By now, the majority of us are aware of the global disaster that is climate change. Global warming has many consequences, some of which are more visible and obvious than others. One devastating invisible effect of global warming is the slow death of our coral reefs. Today’s World Reef Awareness Day aims to raise awareness of this important issue and provoke active change through education.

When it comes to coral reefs dying, the phrase “Out of sight, out of mind” seems fitting. Because of this, making the problem as visible and tangible as possible is key. The documentary Chasing Coral by Jeff Orlowski does just this. It explains that in the past 30 years, half of our coral reefs have died due to coral bleaching from rising water temperatures. To visualize this problem and raise awareness, scientists and photographers use time-lapse cameras to capture this devastating process.

Illustrated stories are a wonderful way to allow younger students to visualize issues more easily. And as today is not just World Reef Awareness Day but also Children’s Day, it’s only fitting to recommend my favorite children’s books on climate change!

• Saving Tally: An eco-critical story on friendship, survival, and environmental pollution reminding us to keep trash out of the sea. This tale features Tally, a little turtle, and her friend Ara, a red lobster.
• Somebody Swallowed Stanley: This story on environmental pollution follows Stanley – who is no ordinary jellyfish but a little plastic bag that was thrown into the ocean. Foregrounding the dangers for sea creatures who want to take a bite of Stanley, this story makes clear that plastic bags do not belong in the sea.
• The Snail and the Whale: A rhyming, eco-critical story about the relativity of prejudices and stereotypes, the importance of friendship, and environmental protection: “This is a tale of a tiny snail and a great big, grey-blue humpback whale…”

Let us know about your favorite eco-critical books or films via the Suggest an entry button on our homepage!

All the best,

Sarah

Happy World Earth Day! This year’s motto is Invest in Our Planet, an appeal to everyone to preserve and protect our environment. To achieve this, action is crucial. But how? Sometimes it’s incredibly difficult to take action when you don’t even know where to start. The official Earth Day website offers informative live streams as well as an overview of the different events offered globally surrounding Earth Day. Take a look!

Of course, there is also an abundance of literature and films that can help spark the discussion about climate change in the EFL classroom, regardless of age and language level!

• WALL-E by Andrew Stanton: This animated film follows the life of a small robot called WALL-E. He spends his days collecting garbage on a deserted Earth, made uninhabitable by human behavior. Both a tale of romance and climate change, the film tackles many issues related to over-consumption in modern society.
• What Happened When We All Stopped by Avi Ofer, Jane Goodall, Tom Rivett-Carnac: This ecocritical, animated short film shares an empowering message: “No time for sorrow, we are building tomorrow.” Following a young girl, the story explores how mankind rediscovers nature during the lockdown of the COVID-19 pandemic, which, hopefully, leads us to a brighter, cleaner, and greener future.
• The Snail and the Whale by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler: A rhyming, eco-critical story about the relativity of prejudices and stereotypes, the importance of friendship and environmental protection: “This is a tale of a tiny snail and a great big, grey-blue humpback whale…”
• Here We Are: Notes for Living on Planet Earth by Oliver Jeffers: This beautifully illustrated book presents Earth as something precious that needs to be protected by all generations. The story shows both the beauty of the world as well as its problems while staying optimistic: “Though we have come a long way, we haven’t quite worked everything out, so there is plenty left for you to do.”

We would love to hear your suggestions for literature about climate change!

Sarah

As you know, on Lit4School we aim to recommend literature and media relevant to current events, climate change being one of them! Therefore, the following project caught our eye: Climate Solidarities will offer five different workshops on Gather.town all about the various aspects of climate change. All workshops will be held in English and are suitable for students, adults and educators alike. In her presentation “Lit4School: Reading about and Discussing Current Affairs in the Classroom”, Sarah Clart will introduce ecocritical and socially engaged literature and media on our database.

Join the international youth congress CLIMATE SOLIDARITIES on the 15th and 16th of July 2021 during the Globe21 festival. Take a look at the trailer and register if you’re interested; admission is free!

Happy World Environment Day! This year’s theme is Ecosystem Restoration. Not only does it focus on restoring our destroyed ecosystems, but conserving the intact ones as well.

Reading about climate change and nature in general can give us a better understanding of just how much our environment influences our lives. Whether it be natural disasters or climate change, in the end we’re all at the mercy of our planet. This becomes apparent in the novel Salvage the Bones, which follows a family living in poverty in the midst of Hurricane Katrina. In contrast to this very real event, the dystopian novel The Wall paints a picture of a future that could await us. In a world broken by climate change, a wall is all that separates an island of safety from the “Others” desperately trying to find a way in.

Speaking of sea levels rising…In honor of World Oceans Day on June 8th, let’s not forget the impact our oceans have on the environment! The documentary Seaspiracy sheds light on the many factors that play a role in the destruction of the marine ecosystem. The beautifully illustrated children’s book We Are Water Protectors tells the story of a young girl protecting her home from the “black snake”, which represents the oil pipelines threatening to poison her people’s water. Also, this animated short film, which has been adapted from the children’s book What Happened When We All Stopped by Tom Rivett-Carnac, reminds us how nature recovered during the COVID-19 pandemic and demands for a paradigm shift concerning mindful living on planet earth. The cartoon “Do What I Say, Not What I Do” by Patrick Chappatte illustrates the unwillingness of industrial countries to make a sustainable change in climate politics.

Stay safe and have an extra sunny weekend!

Sarah

World Earth Day has always held a special place in my heart growing up. As a kid, I used to attend the annual World Earth Day festival, hoping to snag a cute wolf T-shirt or get a butterfly painted on my face. But of course, World Earth Day isn’t about us, but everything around us that we so often ignore or take for granted. The first World Earth Day in 1970 marked the start of an awareness of climate change and its consequences. Pollution in the air was no longer seen as a natural consequence of industrialization, but a dangerous sign of the deteriorating environment. Now, World Earth Day aims to raise awareness of the urgent need for change. The official Earth Day Website offers digital events all about the environment from April 20th through 22nd. This includes panel discussions, presentations and more. Don’t forget that today, teachers also have the opportunity to register for a free school ticket for one of the Earth Day performances! Of course, there is an abundance of literature that can help spark the discussion about climate change in the EFL classroom, regardless of age and language level.

• How to Bee by Bren MacDibble is set in a world where have bees have gone extinct. As a result, children must take on the job of hand pollinating plants. And even though 9-year-old Peony is technically too young for the job, she’s convinced she would make a great bee.
• In Watership Down by Richard Adams, a group of rabbits is forced to flee from their home due to man-made destruction. Their home is collateral damage in a construction project, leading to a search for safety and new beginnings.
• Dear Future Generations: Sorry by Prince Ea offers a reflection on the current climate change and environmental destruction. The speaker’s apology to “future generations” is accompanied by practical advice on how to reduce your carbon footprint and build ethical consumer habits. This would be a great conversation starter about the practicality of the speaker’s advice and the students’ own ideas.
• The dystopian novel A Friend of the Earth by TC Boyle details the life of 75-year-old Tyrone. Set in 2025, climate change has lead to mass extinctions. His memories date back 40 years, describing his activism against deforestation that he took part in with love interest Andrea.

In honor of World Earth Day, give your pets or plants an extra hug today! If you have suggestions for literature about climate change and striving for change, let us know!

Sarah