A ‘Living’ Document
What is Environmental Learning?: A Guided Inquiry for Educators is a curriculum framework endorsed by the BC Ministry of Education and Childcare. Click here to view or download a PDF of this framework. It offers a model for introducing environmental learning in all settings, providing principles that guide educators in designing activities for a variety of learning contexts.
Watch this space as we design a ‘living document’
Overview: Some Core Competencies
In BC, environmental learning is seen as a composite of three distinct, yet overlapping forms of learning: Environmental Seeing, Communicating and Acting and Environmental Thinking. Each theme links closely to important Core Competencies for learning. For example, Environmental Seeing, is linked to students own personal (identity) and social development. In turn, Communicating about, and taking Action around local issues, helps to develop strong communication skills. Finally, Environmental Thinking (across disciplines) is linked to both critical and creative thinking processes. As we develop this site, you can click on the summaries below to learn about each of the topics within the themes of Seeing, Communicating and Thinking.
Biocultural Diversity
In order to give the larger context, it is important to acknowledge and celebrate our natural and cultural heritage. In BC, we have been blessed with a form of biocultural diversity that is unique in Canada. This is due to the diversity of Land and seascapes we enjoy but also to the diversity of Indigenous languages and cultures which encode important knowledge about these local ecologies and communities. Most people are familiar with the concept of biodiversity: the millions of species of plants and animals that have evolved on earth and its oceans, interconnected with one another and the ecosystems in which they live. More recently, the broader idea of biocultural diversity has gained ground: the idea that the diversity of life on earth is made up not only of biodiversity, but also a diversity of human cultures and languages, and that all these diversities are interrelated and interdependent.
Two-Eyed ‘Seeing’
Environmental learning is influenced by the principle of ‘two-eyed seeing’ in that Indigenous and Western scientific ways of knowing are valuable, achievable, and inform how we live in the world. This idea originates from the traditional territory of the Mi’kma’ki people (from Atlantic Canada) and in their language Etuaptmumk essentially means ‘the gift of multiple perspectives.’ Environmental learning informed by the concept of ‘two-eyed seeing’ encourages us to view the world from an Indigenous knowledge perspective, together with a Western knowledge perspective. Through engagement with ‘two eyes’ we acknowledge the importance of both types of knowledge while perceiving a more holistic view of the world and our environment.
‘Seeing’ through Experience
Naturally, we also ‘see’ the world is through our own direct experiences. By interacting with local communities and ecologies, we can challenge our cultural perspectives on environmental issues and examine these critically. For this to be relevant, the development of critical and reflective capacities is important: when we are given adequate time to reflect, we can actively engage with environmental learning – connecting it to personal knowledge. This involves solitary activities (such as a nature journaling) before moving to other forms of shared knowledge.
‘Seeing’ as Inquiry (The 7E’s)
In BC, the 5Es model (Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, Evaluate) was adapted and expanded to include First Nations perspectives by the First Nations Education Steering Committee (FNESC) in what is described as the 7Es model. This version of inquiry is an extension of the 5Es, through the inclusion of Environment and Elders. This ensures that the inquiry relates to the local environment and builds an appreciation of connectedness and a sense of place, with direct engagements in the community.
Communicating through ‘Storywork’
In BC, Indigenous oral narratives are an important source for, and component of local knowledge and communication systems. Indigenous (Stó:lō) scholar Joanne Archibald shares that stories are not only recounted and passed down; they are tools for teaching about local culture and the important connections to the Land. Her research about Indigenous Storywork demonstrates that stories have the power to educate and heal the heart, mind, body, and spirit. In sharing a framework for understanding stories, she helps us to appreciate storytelling, as a way to facilitate a receptive learning context. In this way we can see that how we communicate are informed by local cultures and assist learners to engaging in more holistic models of knowledge sharing.
A Bicycle Model for Communication
The holistic nature of environmental communication and action taken together, has also been represented by a bicycle model for climate communication developed by educator Cantell (and colleagues). This model notes that knowledge and thinking skills together support and ‘drive’ effective environmental communication. The model considers together the role of such factors such as emotions, sense of hope, future orientation, motivation, and participation – all of these inform our capacity or desire to communicate and take positive actions (move forward) on environmental issues.
Communicating Eight Ways
While acknowledging the importance of Storywork, Indigenous knowledge can also be transmitted through other methods (eg. carving or graphic arts) and through experiences on the Land (eg. observing seasonal patterns in hunting or gathering protocols). According to Indigenous scholar, Tyson Yunkaporta, there are 8 ways to understand how Indigenous knowledge is constructed or communicated to others. Together, these interconnected elements and the spaces between them carry the underlying concept of learning through Indigenous (Eight-ways) pedagogies. He states these models of communication are more about the ‘process’ rather than the ‘product.’
Environmental Thinking with ‘CARE’
Environmental thinking begins with a focus on ecological connection with (and in) the environment and ends with the development of a collective ecological understanding in community. Taking CARE for the environment, our communities, and ourselves, demonstrates the interdisciplinary nature of culturally and ecologically embedded thinking, while showing the development of ideas that can lead towards deeper engagement with environmental learning and for the diversity of cultural forms it can take. The mnemonic and metaphor of CARE (connection, appreciation, responsibility, ethos) can be used to describe the various forms that environmental knowledge can take.
Thinking with the 4R’s
Place-based and ecological frameworks acknowledge first that learning and thinking should occur ‘in, ‘with’ and ‘for’ local communities. For example, when engaging in activities within First Nations communities, there is an important set of ethics that were first described by First Nations scholars (Verna Kirkness and Ray Barnhardt). The guidelines are sometimes referred to as the FOUR R’S: signifying the importance of the interrelated concepts known as RESPECT, RELEVANCE, RECIPROCITY and RESPONSIBILITY. These guidelines are important to frame all thinking and learning practices as the answers to our inquiries should always benefit those around us too. The 4R’s remind us to think ‘in and ‘for’ community.
The Sustainable Development Goals (or SDGs)
Global policies are also an important context when considering what is to be included in our model for environmental learning. For example, in 2015, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), were adopted by the United Nations as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity. The 17 SDGs are integrated—recognizing that action in one area will affect outcomes in others, and that development must balance social, economic and environmental sustainability. SDG 4 relates specifically to the need for a Quality Education for all. The UN recognizes that creativity, know-how, technology and financial resources from all of society will be necessary to achieve the SDGs. In this, a green economy and healthy environment become implicitly linked – this view is often described as Education for Sustainable Development (or ESD).
