Why Teachers are not Teaching Kids about Climate Change

More than half of American teachers are not talking about climate change in their classrooms and of those that do almost a third incorrectly tell their students that climate change is a natural phenomenon. 

According to a recent poll climate change is a very low priority for teachers in the U.S. Almost two thirds  of educators who are not teaching it say they see global warming as outside of their subject area. However, science-based training is only part of the problem, parental attitudes are also a concern. Almost a third of educators are worried that parents may complain if they teach their kids about climate change.

Other reasons why climate change is not taught in schools include: A lack of materials and a lack of knowledge. Some schools do not allow teachers to teach climate change, albeit a small percentage (4%). Not all the news is bleak, between one third and one half (42%) of teachers say they do teach climate change in the classroom.

This effort is made easier by the fact that climate change is readily taught in a wide range of subject matters and therefore can be easily integrated into almost any curriculum (everything from algebra to zoology). It is hard to find topics that are not in some way related to, or impacted by climate change. Some of the more obvious subjects that are conducive to teaching climate change are biology, physics and math. Current events like extreme weather and wildfires are also powerful teaching tools.

However, the biggest reason why kids do not get a climate education has nothing to do with parents, teachers or pedagogical training. It has to do with the multifaceted disinformation efforts of the fossil fuel industry and their Republican minions.

Related
Comprehensive Green School Information and Resources 2010 - 2018 

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