Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1463867
Senn. ey also received support from the Sierra Club's climate literacy program and students from Portland, Oregon, who suc- cessfully sued their district for doing them a "disservice" by not teaching about climate change. In Januar y 2019, following a student presentation , th e Oakland Unified board updated its policy on environmental education to mention climate change specifically and commit to connecting district sustainability projects like solar panels and school gardens to environmental education. It was good for students to see the fruits of their labor, says Senn, a member of Oakland Education Association. But the pandemic and a budget shortfall have delayed implementation. "Students want to make sure climate change is tied into all K-12 subjects and not just included in science literacy. Hopefully, that will happen," Senn says. "Meanwhile, the board is creating a work group on how to address implementation. What teachers really need is leadership and trainings." Senn acknowledges that educators have never had more on their plate, and it's easy to put climate change on a back burner. But the urgent threat to the planet should not be ignored. "We can either cry about it or we can do something about it. My question to teachers is this: It's the largest social problem and environmental justice issue facing students, so how are you covering it in your classroom? Please take the time. ere are resources to help you." Garden Grove stewards of the Earth Veronica Garcia, a seventh and eighth grade science teacher at Louis Lake Intermediate School in Garden Grove, finds real- life examples to help students understand what is happening to the Earth. "We study evolution and talk about animals that have gone extinct — and why. We talk about the power grid and why it went out in Texas. We discuss alternative energy like solar and wind power. We study fracking and how it contributes to air pollution and more carbon emissions. We look at plastics, which are made from oil, and how it harms the ecosystem and why so much plastic packaging is unnecessary." Garcia, a member of Garden Grove Education Association, encourages students to see themselves as stewards of the Earth. She is educating herself on ways to help students make a differ- ence and has found support from the NEED project (National Energy Education Development), a nonprofit organization that offers K-12 curriculum on energy and conservation. Last semes- ter she taught a new elective, Discovery Science, which has units on climate change. "We can either cry about it or we can do something about it. It's the largest social problem and environmental justice issue facing students, so how are you covering it in your classroom?" —Joseph Senn, Oakland Education Association • Human influence has unequivocally warmed the atmosphere, ocean and land. The last decade was the hottest in 125,000 years. • The ocean absorbs most of the heat we produce, threatening coral reefs and marine life. We are losing 1.2 trillion tons of ice each year. • It could become too hot to live in many places by the end of the century, with unbearable temperatures affecting up to 3 billion people. • Natural disasters — drought, flood, fires, hurricanes and storms — can be attributed to human-driven climate change, which has not always been the case. • When fossil fuels burn, they release large amounts of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) into the air, which traps heat in our atmosphere, causing global warming. CO 2 is at its highest level in 2 million years. • Global warming is partially reversible if we take action soon. Our future depends on it. Compiled by Earth.Org A Few Facts 19 A P R I L / M AY 2 0 2 2