Environmental Superheroes of the ELA Classroom

Building Environmental Literacy through Inquiry, Design, and Local Climate Action

This podcast episode explores how middle school teachers at Nesbit School integrate environmental literacy and solutionary teaching across disciplines. Sixth-grade ELA teachers Tim and Kyle, along with science teacher Cass, guide students in researching climate change, extreme weather, and other environmental challenges while developing practical solutions such as disaster preparedness kits and innovative technologies. “We're not introducing them to something to be afraid of. We are demystifying and empowering them around something that they already know is happening.” —Tim McIntyre ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

A Principal’s Vision for Environmental Literacy: Empowering Teachers, Students, and Communities to Be Solutionary

The podcast features Ryan Hansen, principal of Nesbitt School, discussing how her K–8 school integrated environmental literacy and solutionary teaching across grade levels to increase student engagement and academic rigor. By providing teachers with resources, professional development, and funding, Nesbitt transformed its curriculum, enabling students to tackle real-world environmental challenges and develop critical problem-solving skills. "When we moved to the solutionary approach, it was really about addressing engagement and academic rigor and giving kids those tools to spark them being the solutionaries, or like the problem solvers of real things in the community.” —Ryan Hansen ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Local Labor History and Community Agency in the Midst of the Climate Crisis

In this podcast, Quinn Cataldi talks about his cannery unit in which his multilingual students learn about the intersections of the Chicano labor movement and social and environmental justice, specifically the ways in which the exploitation of the land and people are intertwined with legacies of colonialism. Students are then empowered to identify and write about equitable solutions that address systemic issues such as the climate crisis. "We are trying to reenvision environmentalism as something in our day-to-day lives and interactions with each other. Watsonville is about people pushing back against systems of oppression which are destructive to the environment and to themselves as well." Learn more here: https://ca-eli.org/ela-superheroes/ ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Undamming the Klamath: An Expository Reading and Writing Unit that Centers Indigenous Resilience, Climate Action, and the Healing of an Ecosystem

Gurbir Kahlon engages her high school multilingual learners in Torrance, California, with important literacy skills through the lens of environmental literacy. She has taught units in her ELD classroom on biomimicry, plastic pollution, and climate change. In this podcast, Gurbir discusses her most recent expository reading and writing unit on the powerful story of the resilient tribal communities in Northern California and their successful efforts to remove dams on the Klamath River in order to welcome their salmon home. “Instead of focusing on a doomsday approach to teaching students, which heightens anxiety, I want to work to empower students and offer solutions.” Learn more here: https://ca-eli.org/ela-superheroes/ ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Falling in Love with Nature and Fighting for It: Inspiring Argument Writing Through Everyday Encounters with Nature

Jodi teaches sixth-grade English at Yorba Linda Middle School. As part of the California Writing Project Environmental Literacy and Justice Initiative, Jodi created and taught a unit that pairs wonder and nature writing with formulating opinions and argument writing. Her students first connect with nature through a variety of nature writing opportunities, then students use that connection to inspire both argument writing and artistic expression. "When you’re talking about environmental justice, kids need to feel like they can do something. It needs to move to the place where they feel like they have power to make change." – Jodi Bonk Explore the episode and teacher resources: https://ca-eli.org/ela-superheroes/ ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.