Our first example of environmentalism in art, specifically in poetry/spoken word was Amanda Gorman's "Earth Rise". Students were encouraged to engage with this poem by reflecting on which lines or words resonated with them and how artists appeal to our emotions.

I also introduced students to the Heartwoods & Soulwords website which they could peruse and engage in during asynchronous learning time. This project integrates nature mapping, naturalist skills, art and literature, gratitude, and reciprocity in an effort to build community and connection. Using an online platform (Google Sites and Google Maps), students were encouraged to seek out trees in their neighbourhoods and share poetry, art, or stories with others. This form of data collection merged with emotional connections demonstrates the power of poetry and nature exploration to fuel sustainable thinking and actions.

The major assignment for the unit was a creative piece that incorporated various aspects of environmentalism in art and literature that we had discussed. Students were tasked to choose an environmental or climate justice issue that they are passionate about and use a literature or arts based platform/medium to communicate the importance of this issue to the public. There was choice in media but students were required to include some elements of figurative language, literary devices, storytelling, or other environmentalism communication strategies. Some of the suggested platforms included a poetry collection, a children's picture book, a comic, a mini-documentary or podcast, or a spoken word video. To showcase our work, we had a virtual gallery walk where students could "walk-through" the gallery at their own pace and provide feedback on their classmates' work.