Module 4

Ecological
[GRAB YOUR READER’S ATTENTION WITHLiteracy
A GREAT
and
Arts and Creative Literacy

Overview

Module 4 is divided into two lessons. Lesson 1 deals on Ecological Literacy in which it
highlights the different views and definitions of ecological literacy, ecological intelligence, ways to
develop eco-literacy among learners, ecological literacy in the classroom, and characteristics of an
ecoliterate person.
While Lesson 2 focuses on Arts and Creative Literacy. It explores the definition of creative
literacy and a range of literate practices a learner should embody, valuable lessons or benefits that
education can learn from arts, the different characteristics of artistically literate individuals, issues
in teaching creativity, and essential components to develop creative literacy.

Pretest

1. It is known as one’s ability to understand ecological concepts and how an individual

affects the ecosystem is _____________.
A. Ecological literacy
B. Financial literacy
C. Social literacy
D. Arts and creative literacy

2. The following are characteristics of an ecoliterate person EXCEPT ONE.

A. Responsible
B. Lifelong learner
C. Strive to improve human condition/environment
D. Assertive
3. It is defined as knowledge and understanding needed to participate fully in the arts.
A. Globalization
B. Artistic Literacy
C. Ecological Literacy
D. Financial Literacy
 4. Literacy is associated to a high-level form of thinking. This concept reflects what
valuable lesson that education can learn from arts?
A. Surprise is not to be seen as an intruder in the process of inquiry, but as a part of the
rewards one reaps when working artistically
B. Slowing down perception is the most promising way to see what is actually there
C. The limits of language are not the limits of cognition
D. Open-ended tasks permit the exercise of imagination, and an exercise of the
imagination is one of the most important of human aptitudes

5. What essential component in developing or designing creative curriculum

supports//promotes play in the teaching and learning process?
A. Imagination and pretense, fantasy and metaphor
B. Active menu to meaning making
C. Intentional, holistic teaching
D. Co-player, co-artist

Lesson 1: Ecological Literacy

David Orr first coined the term ecological literacy in 1989. Since then, it has become a
widely used concept particularly within the environmental organizations (Orr, 2011). With many
ecological problems we are facing today (e.g., pollution, fiercer hurricanes, warmer temperatures,
relentless rains, etc.), it is then an urgent need to enhance ecological literacy in our society (Alata
& Ignacio, 2019; Goleman, 2009), particularly in school and among our learners. Orr (1994)
emphasized the importance of establishing national goals for ecological literacy and integrating
this as a vital component in any school’s curriculum.

Activity 1.1: Introductory Activity

As an introductory activity, I want you to watch a video: Why I Live a Zero Waste Life
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pF72px2R3Hg) and then answer/accomplish the following
tasks.
A. Who is the speaker in the video? Provide a background information or a short bio.
Search the Internet for this.
 B. Accomplish the graphic organizer below.

Reasons why the speaker Strategies/Ways on how the Knowing all these, what
wants to minimize her speaker accomplished this are the implications on
trash/garbage (minimizing her the teaching and learning
trash/garbage) process

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Activity 1.2: Analysis and Discussion

Minimizing our trash or garbage is an effective way to help our environment. If our
environment is clean, we could avoid flooded streets and towns, and our health could improve as
well. Try to observe and analyze the condition of your environment or surrounding you live in,
and then discuss in five paragraphs what suggestions/initiatives could you offer to your community
officials on how to dispose waste or garbage properly.

Activity 1.3: Abstraction

In this part of the module, you should be able to define ecological literacy and its major
goal, identify and discuss several classroom practices and strategies on how to help learners
become ecoliterate, describe an ecoliterate person, and apply ecological concepts in protecting and
rehabilitating the ecosystem or environment.
Ecological Literacy Defined
Ecological literacy refers to one’s ability to understand ecological concepts; and how an
individual affects the ecosystem (Alata & Ignacio, 2019; Meena & Alison, 2009). Further, it is to
know that our health, well-being, and ultimately our survival depend on working with, not against,
natural forces (Orr, 2011). Ecological literacy presumes that we understand our place in the story
of evolution.

Importantly, knowledge about our environment, caring, and practical competence are the
foundation of ecological literacy. Orr stressed that failure to think about ecological patterns, system
of causation, and long-term effect of human actions is the main cause of most of the environmental
problems we are experiencing today. Further, ecological literacy requires a thorough
understanding of the ways in which people and whole societies have become destructive.

The major aim, therefore, of ecological literacy is an understanding of both the biology of
conservation and the political basis of conserving societies (Orr, 2004).

Activity 1.3.1

Try to formulate your own definition of ecological literacy and its major aim by
accomplishing the graphic organizer below.

Personal Definition of Major aim of Ecological Literacy Drawing/Illustration

Ecological Literacy (Integrate your definition
and major aim)

Ecological Intelligence

In his book Ecological Intelligence: The Hidden Impacts of What We Buy Can Change
Everything, Daniel Goleman (2009) introduced another type of intelligence – ecological
intelligence. He pointed out that ecological intelligence is “our ability to adapt to our ecological
niche” (p.93). He further explained that ecological refers to an understanding of organisms and
their ecosystem, while intelligence connotes the capacity to learn from experience and deal
effectively with our environment.

Ecological intelligence, therefore, refers to our understanding of natural system, integrating

our cognitive skills with empathy for all of life, in order to foster sustainable living (Goleman,
Bennett, & Barlow, 2012). It is a fact that we are experiencing various ecological threats,
henceforth, it is crucial to develop this kind of intelligence for us to see the hidden
interconnectedness between humans’ activities and its impact to the environment. This should lead
to collective actions that “will drive changes in commerce and industry, as well as, in our individual
actions and behaviors” (Goleman, 2009, p.14).

Activity 1.3.2

Summarize the above discussion in one paragraph consisting of five sentences. Then write
another two paragraphs on how we can show empathy to all forms of life in order to achieve
sustainable living and solve ecological problems.

Ways to Develop Ecoliteracy Among Learners

Educators play a crucial role in helping their learners become ecoliterate. Goleman,
Bennett, and Barlow (2012) identified five ways or practices, integrating emotional, social, and
ecological intelligence, teachers could apply in their classroom.

1. Develop empathy for all forms of life

Empathy is the ability to consider the quality of life of other life forms, feel genuine
concern about their well-being, and act on that concern. Teachers could develop empathy
among learners by applying the following:

 Create lesson plans emphasizing important roles that plants and animals play in
sustaining the web of life.
 Create opportunities for learners to have a direct contact with other living things, for
example, keeping live plants and animals in the classroom; taking field trips to nature
areas, zoos, botanical gardens, and animal rescue centers; and involving students in
field projects such as habitat restoration.
 Another way teachers could help develop empathy for other forms of life is by studying
indigenous cultures like the Badjao culture.

2. Embracing sustainability as a community practice

Organisms do not survive in isolation. Instead, the web of relationships within any
living community determines its collective ability to survive and thrive. Thus, practicing
 ecoliteracy should be within the context of the community. This concept of sustainability
as a community practice is crucial for our learners to embody. For example, one of the
things teacher could do is to let students analyze how certain community implement and
practice proper waste disposal, its impact to people and other living things, and our
environment.

3. Making the invisible visible

There are things, like ways of living, which are more life-affirming, that our
learners have no access or invisible to them. To make these things visible, educators could
utilize the following strategies:
 Use phenomenal web-based tools, such as Google Earth, to enable students to
“travel” virtually and view the landscape in other regions and countries.
 Introduce students to technological applications such as GoodGuide and
Fooducate, which cull from a great deal of research and “package” it in easy-to-
understand formats that reveal the impact of certain household products on our
health, the environment, and social justice.
 Use social networking websites, in which students can also communicate directly
with citizens of distant areas and learn firsthand what the others are experiencing
that is invisible to most students.
 Teachers can also organize field trips to directly observe places that have been
quietly devastated as part of the system that provides most of us with energy.

4. Anticipating the unintended consequences

There are several environmental problems, which are known as unintended

consequences of human behavior. For example, developing the technological ability to
access, produce, and use fossil fuels. This has negative impacts such as pollution, suburban
sprawl, international conflicts, and climate change
Teachers can teach students several strategies for anticipating unintended
consequences.
 The precautionary principle – when an activity threatens to have a damaging
impact on the environment or human health, precautionary actions should be taken
regardless
of whether a cause-and-effect relationship has been scientifically
confirmed.
 Shift from analyzing a problem by reducing it to its isolated components, to
adopting a systems thinking perspective that examines the connections and
relationships among
the various components of the problem. One easy method for
looking at a problem systemically is by mapping it and all of its components and
interconnections. It is then easier to grasp the complexity of our decisions and
foresee possible implications.
  Building resiliency – for example, by moving away from mono-crop agriculture or
by creating local, less centralized food systems or energy networks—is another
important strategy for survival in these circumstances. We can turn
to nature and
find that the capacity of natural communities to rebound from unintended
consequences is vital to survival.

5. Understand how nature sustains life

People who are ecoliterate understand the importance of nature in their lives, and they
have turned to nature as their teacher and learned several crucial tenets. Three of those
tenets are particularly imperative to ecoliterate living.
 All living organisms are members of a complex, interconnected web of life and that
those members inhabiting a particular place depend upon their interconnectedness
for survival. Teachers can foster an understanding of the diverse web of
relationships within a location by having students study that location as a system.
For example, going to a mangrove.
 Second, ecoliterate people tend to be more aware that systems exist on various
levels of scale. In nature, organisms are members of systems nested within other
systems, from the micro-level to the macro-level. Each level supports the others to
sustain life. When students begin to understand the intricate interplay of relation-
ships that sustain an ecosystem, they can better appreciate the implications for
survival that even a small disturbance may have, or the importance of strengthening
relationships that help a system respond to disturbances.
 Finally, ecoliterate people collectively practice a way of life that fulfills the needs
of the present generation while simultaneously supporting nature’s inherent ability
to sustain life into the future. They have learned from nature that members of a
healthy ecosystem do not abuse the resources they need in order to survive. They
have also learned from nature to take only what they need and to adjust their
behavior in times of boom or bust. This requires that students learn to take a long
view when making decisions about how to live.

Activity 1.3.3

Aside from the above classroom practices, what other practices could you think educators
could apply to help learners’ become ecoliterate? Explain/Discuss each practice.
Ecological Literacy in the Classroom

To promote ecological literacy in the classroom, teachers should shift emphasis through
the following (Alata & Ignacio, 2019):
 From parts to whole – subjects should be taught as integrated, not as isolated units in
the curriculum.
 From objects to relationship – an ecosystem is a community and it emphasizes
relationship, cooperation, and group decision making.
 From objective knowledge to contextual knowledge – this requires one to explain
properties of the parts within the context of the whole or in terms of environment and
systems.
 From quantity to quality – assessment should consider, not only standardized testing
(numeric scores and measurement), other forms of assessment like qualitative
assessment, which might focus on behaviors and attitudes (e.g., attitude towards the
environment.
 From structure to process – this shift focuses on project-based learning, which
highlights the application of knowledge based or within evolving real-life contexts.
 From content to patterns – it is important to study patterns of living system and one
way to do this is to integrate arts and creative literacy. This enable learners to recognize/
express patterns whether in poetry, literature, visual arts, music, etc.

Characteristics of an Ecoliterate Person

The following are the characteristics of an ecoliterate person of the 21st century (Alata &
Ignacio, 2019; Puk & Behm, 2003):
 Responsible
 Lifelong learner
 Strives to improve the human condition and the environment

In order to embody the above characteristics, one should become:

 An inquirer – develops/acquires the basic skills and knowledge in order to carry out
ecological responsibilities.
 A reflective learner – understands the value and limitations of human knowledge, the
power and limitations of human knowledge, the natural world, the role of intuition in
real life pursuit, and the role of self.
 Intelligently self-directed – engages in self-appraisal, sets new learning objectives,
carries out plans in a flexible inquiry-directed manner, and reflects on the whole
process.
  Morally responsible – governs actions with precepts, being responsible, seeking justice
and equality for all, and maintains harmonious relationship.
 Ecologically responsible – embraces ecological ideals in daily life
 Seek self-transcendence – moves beyond the limitations of personal ego by identifying
human group, flora and fauna, and ecosphere.

Activity 1.3.4

Identify and describe the characteristics of ecoliterate person by competing the semantic
web below.

Characteristics
Responsible of an
Ecoliterate
person
 Application

Identify one environmental problem in your barangay (e.g., water pollution), what solution
could you propose? Explain in five paragraphs – five sentences each paragraph. Then write another
three paragraphs on how you could promote ecological literacy in your future school in order to
protect and rehabilitate the ecosystem or environment. In addition, include documentation (take
picture/s including yourself (e.g., in front of garbage disposal problem). Follow instructions.

References

Alata, E. & Ignacio, E. (2019). Building and enhancing new literacies across the curriculum.
Manila: Rex Book Store.

Eisner, E. W. (2002). What can education learn from the arts about the practice of education?
Retrieved from https://infed.org/what-can-education-learn-from-the-arts-about-the-
practice-of-education/

Goleman, D. (2009). Ecological Intelligence: The Hidden Impacts of What We Buy Can Change
Everything. New York: Broadway Books.

Goleman, G., Bennett, L. & Barlow, Z. (2012). Ecoliterate. San Francisco, U.S.A.: Jossey-Bass.

Goleman, G., Bennett, L. & Barlow, Z. (2013). Five ways to develop Ecoliteracy. Retrieved from
https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/five_ways_to_develop_ecoliteracy

McIntosh, P., & Warren, D. (2013). Creativity in the classroom: Case studies in using the arts in
teaching and learning in higher education. U.S.A.: Intellect.

Meena, M.B., & Alison, M.W. (2009). Decisions and dilemmas: Using writing to learn activities
 to increase ecological literacy. Journal of Environmental Education, 40 (3).

National Coalition Core Arts Standard. (2014). NCCAS Conceptual Framework.

Retrieved from https://www.nationalartsstandards.org/content/resources.

Orr, D. (2011). Hope is an imperative: The essential David Orr. USA: Island Press.

Orr, D. (1994). Earth mind on education, environment, and the human prospect. USA: Island
Press.

Puk, T.G., & Behm, D. (2003). The diluted curriculum: The role of government in developing
ecological literacy in Ontario secondary schools. Canadian Journal of Environment
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Robinson, K. (2017). Out of our minds: The power of being creative. United Kingdom: John Wiley
& Sons Ltd.

Robinson, K. (2013). How to escape education’s death valley? Retrieved from www.ted.com

Robinson, K. (2006). Do school kills creativity? Retrieved from www.ted.com

Shenfield, R. (2015). Literacy in the arts. Literacy Learning: The Middle Years, 23(1).