STATE OF THE PLANET AWARENESSLauren Dickey – Kennesaw State University – Global Teaching Presentation

DEFINITION

• State of Planet Awareness: Mindfulness or consciousness of the three “key trends” of human population, biodiversity, or climate. It also includes the representation of air, fresh water, fisheries, food and soil, and energy

CURRENT RESEARCH

• Extinction – Many species are facing extinction due to the decline of the state of the planet. For example: the white rhino is considered to only have four of its kind left on the planet due to the human population and its tendency to kill rhinos for it’s horn.

• Current research is being done to preserve the habitats of many animals due to the changing biodiversity (due to pollution, deforestation, climate change)

• Implementation of sanctuaries that allow humans to view and appreciate nature

• Ecosystem Research Program – helps manage coastal/ocean resources

RELATIONSHIP WITH EDUCATION

• EARTH DAY – A huge initiative that has swept the nation throughout the year

• As our borders “shrink” due to technology and access to transportation, students need to have global awareness on how to protect the planet

• Kids, in general, are very empathetic towards things that need help

• If students learn to be more responsible with our planet, they have more success for the future

UNITS OF STUDY

• Pollution Science Units

• Adaptations Science Units

• Earth Day

• Ecosystems Science Units

• Extinction Science Units

IDEAS FOR INTEGRATION

• ELA: writing a letter to your governor on tips to save the planet

• Have students implement a schoolwide initiative to save the planet… will include commercials (technology integration), writing speeches (ELA), money saved from “saving the planet” (math), etc.

• Economics – Become your own entrepreneur and create a product that will reduce a harmful pollutant

• Math – relate how climate change has affected the levels of our oceans

RESOURCES

Harris, J. (n.d.). State of the planet "executive summary" Lecture presented at EE 563 Graduate Seminar.