Eco literacy

Ecological literacy (also referred to as ecoliteracy) is the ability to understand the natural
systems that make life on earth possible. To be ecoliterate means understanding the principles of
organization of ecological communities (i.e. ecosystems) and using those principles for
creating sustainable human communities. The term was coined by American educator David W.
Orr and physicist Fritjof Capra in the 1990s[1][2]- thereby a new value entered education; the “well-
being of the earth”.
An ecologically literate society would be a sustainable society which did not destroy the natural
environment on which they depend. Ecological literacy is a powerful concept as it creates a
foundation for an integrated approach to environmental problems. Advocates champion eco-literacy
as a new educational paradigm emerging around the poles of holism, systems
thinking, sustainability, and complexity.

I. Earth Mindful

At root, ecological thinking is for the environment, not just about it. For example, it takes for
granted the conservation of biodiversity as an intrinsic and fundamental goal. It is at heart about
values and proper behavior. Yet 'good Earth-keeping' requires some grasp of basic laws of
energy and matter. As in the case of, say, hygiene, there is a need for a basic level of
understanding, though it is not necessary to know the intricacies of relevant scientific theories.

First and foremost in the rudiments of what might be called ecoliteracy is the awareness of the
Earth as our life-support system. In turn this requires a basic understanding of how the system
works, e.g. energy flows & major cycles. Ecologically aware citizens would understand, for
example, the ecological insight of that famous Biblical statement that 'all flesh is grass'. They
would look at the environment with new eyes. Wetlands, for example, would not be viewed, as is
dominantly the case, as wastelands but as nature's 'kidneys'.

They would have a general appreciation of the diversity of resources on which we depend, their
current status, ownership and the uses to which they are put. They would understand the basic
principles of sustainability: minimized inputs, maximized recycling, chemicals compatible with
chemistry of life etc. so that society can work with the Earth's capacities, rhythms & tolerances.

An ecologically based concept of sustainability means that human exploitation of the

environment must stay within certain limits. It is, of course, impossible to define precise
boundaries. It is more a matter of danger zones in which the costs begin to outweigh the benefits
of continued attempts to maintain further expansion or in which society can no longer expect
salvation from methods that got round previously encountered limits (for example, mass
emigrations and technological innovations).

II. Environment & Society

The environment has become one of the most important issues of our time and will continue to
be well into the future. The challenge is to find approaches to environmental management that
give people the quality of life they seek while protecting the environmental systems that are also
the foundations of our well being. In order to face these challenges, students today will need
more than superficial knowledge or awareness of disconnected environmental issues.

A multidisciplinary approach to learning can build upon the strengths of a wide range of fields of
study, providing a deeper understanding of the technological, political, and social options and
strategies for both studying and managing the relationship between our society and the
environment.

III. Environmental Action begins with Environmental

Literacy

From San Diego Earth Times article:

The term "environmental literacy" (EL) is used to describe an individual's capacity to perceive and
interpret the relative health of environmental systems and to take appropriate action to maintain,
restore or improve the health of those systems. An individual who is environmentally literate possesses
the following characteristics:
 1) Environmental knowledge;
2) Environmental attitude and sensitivity;
3) Problem solving, planning and collaborative/facilitative skills, action strategies and
4) The ability to take action to improve the environment.

An ongoing involvement with nature combined with knowledge was the strongest contributing
factor to the development of EL.

Common conditions that exist among those considered environmentally literate:

1. Frequency of interaction with nature (outdoors);

2. Significant role model, generally and most frequently an educator and then a parent;
3. Knowledge and the practice of community service on behalf of the environment.

Five Ways to Develop “Ecoliteracy”

Ecoliteracy is founded on a new integration of emotional, social, and ecological intelligence—

forms of intelligence popularized by Daniel Goleman. While social and emotional intelligence
extend students’ abilities to see from another’s perspective, empathize, and show concern,
ecological intelligence applies these capacities to an understanding of natural systems and melds
cognitive skills with empathy for all of life. By weaving these forms of intelligence together,
ecoliteracy builds on the successes—from reduced behavioral problems to increased academic
achievement—of the movement in education to foster social and emotional learning. And it
cultivates the knowledge, empathy, and action required for practicing sustainable living.

To help educators foster socially and emotionally engaged ecoliteracy, we have identified the
following five practices. These are, of course, not the only ways to do so. But we believe that
educators who cultivate these practices offer a strong foundation for becoming ecoliterate,
helping themselves and their students build healthier relationships with other people and the
planet. Each can be nurtured in age-appropriate ways for students, ranging from pre-kindergarten
through adulthood, and help promote the cognitive and affective abilities central to the
integration of emotional, social, and ecological intelligence.

1. Develop empathy for all forms of life

At a basic level, all organisms—including humans—need food, water, space, and conditions that
support dynamic equilibrium to survive. By recognizing the common needs we share with all
organisms, we can begin to shift our perspective from a view of humans as separate and superior
to a more authentic view of humans as members of the natural world. From that perspective, we
can expand our circles of empathy to consider the quality of life of other life forms, feel genuine
concern about their well-being, and act on that concern.

Most young children exhibit care and compassion toward other living beings.
This is one of
several indicators that human brains are wired to feel empathy and concern for other living
things. Teachers can nurture this capacity to care by creating class lessons that emphasize the
important roles that plants and animals play in sustaining the web of life. Empathy also can be
developed through direct contact with other living things, such as by keeping live plants and
animals in the classroom; taking field trips to nature areas, zoos, botanical gardens, and animal
rescue centers; and involving students in field projects such as habitat restoration.

Another way teachers can help develop empathy for other forms of life is by studying indigenous
cultures. From early Australian Aboriginal culture to the Gwich’in First Nation in the Arctic
Circle, traditional societies have viewed themselves as intimately connected to plants, animals,
the land, and the cycles of life. This worldview of interdependence guides daily living and has
helped these societies survive, frequently in delicate ecosystems, for thousands of years. By
focusing on their relationship with their surroundings, students learn how a society lives when it
values other forms of life.

2. Embrace sustainability as a community practice

Organisms do not survive in isolation. Instead, the web of relationships within any living
community determines its collective ability to survive and thrive.
 This essay is adapted from Ecoliterate: How
Educators Are Cultivating Emotional, Social, and Ecological Intelligence (Jossey-Bass), which
draws on the work of the Center for Ecoliteracy.

By learning about the wondrous ways that plants, animals, and other living things are
interdependent, students are inspired to consider the role of interconnectedness within their
communities and see the value in strengthening those relationships by thinking and acting
cooperatively.

The notion of sustainability as a community practice, however, embodies some characteristics

that fall outside most schools’ definitions of themselves as a “com- munity,” yet these elements
are essential to building ecoliteracy. For example, by examining how their community provisions
itself—from school food to energy use—students can contemplate whether their everyday
practices value the common good.

Other students might follow the approach taken by a group of high school students in New
Orleans known as the “Rethinkers,” who gathered data about the sources of their energy and the
amount they used and then surveyed their peers by asking, “How might we change the way we
use energy so that we are more resilient and reduce the negative impacts on people, other living
beings, and the planet?” As the Rethinkers have shown, these projects can give students the
opportunity to start building a community that values diverse perspectives, the common good, a
strong network of relationships, and resiliency.
3. Make the invisible visible

Historically—and for some cultures still in existence today—the path between
a decision and
its consequences was short and visible. If a homesteading family cleared their land of trees, for
example, they might soon experience flooding, soil erosion, a lack of shade, and a huge decrease
in biodiversity.

But the global economy has created blinders that shield many of us from experiencing the far-
reaching implications of our actions. As we have increased our use of fossil fuels, for instance, it
has been difficult (and remains difficult for many people) to believe that we are disrupting
something on the magnitude of the Earth’s climate. Although some places on the planet are
beginning to see evidence of climate change, most of us experience no changes. We may notice
unusual weather, but daily weather is not the same as climate disruption over time.

If we strive to develop ways of living that are more life-affirming, we must find ways to make
visible the things that seem invisible.

Educators can help through a number of strategies. They can use phenomenal web-based tools,
such as Google Earth, to enable students to “travel” virtually and view the landscape in other
regions and countries. They can also introduce students to technological applications such as
GoodGuide and Fooducate, which cull from a great deal of research and “package” it in easy-to-
understand formats that reveal the impact of certain household products on our health, the
environment, and social justice. Through social networking websites, students can also
communicate directly with citizens of distant areas and learn firsthand what the others are
experiencing that is invisible to most students. Finally, in some cases, teachers can organize field
trips to directly observe places that have been quietly devastated as part of the system that
provides most of us with energy.

4. Anticipate unintended consequences

Many of the environmental crises that we face today are the unintended consequences of human
behavior. For example, we have experienced many unintended but grave consequences of
developing the technological ability to access, produce, and use fossil fuels. These new
technological capacities have been largely viewed as progress for our society. Only recently has
the public become aware of the downsides of our dependency on fossil fuels, such as pollution,
suburban sprawl, international conflicts, and climate change.

Teachers can teach students a couple of noteworthy strategies for anticipating unintended
consequences. One strategy—the precautionary principle—can be boiled down to this basic
message: When an activity threatens to have a damaging impact on the environment or human
health, precautionary actions should be taken regardless
of whether a cause-and-effect
relationship has been scientifically confirmed. Historically, to impose restrictions on new
products, technologies, or practices, the people concerned about possible negative impacts were
expected to prove scientifically that harm would result from them. By contrast, the precautionary
principle (which is now in effect in many countries and in some places in the United States)
places the burden of proof on the producers to demonstrate harmlessness and accept
responsibility should harm occur.

Another strategy is to shift from analyzing a problem by reducing it to its isolated components,
to adopting a systems thinking perspective that examines the connections and relationships
among
the various components of the problem. Students who can apply systems thinking are
usually better at predicting possible consequences of a seemingly small change to one part of the
system that can potentially affect the entire system. One easy method for looking at a problem
systemically is by mapping it and all of its components and interconnections. It is then easier to
grasp the complexity of our decisions and foresee possible implications.

Finally, no matter how adept we are at applying the precautionary principle
and systems
thinking, we will still encounter unanticipated consequences of our actions. Building
resiliency—for example, by moving away from mono-crop agriculture or by creating local, less
centralized food systems or energy networks—is another important strategy for survival in these
circumstances. We can turn
to nature and find that the capacity of natural communities to
rebound from unintended consequences is vital to survival.

5. Understand how nature sustains life

Ecoliterate people recognize that nature has sustained life for eons; as a result, they have turned
to nature as their teacher and learned several crucial tenets. Three of those tenets are particularly
imperative to ecoliterate living.

First of all, ecoliterate people have learned from nature that all living organisms are members of
a complex, interconnected web of life and that those members inhabiting a particular place
depend upon their interconnectedness for survival. Teachers can foster an understanding of the
diverse web of relationships within a location by having students study that location as a system.

Second, ecoliterate people tend to be more aware that systems exist on various levels of scale. In
nature, organisms are members of systems nested within other systems, from the micro-level to
the macro-level. Each level supports the others to sustain life. When students begin to understand
the intricate interplay of relation- ships that sustain an ecosystem, they can better appreciate the
implications for survival that even a small disturbance may have, or the importance of
strengthening relationships that help a system respond to disturbances.

Finally, ecoliterate people collectively practice a way of life that fulfills the needs of the present
generation while simultaneously supporting nature’s inherent ability to sustain life into the
future. They have learned from nature that members of a healthy ecosystem do not abuse the
resources they need in order to survive. They have also learned from nature to take only what
they need and to adjust their behavior in times of boom or bust. This requires that students learn
to take a long view when making decisions about how to live.

These five practices, developed by the Berkeley-based Center for Ecoliteracy, offer guideposts to
exciting, meaningful, and deeply relevant education that builds on social and emotional learning
skills. They can also plant the seeds for a positive relationship with the natural world that can
sustain a young person’s interest and involvement for a lifetime.

Activity

Come up with a presentation like a talk show, speech choir, musical play, variety show, skit
or an art exhibit showing and advocating ways on how an individual shows eco-literacy of
an individual. The presentation must show tips on how to become eco-friendly or eco
literate.

Rubric
Content Creativity Teamwork
Beginner 30 10 10
Intermediate 40 20 15
Advanced 50 30 20
Total Score: ______/ 100
Essay Writing
Answer each question briefly but substantially.
1. As an individual, what can you do to help the environment?
Rubric
Content Originality Mechanics and
organization
Beginner 30 10 10
Intermediate 40 20 15
Advanced 50 30 20
Total Score: ______/ 100

2. Give ways on how to advocate eco-literate among student. Explain.

Rubic
Content Originality Mechanics and
organization
Beginner 30 10 10
Intermediate 40 20 15
Advanced 50 30 20
Total Score: ______/ 100

3. What are the current issues in our country regarding the environment? What possible
solutions can you give?
Rubic
Content Originality Mechanics and
organization
Beginner 30 10 10
Intermediate 40 20 15
Advanced 50 30 20
Total Score: ______/ 100
Art/ creative literacy

It is the ability to interpret, negotiate, and make meaning from information presented in the form of
an image, extending the meaning of literacy, which commonly signifies interpretation of a written or
printed text. Visual literacy is based on the idea that pictures can be "read" and that meaning can be
through a process of reading.

"Artistic literacy is the knowledge and understanding required to participate authentically

in the arts," the document says. "While individuals can learn about dance, media, music,
theatre, and visual arts through reading print texts, artistic literacy requires that they
engage in artistic creation processes directly through the use of materials (such as
charcoal or paint or clay, musical instruments or scores...) and in specific spaces
(concert halls, stages, dance rehearsal spaces, arts studios and computer labs)."

The framework identifies four fundamental "creative practices" for the arts: imagination,
investigation, construction, and reflection. And as you might imagine, it makes the case
that these activities come in handy not just in artistic enterprises, but in plenty of other
realms, such as math and science.

Here are 2 simple activities from the program that you can use in your own
classroom.

Activity 1: The Rainbow Bag

This group activity asks students to think carefully about color.

Materials Needed
  Resealable bag
 Fabric strips in a variety of solid colors
 Poster or projected image of an artwork of your choice

Procedure

1. Tell students you are going to play a game about color.

2. Show students the bag. Explain that it’s a very special bag because it’s
filled with every color in the rainbow. (For older students, you could
also include tints, shades, and neutral colors to make things more
challenging.)
3. Choose a student to reach into the bag and pull out a fabric strip.
4. Then, ask the student to find a place in the painting that matches the
strip in their hand. (Depending on the colors in the bag and the
painting, there may not be a match!)
5. If there is a match, then ask the rest of the students, “Do you see that
color anywhere else in this artwork? On the count of three, point to
where you see the color. 1, 2, 3!”
6. Discuss the areas in which the color is present.
7. Repeat a few times with different students.

Activity 2: White Strings

This activity is a great way to get students thinking about brushstrokes and
line.

Materials Needed

 4-6 Paintbrushes of varying sizes

 Small, stretched canvas
  Resealable bag
 Foot-long pieces of white cording or yarn
(Insider tip: Tie the cord or yarn at the ends to prevent fraying.)
 Poster or projected image of an artwork of your choice

Procedure

Part 1: Examining the Art Tools

1. Show students some tools that artists use to make paintings (brushes
and canvases).
2. Discuss how paintbrushes can be thick, thin, round, or flat and how
different kinds of paintbrushes make different kinds of brushstrokes. (If
you have time, you can even demonstrate this or have different
students use the brushes to create strokes in front of the group to
compare and contrast.)
3. Show students the canvas and explain how it’s stapled to a wooden
frame. Explain canvases come in different sizes.
4. Let students feel the canvas and ask them to describe the texture.
5. Explain that when artists apply paint to a canvas with a brush, the mark
is called a brushstroke. Show students examples of different kinds of
brushstrokes. Talk about how they can be straight or curvy.

Part 2: Experimenting with Line

1. Pass out the white strings and explain that students will use them to
help them understand lines and brushstrokes better.
2. Demonstrate how to create a horizontal, vertical, and diagonal line by
holding the white string between your two hands in different ways.
Have students follow along.
3. Then, ask students to find each kind of line in the artwork and match
their string to those lines.
4. Finally, talk about how sometimes artists use wavy, curvy, curly, or
swirled lines in their artwork.
5. Ask students to find a wavy line in the artwork. Then, have them use
their strings on the floor in front of them to make that wavy line.
6. Discuss how everyone’s wavy lines are different. Ask students to
describe them.
These two simple activities are perfect to introduce your students to some of
the key components of visual literacy. You could use them to introduce or
wrap up a project or as stand-alone activities. They’re also great because they
can be used with almost any piece of art, making them easy to fit into your
curriculum.

Connecting Art and Storytelling

When students come to the Barnes to complete these activities through the
Pictures & Words program, they also work with the concept of storytelling.
You can watch a great video that depicts some of these activities on
the Barnes Website. (Scroll down to the Pictures & Words section and press
play.) Many of the ideas in this video could also be translated to your
classroom for some truly powerful cross-curricular learning experiences.

Examples include:

 Discussing a painting and then having students draw what comes next
in the story.
 Having students describe a painting using only body movements.
 Having students use a famous artwork as a jumping off point for their
own painting on the same theme.

If your classroom is located in the School District of Philadelphia, it’s worth

your time to check out this amazing program. If a visit to the Barnes isn’t
feasible for you, make sure you check out all the wonderful program
descriptions and videos on the K-12 Outreach page for ideas you can use with
your students.
Activity

Create a poster,comic strip, collage or an info-graphic brochure that shows

the importance and impact of art/creativity literacy in the education of
Filipino students.

Rubric
Content Creativity Teamwork
Beginner 30 10 10
Intermediate 40 20 15
Advanced 50 30 20
Total Score: ______/ 100

Essay Writing
Answer each question briefly but substantially.
1. In your own words, explain what is art/creativity literacy?
Rubric
Content Originality Mechanics and
organization
Beginner 30 10 10
Intermediate 40 20 15
Advanced 50 30 20
Total Score: ______/ 100

2. Explain how the skills involved in arts/ creativity literacy be used in our lives.
Rubic
Content Originality Mechanics and
organization
Beginner 30 10 10
Intermediate 40 20 15
Advanced 50 30 20
Total Score: ______/ 100
3. What are the issues in our society, which are related to arts/ creativity literature? Explain.
Rubic
Content Originality Mechanics and
organization
Beginner 30 10 10
Intermediate 40 20 15
Advanced 50 30 20
Total Score: ______/ 100