Critical Environmental Literacies: Conceptual Framework for Hope and Reciprocity

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Thursday 9:50 am Four Seasons Ballroom 1
  In Roundtable Session: Climate Change: Navigating Conflict, Anger, Trauma, and Moving Toward Hope (Table 6)

Abstract

Climate crises significantly affect the planet, ecosystems, and people worldwide, emphasizing the need for school environmental education. This paper proposes an interdisciplinary framework combining critical approaches to teaching and environmental justice to enhance climate literacy. By integrating Freirean critical theories and ecopedagogies, alongside Indigenous and traditional ecological knowledge, we provide tools for educators to facilitate discussions on climate impacts and environmental justice through literacy education. In this conceptual paper, our study employs qualitative research and grounded theory to analyze environmental picturebooks and their use in teacher education programs. We aim to empower teachers and students to engage critically with climate stories, fostering a deeper understanding and action towards ecojustice and sustainable futures.

Authors

• Lauren Fletcher, California State University - Stanislaus

• Erica Holyoke, University of Colorado - Denver