NSTA Position Statement on Climate Change

Environmental & Science Education
STEM
Climate Change
Society
Culture
Edward Hessler

A September 13, 2018 press release from the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) announced the release, one long awaited, of an NSTA position paper on climate change.

Here is the press release and the position statement, The Teaching of Climate Science.

The position statement includes a list of recommendations, calls attention to necessary support structures, includes a link to an NSTA web page on climate resources and an important section on background information on teaching climate science. The position statement also includes a list of references.

The background information on teaching climate science includes sections on the nature of science, controversy and personal beliefs, the nature of deep-seated beliefs, the time needed for learning and responses to climate change. 

The introduction notes the importance of learning progressions which the National Research Council's publication, A Framework for K-12 Science Education: Practices, Crosscutting Concepts, and Core Ideas uses throughout. This calls attention to the time it takes to learn, K-12. In the following links, you will find a short paragraph on learning progressions on p. 26 and in the section which includes global climate change, the learning progression for K-12, on pp. 196-198.

I chose to link to the read on-line option. There is also a PDF option if you are interested in downloading. Both are provided free.

I was interested in the words used to begin each of the recommendations or declarations as they are referred to in the document. The list includes recognize (3 times), emphasize, deliver, expand, advocate, teach, plan, help, provide,  highlight, analyze (2 times) and seek.  Here is the advocacy statement and it is important: Advocate for integrating climate and climate change science across the K–12 curriculum beyond STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) classes.

There is much to like, applaud and appreciate in this statement from NSTA.