• Home
  • ABOUT
  • Knowledge Base
    • About Writing
    • Content-Area Literacy
    • Digital Learning
    • English Learners
    • Equity & Access
    • Leading Professional Learning
    • Program Design
    • Teacher as Writer
    • Teacher Inquiry
  • Blog
    • Events & Opportunities
    • NWP Radio
    • Marginal Syllabus
  • Books
  • Contact
  • NWP.org
  • Home
  • ABOUT
  • Knowledge Base
    • About Writing
    • Content-Area Literacy
    • Digital Learning
    • English Learners
    • Equity & Access
    • Leading Professional Learning
    • Program Design
    • Teacher as Writer
    • Teacher Inquiry
  • Blog
    • Events & Opportunities
    • NWP Radio
    • Marginal Syllabus
  • Books
  • Contact
  • NWP.org

Green(ing) English: Voices Howling in the Wilderness?

135 views 1

Author: Heather Bruce

Summary: Noting that “in literature and language arts classes at the secondary level, where we do not hesitate to study the impact of ethical mores in human lives, where we do not hesitate to teach respect for life, we have fairly well ignored our impact on the natural world or our relationships with it,” Heather Bruce argues for teachers to engage students in considering a range of difficult issues related to climate, environment, and the future of humanity. A useful resource for launching a content-area study that brings current environmental questions into the reading and writing curriculum.

Original Date of Publication: August 5, 2011


Download “Green(ing) English: Voices Howling in the Wilderness?”

Excerpt

Yet in literature and language arts classes at the secondary level, where we do not hesitate to study the impact of ethical mores in human lives, where we do not hesitate to teach respect for life, we have fairly well ignored our impact on the natural world or our relationships with it. If we look at the major publications of our profession, we would never suspect that “the earth’s life support systems were under stress. Indeed, [we] might never know that there was an earth at all” (Glotfelty xvi). Ecological literacy expert David W. Orr contends that “all education is environmental education” both by inclusion and exclusion (Ecological Literacy 90). By what is included or excluded, we teach students that they are “a part of or apart from” the natural world (12). The implicit environmental education, which English language arts students are receiving through exclusion, is that our ecological relationship with our habitat is either a matter of little importance or something only relevant to “science geeks.”

 


Related Resources

  • Boys’ Literacy Camp Sets a Standard
  • “Why I Write” Resources

Original Source: National Writing Project, http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/resource/3625

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
Tags:study groupmiddle/high schoolenvironmental studiesstudent engagement
Attached Files
#
File Type
File Size
Download
1 .pdf 904.13 KB bruce_greening_article

Would you recommend this resource to others?

1 Yes  No
ABOUT

write.learn.lead. is a collection of resources, insights, and reflections from National Writing Project teacher-leaders. You can also find us at nwp.org and Educator Innovator.

SEARCH BY TAG
academic writing agenda argument assessment audio Badges civic engagement culturally relevant/responsive curriculum digital learning diversity drama/performance early childhood facilitation family genre history literature making mentor/thinking partner middle/high school new teachers place based policy preservice professional growth professional learning protocol publication reflective practice research writing retreat rural school reform science science/math site leadership social studies student engagement study group summer program writing group writing prompt writing to learn writing workshop
NWP Logo
NWP ON THE WEB
NWP.org
Educator Innovator
The Current
STAY CONNECTED WITH NWP
Get more great resources on teaching and writing delivered to your inbox every month by subscribing to our Write Now Newsletter.
  • © 2020 National Writing Project. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Use

 

Loading Comments...