Climate Education and Sustainability in the Primary Classroom

Our World Their Future
1. Auflage 2026
ISBN: 978-1-916925-14-4
Verlag: Taylor & Francis

Buch, Englisch, 140 Seiten, Format (B × H): 175 mm x 246 mm, Gewicht: 449 g

This engaging guide will empower primary school teachers to incorporate climate change and sustainability into their curriculum, enabling them to feel confident and competent in navigating this pressing global issue, without adding to teacher workload.

Many teachers recognise the urgency of climate change and the need for pupils to engage with it but are unsure about how this should be approached in practice. Through a multi-disciplinary approach, this book provides the tools for teachers to educate and motivate their pupils to become active contributors to their school communities and beyond. It outlines how trainees, teachers and school leaders can embed climate change and sustainability into their practice, across the primary curriculum, providing the required knowledge, understanding and ideas for practice.

This guide;
- explores the fundamentals of climate change,
- debunks misconceptions,
- addresses climate anxiety, and
- explains how to introduce sustainability from the early years upwards and through a range of subject areas.

Packed with research-informed case studies and reflective questions, teachers can equip young minds to tackle the challenges of our fragile world and become proactive agents of change.

Zielgruppe

Professional Practice & Development

Autoren/Hrsg.

Nelson, Sophie

Morgan, Lewis

Hoath, Leigh

Fachgebiete

• Geowissenschaften Umweltwissenschaften Nachhaltigkeit
• Sozialwissenschaften Pädagogik Lehrerausbildung, Unterricht & Didaktik Lehrerausbildung
• Wirtschaftswissenschaften Volkswirtschaftslehre Internationale Wirtschaft Entwicklungsökonomie & Emerging Markets
• Geowissenschaften Umweltwissenschaften Klimawandel, Globale Erwärmung
• Sozialwissenschaften Pädagogik Lehrerausbildung, Unterricht & Didaktik Methoden des Lehrens und Lernens

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Introduction: I know this is important but where do I begin? Chapter 1. What is climate change and sustainability? Chapter 2. Is the earth going to explode? Chapter 3. Where do I fit in? Chapter 4. It’s not fair! Chapter 5. Can children really change the world? Chapter 6. Is climate change all about science? Chapter 7. Is climate change just for the big kids? Chapter 8. Is this another subject I need to squeeze in? Chapter 9. How can my school make a difference? Conclusion - It starts with you!

Über Autor(innen)

Sophie Nelson is an experienced educator whose career spans roles as a primary school teacher, Teaching School Director, Head of School, and lecturer in primary education. She is dedicated to supporting teachers at every stage of their professional journey, sharing her passion for nurturing imaginative and creative classroom practitioners. Sophie champions an approach to education that empowers children to become active, informed citizens who positively shape the future. Her commitment to interdisciplinary learning is driven by her diverse interests, which include music, philosophy, early literacy and climate education.

Lewis Morgan is a Senior Lecturer in Primary Science at Leeds Trinity University. After ten years working as a primary school teacher, Lewis now delivers science education across undergraduate and postgraduate primary teaching programmes. He is deeply passionate about empowering children to engage with science and fostering a sense of curiosity about the world around them. His current work focuses particularly on supporting teachers and schools to embed climate change and sustainability into the primary curriculum in meaningful and age-appropriate ways. Lewis is committed to equipping the next generation with the knowledge, understanding and agency they need to respond to the challenges of climate change.

Leigh Hoath is a Professor of Science Education at Leeds Trinity University. After ten years working as a school teacher and head of department, Leigh moved to delivering science education across undergraduate and postgraduate science education teaching programmes. She is the Co-Founder of Climate Adapted Pathways for Education (CAPE) – a charity working to equip teachers and school leaders with the knowledge and skills to help all children and young people take climate action and protect the environment. Leigh has been national Chair of the Association for Science Education and is a National Teaching Fellow as well as an author and editor.