Teach Your Children Well, or . . . Children, Teach Your Parents Well?

One of the really fun things I did for Earth Day 2009 was to talk with several hundred 4th graders at Fairborn Intermediate School. We had a focus on learning about their backyard and their neighborhood, particularly parks in the Greater Dayton area. I choose this approach for my presentation because research shows that while children know about distance places like the Amazon Rainforest and the effects of the destruction of the rainforest, they know very little about the impact of development on the area where they live. Another example is that children know about the dire consequences of the melting sea ice for polar bears but they do not understand the myriad of species being lost in the Midwest because of habitat fragmentation.

So, in my Earth Day conversation with these (very well behaved) 4th graders, I wanted to talk with them about where they lived and what they could do to help the Earth. I asked them questions and they knew a lot – they identified several examples of Ohio wildlife including the state bird, the Cardinal. We talked about places like Five Rivers Metro Parks locations where they could hike or camp and explore the outdoors nearby. We also talked about a place in Ohio where they could also see more exotic wildlife, The Wilds. About 90 minutes east of Columbus, on nearly 10,000 acres of land reclaimed from a coal mining operation, The Wilds provides opportunities to see bison, giraffes, rhinos, zebras and a much more.

I had also asked the teachers at Fairborn Intermediate School to collect questions from the 4th graders so I could see what questions they had about topics related to Earth Day. These were some very smart and savvy students. There questions were very informed and I told them that – and I told them that I wished some adults were asking such good questions. They asked me about recycling, energy production, resource conservation, and what they could do – like I said, very smart and insightful 4th graders. We discussed not using the drive through, turning off the car and walking and riding bikes more, thinking about what you need versus what you are feeling like you need because of some advertising and more. Like I said, these were some smart kids, and only in the 4th grade! I truly enjoyed my visit and I believe that the students enjoyed and learned from the Power Point presentation I shared with them this week for Earth Day.

So, whether Cosby, Still, Nash and Young had the title of the song right or not – I am hoping these children can teach their parents well about reducing, reusing, recycling and rethinking our consumption of resources to live in more sustainable ways – for the future of all children and for all living beings, young and not so young.