| This collective case study examined how three social studies educators used a multimedia based curriculum guide to teach about climate change, as a means to examine public priorities in relation to the environment. During their instruction, the educators focused on aspects of civic engagement, in an effort to critically examine climate change problems, as well as to conceive of possible solutions. The three educators included: (a) A high school social studies educator teaching a 10th grade student population; (b) A university social studies professor teaching a population of pre-service teacher candidates; (c) A minister teaching an adult population. This study also examined how social studies educators conceptualized issues based curricula related to the environment during the 20th century.;Findings indicate that the ecojustice pedagogical approach was incorporated into the educators' instruction, especially when they used the curriculum guide as a means to enable learners to envision what climate change might do to their surroundings, as well as some of the steps learners could take to help analyze and mitigate this problem.;Upon using the Teaching The Levees curriculum guide, the educators also came to believe that climate change was one of, if not the most important public policy issue of the 21st century. Because of this, they often encouraged learners to consider being part of an emerging social movement which addressed contemporary climate change oriented problems and solutions. In a manner similar to past environmental social movements, such as those involving recycling and “no smoking,” the educators also sought to frame their discussions within the context of media literacy.;The curriculum guide used for the study was entitled Teaching The Levees, and included several video segments relating to Hurricane Katrina and climate change, as well as text based lesson plans pertaining to race and class based inequalities. The theoretical framework which guided the analysis involved ecojustice, a lens for identifying the constraints to promoting awareness and action through social studies education in relation to the environment, so that learners may develop and value their relationship with the natural world. |
