Story as Seed: A Conceptual Framework for Using Picturebooks to Teach Climate Justice with Young Children
Saved in:
| Title: | Story as Seed: A Conceptual Framework for Using Picturebooks to Teach Climate Justice with Young Children |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Erica Holyoke, Lauren Fletcher |
| Source: | International Journal of Early Childhood Environmental Education. 2026 13(1):9-21. |
| Availability: | North American Association for Environmnental Education. 1725 DeSales Street NW, Washington, DC 20036. Tel: 202-419-0412; Web site: https://naturalstart.org/research |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 13 |
| Publication Date: | 2026 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Evaluative |
| Education Level: | Early Childhood Education |
| Descriptors: | Picture Books, Climate, Environmental Education, Early Childhood Education, Culturally Relevant Education, Learning Activities, Citizenship Responsibility |
| ISSN: | 2331-0464 |
| Abstract: | In a time of ecological crisis and educational constraint, this conceptual article reimagines early childhood climate education as a site of relational, justice-centered learning, led through story, grounded in place, and co-constructed with children. Drawing on critical literacy, justice-oriented place-based education, this article explores how picturebooks serve as anchors to support early climate justice learning grounded in ecological belonging, civic responsibility, and relational care. We present four thematic lenses -- "reciprocity and kinship," "ecological identity and observation," "systems thinking and collective action," and "environmental grief and repair" -- as invitations and practical tools for educators. We share text selections and text analyses of eight picturebooks, classroom strategies, and inquiry prompts that position stories as a literacy practice and an ecological engagement. Applying frameworks to include land, place, and more-than-human relationships, we argue that justice in children's literature must include relational responsibility. This article offers readers an approach to climate justice education that begins with wonder, centers relationships, and affirms young children as participants in imagining and enacting more just and sustainable worlds. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1506138 |
| Database: | ERIC |
Be the first to leave a comment!
