“Teaching Climate Change to Children is a game-changer, addressing the urgent need to nurture children's agency, knowledge, and actions to protect the earth they have inherited. Woodard and Schutz place humanity and justice at the heart of why climate change must be addressed in schools, and readers will find chapters brimming with actionable guidance and vibrant illustrations from classrooms.”
—Elizabeth Dutro, professor of literacy studies, University of Colorado Boulder, author of The Vulnerable Heart of Literacy: Centering Trauma as Powerful Pedagogy
“Teaching Climate Change to Children is about sustaining an ecology of care—in our relationships with one another, the land, and our futures. As schools are embroiled in debates around what children should learn and how literacy should be taught, Woodard and Schutz show what is possible when elementary teachers employ the skills of literacy (reading, writing, and language) with a commitment to a just and sustainable climate landscape.”
—Haeny S. Yoon, associate professor of early childhood education, Teachers College, Columbia University, author of Rethinking Early Literacies and Rewriting Worlds
“This book was impressively written with literary, linguistic, and ecological integrity by two scholarly stewards with clear commitments to climate justice. Their front-sight focus on interdisciplinary texts, language, and teaching provides a tactical orientation for elementary teachers to nurture the next generation of literacy and land ambassadors. The authors wrapped literacy-rich climate pedagogy in a bow of love that readers will find welcoming.”
—Alfred W. Tatum, professor, Metropolitan State University of Denver, author of Teaching Black Boys in the Elementary Grades: Advanced Disciplinary Reading and Writing to Secure Their Futures
Texts for Teaching
Recommendations for Children’s and Young Adult literature and media about the environment, sustainability, and climate change
Teaching Materials
Lesson plans and unit plans to support educators in designing and implementing climate-focused literacy instruction
Educator Book Clubs
Guidance for supporting educator book clubs focused on literacy-rich climate pedagogy to cultivate sustainable futures
Meet the Authors
Dr. Rebecca Woodard is an associate professor of literacy, language, and culture in the College of Education at the University of Illinois-Chicago. A former elementary and middle school literacy teacher, she teaches literacy methods courses for preservice teachers and graduate courses on writing and writing research. Her research seeks to expansively conceptualize writing and literacy, and to document and support elementary teaching and learning that matters to children and teachers. She is the editor of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) journal, Language Arts and serves as the faculty director of the Chicago Area Writing Project.
Dr. Kristine Schutz is an associate professor of literacy, language, and culture in the College of Education at the University of Illinois-Chicago. She is an award-winning teacher, researcher, and author with expertise in elementary literacy instruction and teacher learning. Kristine began her career as an elementary teacher in New York City and later worked as a dual-language (Spanish-English) elementary teacher in Evanston, IL. At UIC, she teaches literacy methods courses to pre-service teachers, and courses on children’s literature, reading assessment and instruction, and literacy leadership to graduate students. She serves as the director of The Collaboratory for Literacies and Learning at UIC.
We are thrilled to share our newest thinking with educators throughout the world! Keep you eye on this page for events celebrating the launch of Teaching Climate Change to Children: Literacy Pedagogy that Cultivates Sustainable Futures. We also love zooming into teacher inquiry groups or book clubs and spending time on the ground with teachers and children in classrooms. Reach out directly to arrange for school visits, professional learning opportunities, and coaching cycles to support robust literacy instruction focused on supporting young people in learning about environmental sustainability and climate change.