California Council for the Social Studies 59th Annual Conference

Content. Inquiry. Literacy. Citizenship.

Young global citizens need to understand the interconnectedness between humans, communities, and natural systems upon which we depend. In this interactive learning session, National Geographic Educators and Explorers will facilitate experiences where participants will become social scientists, reflect on the historical connections between biodiversity and trash, and learn how to use an environmentally focused service learning project with students.

The [California History Social Science] framework and standards encourage students to learn about the world from several perspectives—local to global—in a deliberate and careful sequence and to develop thematic and conceptual understandings based on these perspectives. This session focuses on how to bring environmental and geographic lenses to life in a classroom. To know a place, we must understand how we impact it. While we have been altering our environment through trash for tens of thousands of years, we are doing so at an unprecedented rate today. We will cover content (an archaeological view of trash, biodiversity, and geography), civic literacy and citizenship (becoming civically engaged and taking action around environmental issues), and inquiry (what are action steps we can take to lessen our environmental impact).