Monthly Highlights – April 2023

Many students might not realize that there is an entire field of study called Environmental History, and that they do not have to be an environmental activist in order to engage with the field. As environmental historians, students inquire into the relationship between their community and the environment. This particular “lens” through which to investigate the world brings particular attention to questions like, how did the environment affect cultural choices? How did people shape the environment to meet their needs? How does the way that people use land reflect their cultural, political, or economic values? 

Access last year’s Environmental History Month resources by visiting our Monthly Highlights Archive.

Featured Teaching Resources

Primary Source Sets, Environmental Literacy 

• The K-12 primary source sets include up to ten sources with teacher and student context, teacher background information, and literacy support. Each is Framework-aligned and incorporates California's Environmental Principles and Concepts. 4th grade teachers might find this resource on California Missions particularly useful when discussing the changing land and life of indigenous communities when they encountered Spanish missionaries. 

25 Questions to Integrate Environmental Literacy into your History-­‐Social Science Classroom

• These questions encourage students to think about the role of the environment in history. Teachers might have students identify one question to explore in more depth through a research project; identify which questions relate to current lesson material for a class discussion; examine their own community through one or more of these questions; or apply one or more of these questions to an event in the news.

Framework Worksheets

• These primary-source based worksheets are designed to help 2nd-12th grade students think critically about the role of the environment in shaping historical events and eras. Each worksheet integrates California's Environmental Principles and Concepts into Framework-aligned inquiry. Students inquire into questions like, “How did natural resources influence Egypt’s society and economy?” or “How did different climate regions influence trade?” 

Environmental Literacy in HSS page: 

• The CHSSP has a number of materials to support the integration of California’s Environmental Principles and Concepts into your classroom. This page contains resources that reflect our understanding of the importance of using an environmental lens to investigate the past and to build an environmentally-sustainable and just future. Curriculum, webinars, implementation guides, and more

Picture Books (#KatesBookClub)

This month, #KatesBookClub selected a few favorite books that highlight specific people who transformed their communities, the country, and the world by focusing on the environment around them.

A River Ran Wild, by Lynne Cherry 

• The author traces the environmental history of the river into the present, documenting the river's destruction by industrial pollution and its eventual reclamation. Small drawings of animals native to the area, items used by the people who lived along its banks, and relevant historical events border some of the text. The endpapers are illustrated with maps and include a brief chronology. Readers will be moved to consider their personal impact on the environment and what they can do to make a difference. Annotation adapted from publisher.
• Book Club note: An oldie but goodie! The story of peoples’ relationship with the land begins with the indigenous experience thousands of years ago. The pictures that frame each page offer points of inquiry to help students think about how the world around them shapes their lives–Why might a wampum belt be so special? What can it tell us? The book might also offer an entry point into a discussion about land acknowledgements and indigenous presence.

The Good Garden:  How One Family Went from Hunger to Having Enough, words by Katie Smith Milway; pictures by Sylvie Daigneault

• Eleven-year-old Maria Luz and her family have a small farm in Honduras, but may not have enough food to sustain them for the year, so Maria's father must leave home to find work, leaving her in charge of the garden. With the help of a teacher, Maria uses sustainable farming methods that yield good crops eliminating the "middlemen" who made profits on the backs of poor farmers. Annotation adapted from publisher.
• Book Club note: This book inspires students to make a difference in the world. Students will enjoy reading and discussing problems that people in underdeveloped countries are having in growing enough food to sustain themselves. We love the section of Spanish words, suggestions on what we can do to help, and information on hunger around the world. Information is power!

Marjory Saves the Everglades:  The Story of Marjory Stoneman Douglas, words by Sandra Neil Wallace; pictures by Rebecca Gibbon

• Marjory Stoneman Douglas didn’t intend to write about the Everglades but when she returned to Florida from World War I, she hardly recognized the place that was her home. The Florida that Marjory knew was rapidly disappearing—the rare orchids, magnificent birds, and massive trees disappearing with it. Terrific story of an activist who found her passion late in life. Annotation adapted from publisher.
• Book Club note: This book includes quotations from Marjory Stoneman Douglas throughout the story. Marjory Stoneman Douglas's name is frequently associated with the 2018 tragedy; Marjory's Garden, an officially-recognized wildlife habitat on campus, has become a place for hope and healing.

Miss Rumphius, by Barbara Cooney

• Story of Alice Rumphius who longed to travel the work, live in a house by the sea, and do something to make the world more beautiful.  The lupines that bloom along the coast of Maine are the legacy of the real Miss Rumphius.  A true celebration of nature. Annotation adapted from publisher.
• Book Club note: Another classic! This lovely book is about family and making a difference.   Students can learn about "the real Miss Rumphius" in this delightful little write-up. 

Autumn Peltier: Water Warrior, words by Carole Lindstrom; pictures by Bridget George

• The seventh generation is creating
  A sea of change.
  It was a soft voice, at first.
  Like a ripple.
  But with practice it grew louder.
  Indigenous women have always worked tirelessly to protect our water—keeping it pure and clean for the generations to come. Yet there was a time when their voices and teachings were nearly drowned out, leaving entire communities and environments in danger and without clean water. But then came Grandma Josephine and her great-niece, Autumn Peltier. Featuring a foreword from water advocate and Indigenous Rights Activist Autumn Peltier herself, this stunning picture book from New York Times-bestselling author Carole Lindstrom and illustrator Bridget George gives voice to the water and asks young readers to join the tidal wave of change. Annotation from publisher.
• Book Club note: This book is an excellent opportunity to open a discussion about the connections between the environment and human rights. Furthermore, the book centers indigenous voices and stories where other books overlook the generations-long struggle for environmental justice within Indigenous communities. 

Our House Is On Fire:  Greta Thunberg's Call to Save the Planet, by Jeanette Winter

• From acclaimed picture book creator Jeanette Winter comes the urgent and powerful story of Greta Thunberg, the sixteen-year-old climate activist who has sparked a worldwide student movement and is demanding action from world leaders who refuse to address climate change. Annotation adapted from publisher.
• Book Club note: Greta's and Autumn's stories, along with other youth activists, are excellent examples of direct-action and how young peoples' voices are valuable in global conversations. They can truly change the world.

Ocean Speaks:  How Marie Tharp Revealed the Ocean's Biggest Secret , words by Jess Keating, pictures by Katie Hickey

• From a young age, Marie Tharp loved watching the world. She loved solving problems. And she loved pushing the limits of what girls and women were expected to do and be. In the mid-twentieth century, women were not welcome in the sciences, but Marie was tenacious. She got a job at a laboratory in New York. But then she faced another barrier: women were not allowed on the research ships (they were considered bad luck on boats). So instead, Marie stayed back and dove deep into the data her colleagues recorded. She mapped point after point and slowly revealed a deep rift valley in the ocean floor. At first the scientific community refused to believe her, but her evidence was irrefutable. She proved to the world that her research was correct. The mid-ocean ridge that Marie discovered is the single largest geographic feature on the planet, and she mapped it all from her small, cramped office. Annotation adapted from publisher.
• Book Club note: We love this book! Take a look at this blog, Marie Tharp: Mapping the Ocean Floor, by Mike Klein, from the Library of Congress.