Ecological Literacy: Educating Our Children for a Sustainable World (The Bioneers Series) (Paperback)

by David W. Orr (Author), Michael K. Stone (Editor), Zenobia Barlow (Editor), Fritjof Capra (Preface) "TO THE OKANAGAN PEOPLE, as to all peoples practicing bioregional self-sufficient economies, the realization that the total community must be engaged in order to attain..." (more)
Key Phrases: love with the earth, own bioregion, ecological literacy, River of Words, San Francisco, The Edible Schoolyard (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist
Sustainability is increasingly becoming a buzzword, popping up in advertising campaigns and political promises. This welcome volume, collected by the Center for Ecoliteracy in Berkeley, California, offers authoritative definitions of what sustainable living means and progressive theories for achieving it, beginning with the education of the young. The diverse selections, organized into loose thematic sections such as "Vision," are contributed by well-known leaders on the subject. Chef Alice Waters, who began a successful school-garden program, outlines the differences between fast-food and slow-food values, while educator Maurice Holt calls for a return to "the slow school," in which students are encouraged to think, feel, and understand concepts, not just memorize them. Pamela Michael, founder of River of Words, a unique nonprofit that encourages the integration of art and science in the classroom, contributes a stirring piece entitled "Helping Children Fall in Love with the Earth." Inspired, substantive, and visionary, these selections will help concerned readers focus their own discussions about sustainability and suggest new ways to implement its values in their own communities. Gillian Engberg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Description

Our efforts to build a sustainable world cannot succeed unless future generations learn how to partner with natural systems to our mutual benefit. In other words, children must become “ecologically literate.” The concept of ecological literacy advanced by this book’s creators, the Center for Ecoliteracy in Berkeley, California, goes beyond the discipline of environmental education. It aims, says David Orr in his foreword, “toward a deeper transformation of the substance, process, and scope of education at all levels”—familial, geographic, ecological, and political.
The reports and essays gathered here reveal the remarkable work being done by the Center’s network of partners. In one middle school, for example, culinary icon Alice Waters founded a program that not only gives students healthy meals but teaches them to garden—and thus to study life cycles and energy flows. Other hands-on student projects described here range from stream restoration and watershed exploration to confronting environmental justice issues at the neighborhood level.
With contributions from distinguished writers and educators, such as Fritjof Capra, Wendell Berry, and Michael Ableman, Ecological Literacy reflects the best thinking about how the world actually works and how learning occurs. Parents and educators everywhere will find it an invaluable resource.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 296 pages
• Publisher: Sierra Club Books; 1 edition (October 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1578051533
• ISBN-13: 978-1578051533
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #63,188 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Towards a Deep Ecology of Learning, March 16, 2008

By	Myth Maker "David A. Berger Author of Living ... - See all my reviews

Living Education: The Power of the Circle

This book explores the depth of the challenges of thinking ecologically. I was especially impressed by the focus that is put on process within the decision making process. The variety of topics, and authors offers a wide take on the issues, challenges and hurdles as we move as a society to seeing the world more clearly. Well done.