9 Weeks left to Earth Day: Week 8: The FUTURE!

I have mixed feelings when I think about the future.  The optimistic me, holds on to a vision of a kinder world, one in which humans excel in creating sustainable solutions to energy use, agriculture, manufacturing and land use.  But the realist me, while seeking to find the good in each person, must acknowledge that human traits such as avarice, selfishness, bigotry and meanness exist and thrive in a culture of entitlement, which in some ways is what we seem to have right now. 

Thankfully, there is no question that human kindness and compassion also exist and there are gazillions of examples if one cares to look!  I think that the Earth itself will be the fulcrum upon which we will come to our senses; and the necessity of overcoming challenges wrought by climate change will force the cooperation of nations.  And since I happen to believe that we become and embody that which we envision, I personally choose to focus my imagination on a bright vision of the future! 

The key is to find ways in which to empower young people about the future, to get them excited and engaged in it!  We are creating the future every minute of every day and so each time we choose to make a conscious effort to protect and preserve the planet in any way, we are giving a gift to those who come after us.  The Indigenous People of the World have always talked about the next seven generations, that it was the responsibility of each person to always consider them in each action taken.  So lets teach our youth this, gift them with the understanding of that sacred trust so that children in the future will inherit a healthy and beautiful world.

                                     

Lesson Plans:

1.  The Little Earth Charter Principle No 8 is the Future.  Invite young children to draw or paint their image of the future.  Imagine the future as a treasure that we will share with those who come after us.  How do the kids imagine the Earth in 100 years?   

2.  With older students, explore some of the exciting innovations of the future such as the concept of Upcycling – a phrase coined by Cradle to Cradle authors  William McDonough and Michael Braungartis - which is the act of creating useful products from waste materials.  Here are some examples of Creative Upcycling Projects  Here’s a Company that pays you to recycle your waste! Terracycle!

3.  Make a class list of things that you can do to try to make sure the Earth is preserved for the next seven generations.  Invite each child to commit to at least one action they can realistically carry out. Create a "Time Capsule" and fill it with messages from the kids about what they have done to preserve the planet and make the world a better place.  Create a ceremony and together, bury the capsule somewhere it will be found in the future! 

4.  Imagine cities of the future, what do students think they might be like?  Architects Ken Yeang and Ross Lovegrove share their vision in this Video.  What kinds of innovations can the kids imagine for future cities.  Create a poster of a future city, make it large and beautiful so that everyone can see it! !  Look at some ideas for sustainable cities check out what San Francisco is doing and Chicago

5.  Introduce children to Environmental and Conservation Success Stories to illustrate how we can make a difference and help to turn things around.   The Nature Conservancy  has some inspiring stories, and they also have an innovative program called Plant a Billion Trees . 

6.  Introduce the practice of seafood conservation through Sustainable Seafood Choices and the Sustainable Seafood Guide   Being informed and educated allows us to make choices that are not so harmful to ecosystems.  Introduce kids to the concept of Paying it Forward.  If you can, rent the movie Pay It Forward, to share with the kids.  

Interconnections:

Everything we do today impacts the future.  You can choose any ecological or human story to illustrate this.  From deforestation to reforestation, pollution to clean up, war to peace, destroying cultures or helping to preserve them – every action we take, each and every moment is impacting the future in some way.  Ask students to reflect on this silently and then to write down, or tell, one way to illustrate it.  

Song

When I began a cross-Canada school music tour called the Rainbow Road, in 1997.  I had only one thought in my mind - to do everything I could to inspire kids to care for the Earth and to let them know that together, we can turn things around.  The song that I wrote for that tour is the Rainbow Road Song, and that is the song for this post.

Story:  I had a difficult time finding the right story for this post; I am not at home, so my library of books is not readily available!  But as I was searching, I came across this short film Make A Difference

It is a simple story, but profound, since we are all given opportunities in which to make a difference in someone’s life and while it is not always possible to know the impact of that small kindness or gesture of compassion, it is surely enough to know that we are always trying.

The Film, “For the Next Seven Generations” tells the story of 13 Indigenous Grandmothers from all around the world, who come together to help people create a new way of life that will be in balance before it is too late.

So here's to the future, to doing all that we can to ensure that those coming after us will be able to witness the beauty that we have; that the wonders of this world, the animals, the ecosystems and the people will be there for them to experience too.  I believe in a future that is achievable; I believe we can learn from our mistakes and our triumphs, that we can evolve to become more altruistic and conscious.  Will it be everyone?  I doubt it; that's just the way it is, but if there are enough of us that become aware of our ability to participate in the co-creation of a more harmonious world for all sentient beings, then I do believe we will reach a tipping-point, and it is that belief that keeps me going!  Have a great week!
In gratitude, for life and this beautiful Earth!
Rosie

Other Resources

Earth Charter Youth Groups Wiki Page:

http://ecyg.wikispaces.com/

Animation by JC Little – www.littleanimation.com

10 Weeks left to Earth Day: Week 7: LOVE!

How appropriate that this week’s post should fall on Valentines Day, and since I am following the Principles of the Little Earth Charter, Principle No. 7 is Love!  Beautiful!

Everyone has an opinion about love; a story, a poem, a song or a sigh.  I personally think that the word love has been cheapened, that it’s tossed about so frequently in today’s world that the depth of its meaning is diminished, but that is just the way I see it;.(As I said everyone has an opinion!)   Since these Blog posts are related to Earth Day, I thought it appropriate to share this poem from Wendell Berry

A Homecoming

One faith is bondage.  Two are free.  In the trust

Of old love, cultivation shows a dark and graceful wilderness

At its heart.  Wild

In that wilderness, we roam

The distance of our faith;

Safe beyond the bounds

Of what we know.  O love,

Open.  Show me

My country.  Take me home

So, for this day, which has become the poster day for the word love, I am going to reflect on how love is related to this Earth. 

When I participated in the  Council of All Beings workshop in 1989, the purpose of the experience was intended to help each of us hear the sound of the Earth crying.  The exercises, songs and poems were crafted together so as to awaken that remembering in the depth of our beings; the recognition of our integral interconnection to this living planet that birthed us.  If our mother were hurting, would we not cry?

Most of the Indigenous peoples of the world believe that the Earth is their mother or father; they have a sacred relationship to this planet, which guides all aspects of their lives.  Children grow up knowing that they must respect the Earth as they respect their parents.
The Kogi people who live in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta of Columbia call themselves the Elder Brothers and refer to the rest of the people in the world as Younger Brothers.  They were one of the only groups of indigenous people in the world, who because of the particular nature of their surrounding, were able to keep themselves apart and sustain their culture.  In 1988, they were so concerned about the state of the Mother (Earth) that they sought out a BBC journalist to tell these concerns to the world, endangering their isolation which has since led to terrible consequences for them all.  Sadly they are no longer isolated.  Video: The Kogi - Journey to the Hearth of the World

Lesson Plans

1.  The Little Earth Charter Principle No. 6 is Love!!  Acts of Kindness are a great way to show Love!  An act of kindness doesn’t have to cost any money, you can give a smile, make a card, sing a song, give good wishes, or just listen to someone who needs to talk.  Make a list with younger children of all the good things you can do!  The Random Acts of Kindness organization has some good ideas.  

2.  Invite students to learn about some of the people who have loved this planet so much that in many cases they dedicated their life to protecting it.  Examples St. Francis of Assisi , John Muir, Jane Goodall or Wangari Maathai (Green Belt Movement)  What was it that inspired these people?  Look for others who have been so inspired, there are plenty out there, maybe even some in your own community!

3.  What is love for the Earth? How do your students perceive it?  Ask them to draw, paint, write or make a video of their interpretations of love for the Earth.

 4. Share with older students the literary work of some great writers who have been and continue to be inspired by their love of this Earth.  There is poetry by Mary Oliver – (I love Wild Geese)  or books like Ecology of a Cracker Childhood by environmental activist, writer and poet, Janisse Ray and the wonderful Alison Hawthorne Deming  Here is an amazing interactive book: Thoreau's Legacy: American Stories on Global Warming

5.  Watch the Film – The Man Who Planted Trees

Interconnections:  Love for this world can translate into incredible actions such as the Green Belt Movement  started by Wangari Maathai or Roots & Shoots started by Jane Goodall. Actions that come out of love can last for a long, long time and benefit a lot of people.

Green Action of the Week! 

What are your actions of love for the planet?  They might be as simple as pledging to do one thing a day, or to join a group like Roots and Shoots.  Perhaps there is one in your neighborhood?  Here is a LIST of organizations that’s were started by Kids to help others.  We are all part of this Earth and each person, being, corner of this planet, we help, is helping a part of ourselves..

Story: The Giving Tree by Shell Silverstein  

Song:  Bruce Cockburn: If A Tree Falls in the Forest Does Anyone Hear It? Lyrics and Video  I would also like to offer my love song to the Earth - Dream of the Earth!

We are living in a Finite World, and we must face the fact that we are fast using up the natural resources of this planet.  Here is a very thoughtful article by the founder of the Greenhouse Neutral Foundation, Bob Williamson. Consumption in a Finite World: How can we sustain a Future that isn't Finite? 

Valentines Day is special to me because my father passed away on that day in 2002.  My father gave me so many gifts and to be with him during this important passage was truly a gift of love, for it helped me to understand my own mortality and the eternal nature of my being!  And finally, a valentine message to my son and daughter - I love you D & D!

Happy Valentines to you all!

In gratitude for this Earth and life!

Rosie

Animation by JC Little  www.littleanimation4kids.com

11 Weeks to Earth Day: Week 6: Peace!

“If you with to experience peace, provide peace for another.” Tenzin Gyatso 14^th Dalai Lama

Peace!  We all want peace, don’t we?  We want it in our lives, in our country, in the world.  I have always thought that peace is very relative; it’s easy to want peace, to preach peace when no one is infringing upon our reality.  It is a lot harder to espouse peace when someone is breaking down your door, invading your home, your country or attacking your children.  It’s rather like “enlightenment”; it’s easy to feel enlightened when sitting atop a beautiful mountain, but when home for the holidays with family, or confronted by an angry motorist in traffic, enlightenment seems to quickly vanish.  However, that should not deter us from seeking to nurture peace attributes in our children!

What does peace have to do with the Earth?  A lot!  One of the aspects that first drew me towards the  Earth Charter was the fact that it underscored the importance of reducing poverty and war since those two aspects alone result in so much misery and environmental destruction. Impoverished societies are often not sustainable simply because people are struggling to survive by any means available.  The ecological footprint of developing nations, however, is not likely to be the size of developed ones, quite the contrary in fact!  The Earth Charter seeks to provide a framework from which all societies can aspire to become more sustainable through the eradication of poverty and war.

Lesson Plans: 

1.  The Little Earth Charter Principle No. 6 is Peace. Do the children know anyone who is lonely, angry or upset?  These feelings can make someone feel separate from the rest of the group.  Sometimes giving someone a card can bridge the distance between themselves and others.  Invite the children to make a Peace card for someone they would like to reach out to.

2.  Creating empathy both for humans and non-humans.  Depending on the age of your children/students create a lesson in learning empathy.  With younger children, tell them that you have discovered a new plant, called a “Feeling Plant”, which demonstrates different feelings.  Invite the children to draw what they imagine a Feeling Plant would look like and then share the drawings with everyone. 

Ask students to explain what emotions their plant expresses and how it does that.  For example, do the leaves of their plant droop when they’re sad, or do they flap when excited?  Does it use its roots to express feelings?  If so, which ones?  Do its flowers change colors when it feels certain emotions, or does it bloom, or wilt?  Finally, ask the children whether they think plants really have feelings or not and challenge them to support their answers with reasons.  (From the Giraffe Classroom by Nancy Sokol Green

3.  With older students, expand the previous discussion to look at whether, in fact, the community of life as a whole emits feelings!  If this sounds too absurd, read this article, Is There An Ecological Unconscious? - by Daniel B. Smith about scholar Glenn Albrecht who coined the term Solastalgia which he defined as “the pain experienced when there is recognition that the place where one resides and that one loves is under immediate assault...a form of homesickness one gets when one is still at ‘home’.” What do your students think about this?  Have they ever had an experience of feeling distraught over an environmental destruction?

By introducing these conversations to young people, we might broaden their field of compassion. 

As Einstein said so eloquently: "A human being is a part of a whole, called by us _universe_, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest... a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty."

4.  Volunteering locally and globally.  Learning to volunteer in the community can be both fun and rewarding and it fosters a sense of responsibility to others in children.  Ask students if they are volunteering anywhere?  What has been their experience?  Invite them to write an essay about it.  Is there something that they could do to help kids in another country? PBS Kids has some good tips on volunteering.

5.  What is a vision of peace?  What does a sustainable world look like?  Invite students to create drawings, paintings, even a mural of their vision of peace and of a sustainable world.  Everything begins with imagination!  Challenge them to write poems or short stories about peace and sustainability.   The  Seeds of Peace Summer camp brings together children from different regions of conflict, to help empower them to resolve conflict.  If peace begins with each one of us, what are some ideas the children can suggest to engender peacefulness in their own lives?

Interconnections:

Ultimately we are all affected by conflicts, because war creates poverty and misery for the people of a country, and impoverished people are hard pressed to think about anything except where their next meal is coming from.  Haiti is one example of a country where the environment has suffered because of internal conflict and corruption.  Locked in a vicious cycle of environmental disaster, hunger, poverty and reliance on international aid, it's perhaps the most extreme example of what is happening to many of the world's poorest countries. 

Song: Imagine, John Lennon  LYRICS to Imagine  YouTube Video of Imagine

Story: One of my favorite stories: The Monk and the Samurai  and A Tale for All Seasons

Green Action of the Week!  Have a clothing drive – collect clothes, shoes, toys, old computers, anything that might be useful for people in need.  Donate them either to Goodwill, or an organization that is accepting such items for places like Haiti.  Giving away used items helps to keep them from the landfill and provide others with items that are useful to them.

Have a great week finding Peace!

In gratitude to the Earth, for life!

Rosie

Resources:

Where Peace Lives

 Zoomlab– Creating Virtual Playspaces while connecting with other Cultures 

Kids Connect!

Earth Charter Resources

Center for Nonviolent Communication

Roots of Empathy

Animation by JC Little of www.littleanimation.com

Photo: By Edward Emery

12 Weeks to Earth Day! Week 5: The Earth!

“The Earth is what we all have in common.” Wendell Berry

I have always loved this Earth.  I come from it; it cradles me, sustains me, perpetually amazes and inspires me!  But I do not see this Earth through rose- colored glasses; I know it can be a dangerous and forbidding place.  And yet I also relish those moments that catch my breath; the shaft of sunlight illuminating the green universe of a leaf; a group of black skimmers gliding across a calm, turquoise ocean at sunset; the Rocky Mountains rising crisp and clear into the bluest of skies.   Earth’s beauty can lift me up, throw me out into a place only poetry can describe. 

“Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing or right doing there is a field.  I’ll meet you there.  When the Soul lies down in that grass, the world is too full to talk about.  Ideas, language, even the phrase “each other” doesn’t make any sense.” Rumi

There is a teaching story out of the Norwest Indian Tradition that I learned of from poet David Whyte.  This would be told to every young person who asked “What do I do if I get lost in the forest?”  Which is really a metaphor for “What do I do when I forget who I am?”

“Stand still. The trees ahead and bushes beside you are not lost.  Wherever you are is called “Here”. And you must treat is as a powerful stranger; must ask permission to know it and be known.  The forest breathes.  Listen.  It answers: ‘I have made this place around you.  If you leave it you may come back again saying, here, no two trees are the same to Raven, no two branches are the same to wren.  If what a tree or a bush does is lost on you, you art surely lost.  Stand still.  The forest knows where you are.  You must let it find you.”

What would your children or students do if they were lost in the woods?  Would they be afraid?  Have they ever practiced “noticing” the landscape of a forest, or a place in nature?  Perhaps you could go out into the nearest wooded area and walk through it together noting the different features – what kinds of trees, spaces, clearings.

How do we impart this sense of belonging to young people growing up in this fast, urban, technological age?  I am not really sure, however, any opportunity to take youngsters out into nature should definitely be seized upon!  As I’ve mentioned before, seeking ways in which to cultivate a sense of awe and empathy in children is important since:

“In the end we will conserve only what we love.  We will love only what we understand.  We will understand only what we are taught.” Baba Dioum

Lesson Plans:

1.  The Little Earth Charter Principle No. 5 is The Earth.  Plant seeds of something edible – tomatoes, sunflowers, beans or peas!  Watching seeds grow into something they can eat helps children to connect to the source of that which sustains them!  It can be the seed which grows their Amazement!

2.  How much life could you find in one cubic foot?   To answer this question, photopgrapher David Liittschwager took a green metal frame, a 12 inch cube, to disparate environments – land and water, tropical and temperate.  Look What He Found!  

Show this to your students and, depending on where you live, ask them to create a similar experiment in the nearest natural habitat.  Even if it's a snowy winter wonderland, you can find plenty of LIFE around!

3.  Show your students some Awesome examples of Nature; like this Golden Cloth made from the silk of 1 Million Golden Orb Spiders!  Look at how some Animals  View the World!  Learn how Scientists now believe that Dolphins are the second smartest Animals: Ask them to write about their most Awesome experience of nature; ask young children to draw theirs.  Watch the Video: Wisdom of the Wild.

Video: Full Episode - Wisdom of the Wild | Nature

4.  The Secret Life of Dead Trees .  There is no such thing as a “dead” tree,  since the organic matter is simply being transformed into something else, and used in the meantime as habitat for some species or other!  Look for trees in your neighborhood that are standing dead.  What wildlife can your students observe living there.  Are there any birds, such as hawks, owl or woodpeckers that frequent the snags?

Interconnections:  The Dangers of Plastic Bags Watch this slide presentation with your students.  There are hundreds of islands of rubbish floating in the Pacific Ocean Gyre; made up of plastics and other debris, these horrible masses of junk are a testament to human waste. 

Green Action of the Week:  Challenge students, your children and your family to not use one single plastic bag for at least a week!  Already many stores around the world are charging for plastic grocery bags and San Francisco was the first US City to ban them.

Song: I have uploaded Friends with the Earth for this post.  A friend of mine, film maker Anne-Marie Miles, just recently posted a video she made using this song.  You can see it here on YouTube  

Story:   One of my favorites:  The Lorax

I Hope this Post is helpful to you.  I wish you a meaningful, joyful week!

In gratitude to the Earth for Life!

Rosie

Photo of Earth: NASA

Animation by JC Little of www.littleanimation.com

13 Weeks to Earth Day: Week 4: The Past

                                                
This Post is dedicated to Dave Boynton

"What you need to know about the past is that no matter what has happened, it has all worked together to bring you to this very moment.  And this is the moment you can choose to make everything new.  Right now!"  Anonymous

For the most part, I try to live in the present; however,  I believe that I am not only the sum of my personal life experience, but of life in its entirety.   I think that it’s important to look and learn from the past both from our mistakes and our achievements.  We humans collectively seem to have a somewhat short memory when it comes to both!

When it comes to the environment there are certainly lessons to be learned from the past!  The story of Easter Island is one good example and there are many more; some are stories of destruction, as in Latin America and the Caribbean ,Africa and other places, but there are plenty of Success Stories too,  proving that increased education is helping us to mend our ways when it comes to environmental damage.  There is still a long way to go, but every step counts.
                          

Lesson Plans

1.  The Little Earth Charter Principle No:  4 is The Past!  With younger children, 4 – 8,  explore people living in the past, how they lived, what their lives were like.  Are there any things that we do today that are similar?  What can we learn from them?  One example of how we have recently learned from the past is recycling.  Recycling has become almost universal in many developed countries; before recycling, all those products went to the landfill.  When did we begin to make all those products?  How did people in the past dispose of their garbage?  What kind of garbage did they have?

2.  For older children take a look at some of the species that have become extinct.  China’s rare  River Dolphin  is one of the most recent animals to disappear; the Hawaiian O O Bird bird is another.  On the other hand there are quite a few success stories showing that when people discover something is wrong, they can work together to reverse the situation.  The Blue Butterfly is one example,  and the Osprey, another.  Ask your students to research some recent environmental success stories and examine why they were successful.  Are there any examples in your community of changes that people have made to protect the environment?

3.  Invasive or Introduced species can completely change ecosystems, for the most part in a negative way.  The Hawaiian Islands were once a flourishing haven of biodiversity and all the species that lived there came by wing, water or air.  The only native mammals were the Hawaiian Hoary Bat and the Hawaiian Monk seal.  The arrival of the first humans brought pigs, deer and other species that soon began to devastate the ecosystems.  Ask students to find other examples of species that have been introduced into a region in the past,  thereby affecting change to the present day ecology.  What do the students think about this?  Some people argue that it is just nature taking its course, while others say humans must intervene, so it provides an interesting debate topic.  However, in many instances humans transport species to new countries or regions. Here is a rather scary example of how a venomous Huntsman spider hitched a ride.  

Interconnections:  The global impact of Deforestation is a good example of how past actions to the environment are now impacting the present.   From desertification to climate change,  cutting large swaths of forest impacts everyone.  Ask students to write a list of how deforestation impacts the world, from the local to the global.  You can also use this as a History Lesson since deforestation in Europe and the United States began a long time ago!

Story – The Animal's Lawsuit is a story from long ago that has lessons that pertain to many of our present-day circumstances.  This organization in the UK has turned it into a Play and they are workshopping it in schools around London.  I highly recommend buying the Book; it is a remarkable read.

Songs:  I am always cautious about sharing too much information about extinction with young children, however, it is a fact of life and therefore I have written songs about this subject.  One is the O O Bird

and the bird-song featured at the beginning of the song, was given to me by Dave Boynton, a great naturalist and photographer who lived on the Island of Kaua’i.  Dave played this recording up in the mountains, after a hurricane devastated Kaua’I in 1985.  The song, which is sung by a female bird, attracted a male looking for the female.  Sadly this was the last bird to be seen, and Dave was the last person to see it, in 1987.  Dave Boynton died in a fall along Kaua’I’s Na Pali coast in 2007. The other song I have uploaded is Survivors which is about species trying to survive extinction.  These songs bring up a very important question; are we willing to stand by and allow so many more species to disappear because of our Unsustainable lifestyles?   2010 is the United Nations Year of Biodiversity, so perhaps you can talk with your students about what each one of us can do to try and mitigate this terrible decline in species.

Green Action of the Week: Plant a tree (if you can) or support an organization that plants trees, or have a fund drive to raise money to buy trees.  Learn about people like Wangari Maathai the Nobel Prize winner who began the Green Belt Movement, or watch the delightful film: The Man Who Planted Trees

Additional resources: This is kind of cool for students to see:  Maps Changing How We See the World

Hope you have a great week and that these ideas might help bring some fun and interesting discussions into your classroom or your home.

As always, in gratitude to this Earth for Life!

Rosie

Drawing of the Hawaiian OO Bird by John Gerrard Keulemans from Wikipedia Commons

Animation by JC Little of www.littleanimation.com

Trivia: There is a mistake in the lyrics of the song - the OO bird was last seen in 1987, so it wsa not after the hurricane of 1992.

14 Weeks to Earth Day! Week 3: Family!

                                    

The family is one of nature's masterpieces. 
- George Santayana

I am back in Florida, with my southern “family” of friends, who, like my northern family nourish my being with their kindness and inspire my soul with their dedication and joy.  My biological family has been scattered across this Earth from early on; aside from being sent off to boarding school, we all emigrated from the UK before we were twenty!   Boarding school taught me that family is not just a biological construct; it is larger than that, it is the whole human family and the more we are open to that concept, the more we are blessed to discover brothers, sisters, cousins, aunts, uncles, mothers and fathers everywhere.

Today, we are a connected world; we receive instant feeds of information from around the globe and we form friendships and bonds with people we have never even met.  The tragic earthquake in Haiti this month demonstrated how people and governments from all corners of the Earth can mobilize to help when necessary and there is hope that together we will collaborate in the future to overcome the certain challenges awaiting us all.

So this Post is about the human family and how we might learn to celebrate our differences and learn to cooperate even more.

Lesson Plans:

1.  The Little Earth Charter- Principle No. 3 is The Family.  The Principle of Family means doing everything that you can to make sure everyone in the human family is well treated.  What do the children think that this means?  Ask them to draw pictures of themselves; collect some photographs of children in other countries and discuss how their lives are different, or the same.  Since Haiti is in the news right now, that might be a good place to begin; younger children might talk about what they would like to do to help the children there.  For older students, understanding Teachers Without Borders has a Teachers Guide to Earthquake Science and Safety.

2.  Earth Day originated in the US but is now celebrated around the world as a day which broadens support for environmental concerns, raises awareness and rekindles public commitment to protect the environment.  You can learn all about Earth Day, register your event, or find our about other events at the Earth Day Network.  2010 is the 40^th anniversary of the first Earth Day!  Plan something with your class, at your school or in your community.  It doesn’t have to be complicated, it could be something simple like

3.  “Sustainability is the development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”  Brundtland Commission Report of the United Nations.   Teaching children about sustainability will help them to become better stewards of the Earth.  The US Environmental Protection Agency has some good Teaching Resources.  

4.  Dolphins, like humans, are very social animals; they travel together in pods and females give birth to live calves and are sometimes helped by other females called aunts.  Elephants are another species of animal that lives in a very structured social order.  Invite students to learn about both of these animals and to look at how their Family Structures are similar to those of humans.  All About Dolphins has some interesting information about dolphin species as does EarthTrust   Scientists say that Dolphins should be treated as “Non-Human” persons.  What do your students think about this?  Do they think that animals have feelings?  If so, is there a line to be drawn between say dolphins and ants?

5.  For younger children, play Rosie's Heart This interactive game shows kids how dolphins are connected to them through tuna fish.

Action of the Week: In celebration of Earth Day’s 40^th Anniversary write up 40 Things You Can Do to Protect the Earth!  Make this into a poster and hang it in the entrance of our school!

Story: I found these personal stories of Compassion and Collaboration which illustrate the notion of the human family and people helping each other.

Songs:  There are two songs that could complement the subject of Family; one is Dolphin Teach us to Play! And the other is The Rainbow Road.  Both of these are uploaded to my MySpace page.  Have fun exploring the concept of Family! I am certainly most grateful for mine both the biological and the larger one; they sustain me and help me to be a better person.  And remember..."You don't choose your family. They are God's gift to you, as you are to them." 
 Desmond Tutu

Animation designs by JC Little at  Little Animation
If you would like to purchase a copy of the Little Earth Charter DVD you can do so at Little Animation Shop

15 Weeks to Earth Day! Week 2: We're All Interconnected!

 “To hear within ourselves the sound of the Earth crying.” John Seed

I was privileged to grow up in a magical place, Sherwood Forest; for me there was never any doubt that I was intricately connected to this Earth.  But it wasn’t until I met John Seed in 1989, and participated in the  Council of All Beings (developed by John,  Joanna Macy , Arne Naess and Pat Fleming) , that I really began to hear the sound of the Earth crying.  I was simply too busy being a mother and provider too see the destruction going on around the world. 

After that workshop, I began to research what was happening to the planet and was devastated by what I uncovered.  So much so in fact, that I plunged into a deep depression, which left me feeling hopeless about the future.  The Council of All Beings was developed to awaken our inner ear; to tune it to the primal sounds of this earth and then to transfer any sadness into action.  Thankfully, my despair was turned into determination to inspire in children a curiosity to discover, protect and preserve this earth, our home.

I wrote my song, We’re all Interconnected back in 1989; since then the phrase has become almost a cliché and I fear that it might be devalued.  I hope that we can work together to strengthen its authenticity and inclusion in the vocabulary of early childhood.

Conveying the understanding of interconnectivity to children can be as simple or as complex and you wish it to be.  Since absolutely everything is interconnected you can begin to incorporate the phrase on a daily basis, and the more you do, the more you will discover!

Lesson Plans:

1.  The Little Earth Charter: Principle No 2 - Interconnected - Watch this clip and then ask children to name some of the different things they think are important on our planet.  I suggested creating Food Energy webs in the previous Blog post; this time create a Food Audit linking the food that you eat to the places that it grows, the transportation that entails it arriving at your grocery store; the people who helped to bring it there.  You can do the same with clothes and other household items; for example what are the components that make up computers or cell phones.  Absolutely everything that we eat, wear or use comes from the Earth in some way.

2.  The Air connects us all; it circulates around the planet and moves in and out of our bodies.  I often tell kids that the air molecules they are breathing could have passed through the bodies of dinosaurs, or someone really famous like Elvis, their grandparents, or the girl or boy sitting next to them!  When we prevent air pollution it is protecting ourselves as much as it is all of life.   This Website has some fun Clean Air Activities!

3.  Water connects us.  Learning about water is a great way to teach about interconnectivity – there are some Lesson Plans about water in the Only One River, Only One Sea Blog Post I wrote in December 2009.   Coral Reefs provide insight into interconnections; there are so many different symbiotic relationships there and the reefs are crucial habitat for so many fish.  Just for fun, show these amazing photos of Snowflakes just to marvel at how water crystallizes!

4.  People!  How are we connected to each other?  The  Connected Earth website has some interesting Lesson Plans for children 7-16 showing how technology has evolved and connects us.  Apart from technology, why is it important for humans to physically interconnect with each other?  We are social beings and we need to connect to each other for comfort and community. Ask the children to create their Family Tree, to see who they are connected to.  The Ancestors are important to many cultures and there is much to be learned from them.  Here is a 4^th Grade Native American Lesson Plan that you might find interesting.  The Journey of Man is a NOVA documentary that follows the genetic markers of humans to investigate how we are all connected.

Interconnections!

Well, this whole Post is about interconnectivity, so I am not going to dwell on more of it here.  However, I will share some interesting articles I found recently that demonstrate the subtle ways in which nature is connected!  The first is about how Star Fish suck up carbon from the sea the second is about the relationship between Ants and the Acacia Tree  Here are some interesting Ocean Facts  and did you ever wonder why the sea is Salty ?  All good subjects for lessons!

 

Songs:  I have uploaded two songs to my MySpace page to go with this blog –  We’re All Interconnected and the Coral Reef.

Story: The story that I have always used to convey the understanding of interconnection to kids is: How Grandmother Spider Stole the Sun!

Resource: The book about the Council of All Beings is:  Thinking Like A Mountain

Enjoy the journey of discovery with your children, your students and  yourself!  I am constantly AMAZED by the interconnections that I discover; I love it!  Every time I find something new, I am replenished with awe!  If you enjoy the Little Earth Charter, the DVD is for sale on the website at The Little Animation Shop and if you enjoy my songs, they are also available at a variety of Online stores.

Please do share your comments - I am here to help you and your feedback helps to guide me.  I thank each one of you for following or reading this Blog and I sincerely hope that it serves you well.

In gratitude for life and this Earth,

Rosie

Design by JC Little www.littleanimation.com

Photo of Spider Web from Wikimedia Commons