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Children Learning about Ecology and the Environment
Chris Pittam, 4th Nov 2013
Teaching young children about ecology and the environment will teach them lessons they will take through the rest of their life. If children learn to respect and care for the world they live in from a young age they will help to preserve it for the next generation. They will become advocates for protecting nature.
The earth’s natural assets are made up of plants, animals, land, water, the atmosphere AND humans! TOGETHER we all form part of the planet’s ecosystems – together is perhaps the most important word here. Everything we do as humans affects the world we live in – we do not have limitless resources – we have the power to destroy or create – we need to teach children to create, care for and respect our world.
For children to grow up and become caring members of society they need to explore the world of nature around them, so they form emotional attachments. They will learn by example, so your care for the environment, your attitudes and behaviour will help to shape how they react.
It would be easy to start by looking at how many creatures are disappearing from our planet – the Madagascan Lemur, for example, is one of the most cuddly, cute, furry, big-eyed creatures in the world may disappear in 20 years.
I think it is better to start from a conservation viewpoint: you should look at the positive things that can be achieved, rather than the negative ones. It will teach your child about positive actions and how what they do affects the world they live in, not just themselves – because we are all connected.
Avaiable: https://novakdjokovicfoundation.org/why-we-should-teachchildren-about-ecology-and-the-environment/. Access: 30 sep. 2019. Adapted.
Plants, animals, land, water, the atmosphere and humans are examples of
