INTRODUCING CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE K-8 CLASSROOM THROUGH CHILDREN'S LITERATURE

Global climate change education (GCCE) is now viewed as a national education issue. However, elementary teachers are teaching less science in order to make more instruction time for reading and mathematics, since No Child Left Behind specifically requires states to test these subjects. If climate change science is not specifically stated in standards, how could they begin to address it in a crowded curriculum that heavily emphasizes mathematics and reading? One way to help teachers find ways to include global climate change education in their curriculum is by integrating science and reading. A sample of state adopted textbooks was examined to determine the average grade level where climate change science is specifically included. The ranges differ but most do not specifically include global climate change until the middle level grades. Children’s books, however, begin including climate change science in early childhood literature. A team including scientists, science educators and children’s literature experts have examined and reviewed GCC children’s books for content accuracy and their ability to make complex science content more understandable for children, while at the same time not frightening them with doomsday scenarios about the negative impacts of global warming. The results of the examinations and reviews indicate there is some high quality GCC children’s literature available. However, results also indicate there are some problems with some of the books, including some with content accuracy issues. A website has been created to house GCCE book reviews, standards alignment, age appropriate hands-on science activities and experiments, and information about how the books could be used to integrate science and reading as a promising method of including GCCE in the curriculum.