Teacher-students Chose of Children's Book to Introduce Concepts Related to Sustainability

The aim of this paper is to analyse how teacher-students chose children’s book to introduce concepts related to sustainability to preschool children and how they relate the chosen books to the subject. As assignment in a... [ view full abstract ]

The aim of this paper is to analyse how teacher-students chose children’s book to introduce concepts related to sustainability to preschool children and how they relate the chosen books to the subject. As assignment in a course about sustainability in schools, students worked in pairs to analyse 3-5 children’s books using a grid (designed by me) based on UN developmental goals as a criteria. The students analyses the content of chosen books, describe why they chose each book, ethical and controversial issues have to be addressed as well as stereotypes that appears and how they connect the book with the UN goals. As part of the project they have to put forwards philosophical questions and point toward methods they want to use with children to explore the book. I want to point out that in Iceland sustainability is one of the fundamental pillars of the national curriculum for all school levels.

The data is student’s assignments, they chose books and made teaching plan form each book related to UN sustainability goals. Part of the analyses will be to identify which UN developmental goals are most chosen and why, what in the chosen book resonated with the students and what kind of question and controversial issues they address. As part of my analytical tool I look toward the Nordic genus project on children’s literature (http://genustest.no/).

As expected conclusion when this is written  I presume by the interest the student have shown during the course that the main subjects will relate to goals concerning equality and nature in some way but less related to social values and economics.  

Keyword: books, children, Nordic genus project, sustainability