Environmental Classes Take Action

By Jane Adler

After drudging through the summer swamps of Canada’s Hudson Bay five years ago collecting water left from melting snow, science teacher Ryan Zaremba got an idea. He had been joined on the trip by other teachers and scientists as part of a research program. The purpose was to evaluate the long-term effects of climate change on the tundra.

Zaremba’s idea: Make climate change an entire high school course, not just a unit of the science curriculum. So, he launched a class on climate change at Francis W. Parker School, an independent school in Chicago for PreK-12.

After two years, teaching remotely during the pandemic, he realized that the science of climate change was rather gloomy. So, he approached a history teacher colleague at Francis Parker to co-lead a course that paired the science with policy. “We wanted to provide the tools for students to become activities on climate change,” says Zaremba. “We took the class to a whole new level.”

Independent and private schools like Francis Parker are introducing innovative ways to teach about the environment. Young people are naturally interested in the topic because a healthy environment is vital to their future. Greta Thunberg, the young climate activist has inspired many teens to get involved in the fight against climate change. A recent survey shows that eight out of 10 teens expect climate change and other environmental forces to affect their life decisions. The same survey also found that 77% feel they have a responsibility for the planet and feel empowered to act.

Bennett Day School, an independent school in Chicago for PreK-12, mixes climate science and social policy. Students in the upper school created websites on climate change that contained action plans for a response to the crisis. This fall, 9th and 10th graders are focused on water. The unit will not only cover the science of water but also how access to water shapes human history.

Environmental science in the lower grades at Bennett uses hands-on inquiry-based learning. For example, the kindergarten class built sustainable gardens to learn how food grows. Older students in the middle school discuss topics such as food scarcity and food access. “Projects evolve from student interest,” says Meg Fitzgerald, early childhood director at Bennett.

The focus is on student engagement.

Students in the AP environmental studies class at Lake Forest Academy, a high school in Lake Forest, traveled last spring to Olympic National Park in the Pacific Northwest to conduct field studies. This year, a new course includes a section on environmental engineering. It will address different environmental issues, the solutions and the flaws in those solutions and what still needs to be done. “We pride ourselves on our electives,” says Chris Tennyson, head of school at Lake Forest Academy.

GCE Lab School, 9-12, features experiential learning rooted in the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals. GCE stands for Global Citizenship Experience which reflects the approach at the Chicago high school. Enrollment has grown from 50 students last year to nearly 70 this year.

The school offers a full range of study. Each GCE course includes academic studies, field experiences and action projects. “Our students are forward thinking,” says August Davenport, director of enrollment at GCE. “We are problem solving for the problems of tomorrow.”

The class at Francis Parker concluded with “Call to Action” projects that were put on display in the library. The projects included solutions such as sustainable architecture and the addition of green space in Chicago neighborhoods. “We want students to see themselves engaged,” Zaremba says.