Preparing Adolescents for the Uncertain Future: Concepts, Tools and Strategies for Teaching Anthropogenic Environmental Change
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Responding to Environmental Changes through Education
2.1. Constructing a Framework of Teaching Environmental Change
2.2. Elements of the Framework Under Each Component
2.2.1. The School Curriculum Response as a Context
2.2.2. Student Learning Grounded in Spatial-Temporal Cognition
2.2.3. Geospatial Technology Supporting Innovative Pedagogy
2.2.4. Instructional Strategy Scaffolding Thinking about Changes
3. Applying the Framework in School-Based Practice
3.1. Innovations of the Framework
3.2. An Example: Deforestation in Southeast Asia
3.2.1. Curriculum
3.2.2. Cognition
3.2.3. Pedagogy
4. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
Declaration of Ethics
References
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Theme | Description |
---|---|
Processes of changes |
|
Interdependence |
|
Consequences for people and environment |
|
Type | Example | Level of difficulty | Advantage | Disadvantage |
---|---|---|---|---|
Geo-visualization | Remote sensing Photography | Easy | Strong visualization ability to display changes | Low resolution |
Spatial analysis | Geographic information systems (GIS) | Moderate | Strong analytical capabilities to identify causes of changes and model their consequences | Complex procedures to perform |
Big data and predictive analytics | Tools such as Google Earth Engine, Global Forest Watch, Surging Seas | Challenging | Being able to make projections of future outcomes | Lack of availability of learning tools |
Core Theme | Learning Task | Geospatial Technology | |
---|---|---|---|
Processes of changes | Describe how sequences of human activities in the physical environment are part of our dynamic planet and changing world. | Identify changes in forest cover in Borneo, Indonesia from 1950 to 2010. | Map of Borneo Forest cover (1950–2010) |
Interdependence | Explain the inter-relationships and interconnections when studying change in physical features. | Explain why there has been such a huge loss of forest cover. | Forests were replaced by oil palm plantation. |
Consequences for people and environment | Analyze the positive and negative consequences of humans changing the physical environment. | Predict the environmental effects of the large-scale deforestation in west Kalimantan. | Forest fire in Southeast Asia Haze in Southeast Asia |
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Xiang, X.; Meadows, M.E. Preparing Adolescents for the Uncertain Future: Concepts, Tools and Strategies for Teaching Anthropogenic Environmental Change. Sustainability 2020, 12, 6832. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12176832
Xiang X, Meadows ME. Preparing Adolescents for the Uncertain Future: Concepts, Tools and Strategies for Teaching Anthropogenic Environmental Change. Sustainability. 2020; 12(17):6832. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12176832
Chicago/Turabian StyleXiang, Xi, and Michael E Meadows. 2020. "Preparing Adolescents for the Uncertain Future: Concepts, Tools and Strategies for Teaching Anthropogenic Environmental Change" Sustainability 12, no. 17: 6832. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12176832