Produced by Amber McDonald and Kambui Moore
Laura DeGuire, an air quality specialist and Thomas Occhipinti, the environmental education coordinator, both for the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, discuss in this video the benefits of an annual Earth Day event for young students.
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Some Great Lakes educators expose kids to environmental issues they may never learn about in the classroom.
At the Great Lakes Science Center in Cleveland, Ohio, content is aimed at kids under seven. Among exhibits common to most museums like gravity and the human body, other topics exist that are not likely to be taught in school.
For example, “To the Arctic”, is a film shown at the center that focuses on polar bears and climate change. Kids get a first-hand look at a mother polar bear and her two cubs as they float across ice, encountering natural predators and a rapidly changing climate.
Mary Pat, who works with information and reception at the center, believes kids are able to grasp “hot-button” issues at the center. Even though they are unaware of the political and social disagreements that keep some topics out of their textbooks, ,she says kids in elementary school are at the perfect age to learn these things.
“We all know global warming is an issue, I imagine. Especially through the eyes of an I-MAX theater and spoken very clearly, I think they can understand what’s going on,” Pat said.
Kristen Nelson, an associate professor at the University of Minnesota’s Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology, specializes in environmental change and its relationship with human systems. Sparking a child’s early interest in environmental issues will help them and their parents better understand what’s going on in the world, she said.
“I think large events like Earth Day/World Water Day that focus people from business, government, etc. are very helpful,” Nelson said. “It raises the attention about the issue and it causes everybody to speak up, put out news releases and have a special education moment. You see the liberation about the issues where talks can begin.”
Hundreds of parents, teachers, and students gather at a 2012 Earth Day Celebration in Lansing, Mich.:
When it comes to controversial issues, kids can start to learn outside of the classroom by being hands-on and experiencing things for themselves.
“Climate change is maybe not the totality of it, but they remember when there is snow and when there isn’t, Nelson said. “They observe things we take for granted and ask why. They are better at observation than adults. We make a lot of assumptions.”
Parents want to encourage children to pursue their interests in issues they encounter at different times in their life, Nelson said. “There is a lot of evidence that says this helps the parent become more aware of the issues as well.”
Michigan officials also provide unusual environmental learning opportunities for children. The state’s departments of Environmental Quality, Natural Resources and Agriculture and Rural Development hold an annual hands-on learning experience.
The goal is to get kids thinking about what they do and how it impacts the environment, said Laura DeGuire, a state air quality specialist. She hosted the air division display at a recent Earth Day celebration at Constitution Hall in Lansing, Mich. The display focused on health and environmental issues related to air quality.
The air division also partnered with the Asthma Initiative of Michigan and the West Michigan Clean Air Coalition to help kids understand more about the air they breathe and common health issues related to poor air quality, DeGuire said.
Each exhibit gave kids a chance to work or play while learning.
“I think this is a great way to instill a little interest and make them think about what they’re doing. [The activities] really do stimulate thinking.”
Upcoming celebrations that could be used to teach children about the environment:
A wise man is strong; but a son of man’s knowledge is increased strength.