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Ecological literacy is the desired outcome of environmental education.
Environmental education is education ABOUT the environment, FOR the environment, and IN the environment that promotes an understanding of, rich and active experience in, an appreciation for the dynamic interactions of:
The Earth’s physical and biological systems
The dependency of our social and economic systems on these natural systems
The scientific and human dimensions of environmental issues
The positive and negative consequences, both intended and unintended, of the interactions between human-created and natural systems
EcoSchools Canada Applicable Action Cards:
Community Science - Contribute to important environmental research projects from across Canada, and beyond!
Earth Day - Celebrated annually on April 22nd and is a great opportunity to take action for the environment!
EcoCode - Is your school’s environmental policy or mission statement that demonstrates your commitment to climate action.
Environmental Fair or Conference - Organize a day of environmental learning for your school or broader community.
Environmental Health - Learn about hazards and ways to protect yourself, your friends, your family, and the environment.
Environmental Literacy - Providing opportunities for all students at your school to learn IN, ABOUT, and FOR the environment.
Low-mow Zone - Let a grassy area of your school grounds grow wild and start studying with nature!
The Path to Becoming more Ecologically Literate: Making Connections
The Path to Becoming more Ecologically Literate: Making Connections
Becoming more ecologically literate requires us to connect the dots as we teach and learn about humans interacting with the environment. This is the path to discovering what it means to live more sustainably on the planet. Instead of seeing what we teach and learn in isolated “bits” or “parts,” we develop our ecological literacy by looking at how the parts are connected, and how they make up a whole that is “greater than the sum of its parts.” People and nature are parts of this planetary whole. Seeing the interactions of the parts helps us understand some of the causes and consequences of our human impact on the environment, and the impact of the environment on us.
This approach to learning calls upon us to think in terms of systems. In many subject areas, it is a better match for the way our brains absorb ideas by constantly making connections and putting things in larger contexts as we learn.
Ecological Literacy: Guiding Question
Ecological Literacy: Guiding Question
The Ministry of Education's environmental education policy framework Acting Today, Shaping Tomorrow (February 2009) commits to ensuring that “environmental education, as defined in Shaping Our Schools, Shaping Our Future, will be part of every child's learning and that responsible practices will be fostered across the education system.” The EcoSchools program, provides a structure and a set of tools for realizing these goals. Each action card incorporates environmental education as a part of every student’s learning.
Ecoliteracy Summary: Education ABOUT, FOR, and IN the Environment
Ecoliteracy Summary: Education ABOUT, FOR, and IN the Environment
Education ABOUT the Environment
Learn about nature's systems: matter cycles (e.g., rock, water, carbon); energy flows (e.g., heat in the environment, climate change); and life webs (e.g., biodiversity, the human body)
The interactions between people and nature
Explore relationships and connections. Think of parts of a system and how they interact.
The dependence of our social and economic systems on natural systems
Explore/learn about nature’s systems and their essential role in sustaining human life
Uncover the dependence of communities and societies, past and present, on natural systems
Education FOR the Environment
Building active citizenship skills as a part of students’ learning
Uncover the multiple impacts of our choices, now and in the future. Explore ways to take action to reduce those impacts
Explore diverse perspectives on environmental issues (e.g., corporate, immigrant, indigenous, government) to develop more inclusive thinking
Express concerns about and respond to environmental problems across different subject areas
Develop active citizenship skills through responding to environmental issues (e.g., action-based projects, campaigns, using social media, letter writing to elected officials, participating in community planning meetings)
Education IN the Environment
Using the school grounds and/or natural and built environments beyond the school ground as content and/or a context for learning.
Use the school grounds as a setting to build students’ observation and inquiry skills and make connections to classroom learning through outdoor exploration
Teach on the school ground through the seasons and at different times of day
Visit places beyond the school ground (e.g., neighbourhood walks, city parks, field trips to TDSB Outdoor Education Centres, TRCA sites)
Prepare before, and follow up after, each experience to continue making connections as a way to deepen learning
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