Helping Students Become Climate Stewards: Storytelling for Environmental Advocacy and Problem-Solving - Paperback

by Xochitl Bentley (Author)

This resource examines the way storytelling can play a role in environmental problem-solving and climate stewardship. Narrative not only builds literacy but also fosters students' critical thinking around the ways they inhabit their world. The author examines habits, myths, and mindsets that threaten our planet's ecosystems, and presents "counter-stories" you can use to build your middle and secondary students' capacity for environmental advocacy. Chapters are organized around a framework for developing environmental literacy, each focusing on how storytelling can build the capacity for various roles within the realm of climate stewardship. Via practical entry points and pathways for lesson and unit design, educators can use narrative to help students envision themselves as systems thinkers, communicators, activists, problem solvers, and more. Each chapter uses different kinds of narratives, from fictional parables to comic storyboards, to present practices students can understand and try out. They also include case studies, writing exercises, lesson suggestions, planning tool organizers, and rubrics applicable throughout different curriculum areas. Ideal for any secondary educator grappling with the uncertainties around climate change in their classroom, this resource introduces and encourages inquiry investigation through the power of storytelling to cultivate climate stewardship.

Author Biography

Xochitl Bentley is a national board-certified English teacher at Cleveland Charter High School in California, USA. She is Co-Director of the CSUN Writing Project and a contributing writer at Moving Writers. She is a certified California naturalist, a certified California environmental educator, and a member of the Climate Reality Leadership Corps.