stakeholders toward improving the
environment of the school and its surroundings.
Students' learning experiences outside school help them to consolidate and apply
knowledge, gain understanding of environmental processes, interrelationships and issues,
acquire life skills and help foster attitudes, values and sensitivity toward environmental
concerns.
A "Green School" is identified with those elements and practices that inculcate
environmental sensitivity to promote environmental sustainability through various
environment-friendly means and encourage judicious use of resources. It also caters to the
physical, mental and emotional needs of a child by ensuring a school environment that is
physically safe, emotionally secure and psychologically enabling.
Essential aspects of Green School Environment.
The greenness of a school finds expression in various aspects of the
environment. The Green School has clean, healthy, protective and green
surroundings. It also promotes both the physical and the psychosocial
health of learners and others in school; ensures a healthy (provision of
health services, such as nutritional supplementation and counseling),
hygienic (safe drinking water, neat and clean classrooms, playground and
parks, etc.), safe learning environment with healthy practices (e.g. a
school free of drugs, corporal punishment and harassment); and brings
children closer to nature and involves them in taking care of it.
Thus, a Green School is a school that engages the school community,
especially children, in critical thinking and teaming by adopting
participatory, practical and collaborative approaches to work together
and make the school environment healthier for students and staff by
involving the whole community to work towards a sustainable future:
A Green School adheres to the following precepts:
1. Learning about the environment.
It focuses mainly on acquisition of knowledge and
understanding of the surroundings and related issues.
2. Learning through the environment.
It refers to the processes of learning while being engaged
with environment inside and outside the classroom.
3. Learning for the environment.
It aims at developing an informed response and
responsibility towards the environment beyond acquisition
of skills and knowledge.
Understanding Green Curriculum.
For a curriculum to be 'Green', it must include the
following aspects:
1. Environment is encompassing, multidisciplinary and
dynamic, has scientific, social, economic, political and
technological dimensions.
2. Being holistic, a Green Curriculum views environment
as all that is around and aims to give a better
understanding of the way the world functions operations,
its alteration because of the actions of human race and its
consequences.
3. It holistically addresses sustainability] concerns, such
as protection and conservation of natural resources,
traditions, culture and heritage, safety and security,
physical and emotional assurance, health and sanitation
issues, concern for equity and justice and interconnection
between and among natural, social, physical and cultural
environment.
4. This requires a teaching-learning approach where
Students are provided time and space to explorer
different facets of environment and interconnect them.
5. A Green Curriculum is a mutual concern of teachers
and students.
Creating a Green School. A Green School is a school that
creates a healthy environment conducive to learning,
while saving energy, environmental resources and money.
Therefore, a Green School
(1) reduces environmental impacts and costs;
(2) improves
occupants' health and performance; and
(3) increases environmental and sustainability
literacy.
Characteristics of a Green School.
Green,
healthy,
and
high-performing
are
thecharacteristics of a green school that provides
many benefits to students, teachers, parents and the
community, at large.
1.
2.
3.
4.
It
It
It
It
protects health.
increases student performance.
saves energy and money.
reduces carbon emissions.
5. It reduces water usage.
6. It improves teacher retention.
7. It improves daily attendance.
8. It provides a unique educational opportunity.
9. It creates green jobs.
10. It improves equity.
Dark Green School Program: Philippine
Environmental Perspective
A Dark Green school (DGS) is a school that delivers
Environmental Education through assimilation of the
environmental philosophy by the students in formal
lessons, as well as in activities.
Accordingly, schools must:
a. be clean and neat as evidence of good
management and
b. call for green spaces, appropriate land use,
planning, conservation of materialsand energy,
proper waste management, segregation, use of
appropriate materials and avoidance of harmful ones
and respect to others' right to a smoke free air.
c. have management policies and guidelines
that would create a healthful and ecological
campus.
d. have a well-planned environmental
curriculum for all levels, adequately oriented
and trained faculty, and administrative,
library and financial support.
e. have faculty and students who are aware of and
appreciate the environmental program of the school.
f. reach out to an outside community to spread
concern for Mother Earth and facilitate projects and
programs that improve the environment.
g. engage in research that adds knowledge in the
ways of nature and the impact of human activities.
Ecological Living Practices
Sustainable ecological living is based on different
sets of principles. To assess the impact of our choices
and actions, we need criteria from studying the basic
facts of life as follows (Capra, 2003):
(1) Matter cycles continually through the web of
life;
(2) Most of the energy that drives the ecological
cycles flow from the sun;
Ecological Living Practices
(3) Diversity assures resilience;
(4) One species' waste another species' food;
and
(5) Life does not take over the planet by combat
but by networking.
The dimensions of sustainability describe the environmental
impacts of our activities, the causes of which come from the
socio-economic and political systems of the society.
Sustainable development entails three dimensions:
environmental, economic and social.
Ecological living gives larger understanding of how things
connect and are interdependent that begins with addressing
the causes of negative impacts on the environment. Ecological
living and literacy therefore, provide people with the tools,
knowledge and Wisdom for taking concrete actions on their
immense desire to contribute to a better world and future
(Capra, 2003).
Therefore, ecological living means to live in a way that
it:
(1) respects and replenishes the carrying capacity of our
planet;
(2) honors our interrelatedness with all expressions of
life;
(3) enhances the qualitative aspects of our
relationships; and
(4) brings forth the best of our human capacities for the
co-creation of an ecologically sustainable and caring
world.
Smitsman (2014) mentioned practical suggestions
on how we can support the change for
sustainability through ecological living. In order to
sustain outer actions for ecological living, it is
helpful to remember and draw inspiration from
the inner or personal development dimensions of
ecological living. The following are inner and
outer ecological perspectives.
A. Inner ecology (Smitsman, 2014).
1. Become a catalyst of change to help co-create a
better world and future.
2. Care for and relate with non-human beings while
spending time with nature.
3. Make the most of sustainability crisis that forces us to
learn, dream, think, design, act and relate in new ways.
4. Join the rest around the world in becoming agents of
sustainability.
5. Nurture nature by taking care of our body and become
aware of our natural body rhythms.
6. Become more energy efficient and learn to recycle our
own energy.
7. Learn to compost our own waste and no need to dump
this unto others.
8. Become aware of rights, needs and well-being of future
generations and explore how we can support this in our
actions.
Outer ecology (Smitsman, 2014).
1. Educate ourselves about the resources that we,' our
family and/or organizations' utilize to fulfill and sustain our
needs.
2. Reduce, reuse, repurpose and recycle.
3. Be aware of the real price of goods and services that we
use. Cheap products often have hidden costs (e.g. the cost
of child- labor, animal cruelty, or degradation of
ecosystems).
4. Find out any child labor practices or natural resources
that were sacrificed in the process ofproducing products
and services.
5. Recycle grey-water.
6. Collect and use rainwater.
7. Create an organic vegetable garden.
8. Compost organic waste and use the compost in the
garden.
9. Create a garden (with a balance of
endemic/indigenous plants) to support local wildlife
(animals,insects, trees and plants).
10.Create a roof garden (green roof) as a natural
air-conditioning.
11. Buy organic and local products as much as
possible.
12.Support local businesses and organizations that
care for our planet
Integrating Ecological Literacy into the Curriculum
The Center for Ecoliteracy (2015) promotes a variety of
teaching strategies based on practices that are
developmentally appropriate to students' level and are
brain-based to foster knowledge, skills and values essential
to sustainable living (Sly, 2015).
Students learn best when teaching strategies are varied that
include hands-on activities, time for reflection, thoughtful
discussion and combined indoor and outdoor environments,
including interdisciplinary projects (Sly, 2015).
Integrating Ecological Literacy into the
Curriculum
TYPES OF TEACHING STRATEGIES
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Place-based Learning.
Project-based Learning.
Socratic Inquiry
Experiential Learning.
Interdisciplinary Learning.
1. Place-based Learning.
It is an experiential. Learning that engages students in
their own environments and a strategy that captures their
imagination and advances environmental stewardship and
civic engagement. Activities include mapping the local
environment to learn key ecological and cultural
principles, studying the interplay between local society
and the environment, supporting habitat restoration
projects, and working with local citizens to improve the
quality of life in their communities. Learning takes
students out of the classroom and into the community and
natural environment.
It adheres to the following principles:
1.1 Place-based projects are integrated back into
classroom lessons.
1.2 Students want to learn in order to apply their
knowledge to solving real problems.
1.3 Students play an active role in redefining and
recreating projects.
1.4
Students
collaborate
with
local
citizens,
organizations, agencies, businesses and government.
1.5 Students help make plans that shape the future of
their social, physical and economic environments.
1.6 Students are encouraged to view their community as
an ecosystem and to
understand the relationships and processes necessary to
support healthy living
Research reveals the benefits of place-based learning, such
as:
(1) higher test scores;
(2) better grade point averages;
(3) improved classroom behavior;
(4) increased self esteem and problem-solving abilities; and
(5) higher-level thinking skills (Sly, 2015).
2. Project-based Learning.
It is a strategy that involves Students in
projects that use a variety of resources,
including the community, technology,
outside experts, written resources, and the
Web, while the teacher usually serves as
facilitator of learning.
Using this strategy, research shows its impact on
learners, such as:
(1) increased critical thinking skills of Students;
(2) fostered positive attitudes toward subjects (such
as mathematics) and exemplary performance with
conceptual questions and applied problems; and
(3) Improved positive study and work habits,
problem-solving capabilities and self-esteem.
Likewise,
project-based
learning
bears
environmental impact, such as habitat restoration,
modeling the evolution of agriculture, and changing
food in schools.
3. Socratic Inquiry.
This is named after the Greek philosopher Socrates, who
believed that questions (not answers) stimulate learning.
Therefore, rather than teaching facts and information,
teachers encourage students to ask questions about their
assumptions, values, and preconceptions. Therefore, the
role of the teacher shifts from direct instruction to
facilitating discussion.Through skilled questioning, the
teacher asks students to clarify their statements, identify
weaknesses in their arguments and provide evidence for
their reasoning.
In return, this strategy impacts student learning as
evidenced by the following outcomes.
(1) Students reveal their beliefs, misconceptions and
values and eventually, clarify their thoughts related to
the topic being discussed,
(2) Students become more adept in critical thinking.
(3) Students improve their listening skills and learn to
better articulate their thoughts and ideas and become
more tolerant of diverse opinions.
4. Experiential Learning.
It promotes students' involvement in the real world
and defines the teacher's role as a facilitator of
learning. The process of learning leads to behavioral
outcomes.
It is based on the premise that learning is an active
and a continuous process, with experience at its
foundation It goes along with principles of learning
associated with environmental literacy.
4.1 Experiential teaming is vital to schooling for
sustainability.
4.2 Only through direct contact with the natural
world
will
students
develop
an
indepth
understanding of fundamental ecological principles.
4.3 By working with others to solve real-world
problems, they also develop skills at the heart of
sustainable living.
4.4 When students participate in
experiential learning, they frequently
follow the learning cycle.
4.5 This is a process that starts with
unstructured exploration, followed by
concept formation and application.
5. Interdisciplinary Learning.
It emphasizes connections between traditionally
discrete disciplines, such as math, science, history, and
language arts, rather than limiting learning to one
content area at a time. The following are advantages of
interdisciplinary
5.1 When teaching and learning are organized around
themes, problems, or issues, students seek knowledge
and skills from a variety of disciplines to provide an
expanded and more complex understanding of the
topics.
5.2 When done well, interdisciplinary approach
eliminates fragmentation and learning of isolated skills.
5.3 It allows students to access a particular theme from
different entry points as they work with a range of
sources of information and perspectives.
5.4 It also allows teachers to better differentiate
instruction and create more interesting and rich methods
of assessment.
5.5 It increases students' motivation for learning, as well
as their level of active engagement.
5.6 Students recognize the value of their learning and
become more involved in it.
5.7 Students learn more when they apply a variety of
skills to what they are studying and when they interact
with their classmates, teachers, and members of the
community.
5.8 Interdisciplinary teaching and learning adhere to the
principles that help define
sustainable living.
THANK YOU
AND
GOD BLESS YOU
ALL.