STEM Teaching Tools: Guidance for Justice-Centered Climate Change Teaching and Learning

Graphical Abstract

Abstract

It can be complicated to facilitate justice-centered climate change learning in the PK–12 classroom and in community-based learning settings. While there are challenges, this form of interdisciplinary learning provides many crucial and compelling opportunities for place-based, action-oriented learning focused on societally relevant phenomena—matters of consequence for youth, communities, and all living things.

Keywords:

• Informal Education
• Climate Change
• Equity
• Interdisciplinary
• Professional Learning
• STEM
• Teaching Strategies

Acknowledgments

We are grateful to our many collaborators that helped develop these resources and our users that continue to inform and inspire our efforts. These resources have been developed with support by the National Science Foundation under Grant Nos. 1920249, 1238253, and 1854059; and the Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) through the ClimeTime initiative. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of any funder.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Philip Bell

Philip Bell is Professor of Education and holds the Shauna C. Larson Chair in Learning Sciences at the University of Washington. His current research focuses on understanding and resourcing equity improvements in PK–12 science education—with a key focus on promoting climate and environmental justice across scales of educational implementation.

Abby Rhinehart

Abby Rhinehart ([email protected]) is a research scientist at the University of Washington, Institute for Science and Math Education, where she manages both communications and research projects. She has worked as an out-of-school educator in several locations, including the Washington State History Museum and Mt. Rainier.