By Judy Ameline, Judy Chyung, and Emily Thompson
We hope you enjoy this reading list, curated by Librarians at the TDSB Professional Library in the Library Learning Resources and Global Education Department of the Toronto District School Board.
Links to the TDSB Professional Library Catalogue have been provided for informational purposes, but the items are accessible to TDSB staff only.
Anders on, D., et al. (2017). Natural curiosity: A resource for teachers: The importance of indigenous perspectives in children’s environmental inquiry. The Laboratory School at the Dr. Eric Jackman Institute of Child Study, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto.
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This second edition of Natural Curiosity provides a pedagogical framework for outdoor environmental inquiry with a newly expanded Indigenous lens. The four branches in the framework focus on Inquiry and Engagement, Experiential Learning, Integrated Learning, and Moving Toward Sustainability. The importance of recognizing and appreciating Indigenous perspectives is interwoven into the branches. The book gives practical examples by way of the fifteen new educator stories that show how educators can lead their students to develop deeper awareness and respect for nature around them while learning about the Indigenous perspectives.
Beaton, K. (2022). Ducks: Two years in the oil sands. Drawn & Quarterly.
When thousands of ducks died in a toxic tailings pond in the oil sands of northern Alberta in 2008, it made international headlines. The environmental cost, as well as the physical, emotional, and human toll wrought by the fossil fuel industry, is the focus of Kate Beaton’s first full-length graphic narrative, Ducks. Beaton illustrates the years she spent in the oil sands, away from her home in Cape Breton, in this deeply personal and unflinching account.
Christopher, K. R. (2019). The school garden curriculum: An integrated K-8 guide for discovering science, ecology, and whole-systems thinking. New Society Publishers. eBook
With the premise that gardens are a powerful place for students to learn valuable skills and foster strong environmental literacy, this book provides a comprehensive framework for the K-8 garden curriculum for teachers to lead their students in garden-based learning. Firmly based on experiential and place-based learning, the curriculum is designed to develop science skills, positive land ethics, and valuable life skills in students as they perform grade-appropriate gardening tasks. The book offers over 200 engaging, weekly lesson plans organized by grade and season.
Delpit, L. D. (2019). Teaching when the world is on fire. The New Press.
eBook
This is a collection of essays compiled by Lisa Delpit on the crucially urgent and difficult issues facing teachers today in K-12 classrooms. The writings provide a guide to teachers when dealing with these issues and discussing them in the classroom with students. Among some of the issues included in this collection are respecting and connecting with black and brown students, safe spaces for transgender and gender-nonconforming students, and teaching the climate crisis.
Dolan, A. M. (2021). Teaching climate change in primary schools: An interdisciplinary approach. Routledge.
eBook
This book describes why it’s important to teach climate change education to primary students and shows teachers how to teach it in the classroom by integrating it into the Literacy-based approaches, STEAM, and Civic education. The lesson ideas and activities in the book are designed to raise climate change awareness and generate hope and positive engagement in children.
Kimmerer, R. W. (2013). Braiding sweetgrass: Indigenous wisdom, scientific knowledge and the teachings of plants. Milkweed Editions. Destiny eBook
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Braiding Sweetgrass is a collection of essays that discuss peoples’ relationships with the land from both Indigenous and scientific perspectives. Kimmerer tells us that our connection to the environment is a reciprocal one and that nature and all its living creatures have much to teach us if we only open ourselves to hear the lessons. Many of the essays focus on gratitude, an important aspect of Indigenous culture that is lacking in the Western world. With this book the author seeks to transform our understanding of the world and to recognize that we are “but one strand in the web of life”. May also be used with the newly released Braiding Sweetgrass for Young Adults.
Le, K. (2021). Teaching climate change for grades 6-12: Empowering science teachers to take on the climate crisis through NGSS. Routledge.
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In this resource Dr. Kelley T. Le outlines the teaching shifts needed to develop students’ climate literacy and describes how teachers can create empowering learning experiences centered around topics such as the COVID-19 pandemic, global warming, rising sea temperatures, deforestation, and mass extinction. She also provides guidance on how to empower students to be change agents in their communities – a necessity to counteract social, racial, and environmental injustices that arise from the climate crisis.
Marschall, C., et al. (2022). Worldwise learning: A teacher’s guide to shaping a just, sustainable future. Corwin.
eBook
Teachers must prepare students to become global citizens – compassionate, critical thinkers concerned about the world they live in. Worldwise Learning builds educators’ understanding of how curriculum and interdisciplinary learning can be structured around local, global, and intercultural issues, and outlines a framework for making those issues come alive in the classroom. Each chapter follows a three-part inquiry cycle, and includes: practical classroom strategies along with tips for scaffolding students’ thinking, images of student work and vignettes of learning experiences, and a unit plan that illustrates how the planning process links to and supports teaching and learning about global issues.
Powers, J., & Ridge, S. W. (2018). Nature-based learning for young children: Anytime, anywhere, on any budget. Redleaf Press.
eBook
Nature-Based Learning for Every Preschool Setting provides ideas for all early childhood educators in a wide range of ecosystems, both urban and rural. Organized by subject, this resource includes background information on a variety of nature topics, sample parent newsletters, play-based lesson plans, ideas for family involvement, and guidance on health and safety issues related to nature activities.
Schmidt, J. (2022). Civil discourse: Classroom conversations for stronger communities. Corwin. eBook
Civil Discourse is not exclusively about climate change—nor is it about any one contentious topic (although such topics are used as examples throughout). Rather, this book is a carefully scaffolded how-to guide, aimed at helping educators facilitate politically and emotionally charged conversations with the goal of building stronger communities. Framed around key concepts of courage, understanding, belonging, and empathy, leading to discourse and growth, each chapter offers checklists, activities, and QR codes with additional ideas and resources.
Schroth, S. T., & Daniels, J. (2021). Growing up green: Problem-based investigations in ecology and sustainability for young learners in STEM. Routledge.
eBook
Growing Up Green is for educators interested in learning how to integrate environmental and sustainability topics into K-2 classrooms. It features ten problem-based investigations for nurturing critical and creative thinking, as well as STEM-based skills. Topics include environmental advocacy, green manufacturing, food production, reducing your carbon footprint, and more. Each investigation includes hands-on activities that encourage students to identify issues, develop research questions, gather and analyze data, invent solutions, and share their learning. Tips for assessing prior learning and ideas for differentiation are also included.
Wilson, R. (2022). Naturally inclusive: Engaging children of all abilities outdoors. Gryphon House.
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With a background in special education and early childhood environmental education, Dr. Ruth Wilson weaves decades of classroom and outdoor educational experience together with research and stories to champion nature as a catalyst for inclusion, belonging, and quality of life for children with diverse abilities. With chapters on fostering connections between children and the natural world around them–including animals, plants, and habitats–there is a strong emphasis on play, nurturing, and growth.
Valenzuela, J., & Fester, J. (2021). Environmental science for grades 6-12: A project-based approach to solving the earth’s most urgent problems. International Society for Technology in Education.
eBook
This book makes the case for implementing real-world projects that foster environmental and scientific inquiry as a means of “equipping all students with the skills required to do science and preserve the earth” (133). It begins with an in-depth look at the intersection between environmental science and project-based learning. Real-world examples of projects that can be customized to meet different learning needs are included throughout. Strategies for engaging students in environmental science through fieldwork, social-emotional learning, and distance learning are provided.
Judy Ameline is a librarian at the Toronto District School Board Professional Library with almost 30 years experience providing reference service. She is passionate about providing TDSB teachers and leaders access to current, cutting edge information in the field of education to support their professional development needs. Check out the Library’s Pinterest Boards and follow her on Twitter @AmelineJudy
Judy Chyung has extensive experience providing Education Reference and Online Services to the educators and leaders of Toronto District School Board at the TDSB Professional Library. She enjoys reading and learning about the trends in education literature, and assisting TDSB educators with their information needs whether for their classroom support or for their professional learning. One of the initiatives that she leads is the curated Resource Guides for Heritage Months celebrated by TDSB. You can check out the Guides at http://bit.ly/DirectoryHeritageMonthListsPL. Currently she is deeply involved in developing Subject Guides to support TDSB educators and students with their curriculum resource needs. These Subject Guides can be found in the TDSB Virtual Library under the FIND tab.
Emily Thompson is a Reference and Digital Resources Librarian with the Toronto District School Board Professional Library. Prior to joining the TDSB this year, she spent nearly a decade in public librarianship and is passionate about early literacy. She is excited to be a part of the TDSB Professional Library team, connecting users of all ages with digital resources through the Virtual Library. Follow the TDSB Virtual Library on Twitter: @tdsbVL