[Serial_Worrier]

Tell them that they're doomed and will be part of the 6,000,000,000 dieoff and lucky if they don't meet up with zombie hordes!

[nero]

I'm with retiredguy, when I was in grade 5, nuclear war was an ever present worry and we survived. I think peak oil should be brought up in social studies and history. It is very important to teach kids that the world changes and that the world they raise their children in will likely be very different from the world they are being raised in . (To the kids going into grade 5 there has ALWAYS been a war over there in Iraq and Afghanistan. ) If we don't prepare the kids for the possibility that things can go disastrously wrong our society is doomed to be unprepared for a crisis. It is essential in my opinion that kids learn to think about the long term in school because our entire society is geared towards the short term. If they don't get taught the idea in school they certainly won't get it anywhere else.

[drgoodword]

I think a restrained, informative discussion of peak oil would be good for the age group you're teaching.

I agree with the other posters that it's best to leave the doomerish aspects out. I think a good way to frame the topic is under the heading of "oil depletion" (you may want to completely avoid the term "peak oil"), and I'd use the government's (EIA's) peak estimate of 2030. I'd also make the point that American indepedence from oil will make the nation safer (a point agreed upon by all parts of the political spectrum).

Here's a sample of the kind of language, tone and conceptualizations I'd use (while in university I worked summers as a canoe instructor for that age group, so I still remember a little of what it's like teaching to kids):

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'T')he problem America and the rest of the world faces is that as we use up more oil, eventually it will be harder to get, so one day oil will be a lot more expensive, and we will have less of it to use. Because we use oil for so many things--ground transportation, air transportation, growing food, all kinds of plastics--having less oil means we will have to make a lot of changes in how we do things, and especially where we get our energy from. There are a lot of things we can start doing right now to make the transition from oil in the future easier. We can practice conservation with the things in our lives by reducing, reusing and recycling. We can practice conservation with energy by making simple energy-saving changes like washing our laundry with cold water, which gets clothes just as clean as warm or hot water. We can also help change the future by asking our parents, teachers, neighbours and leaders to make sure we are doing all we can to switch to sustainable forms of energy like wind and solar power. The change from an oil-powered world to a green-powered world may sometimes get difficult, but the sooner we start and the more we do now, the better our future will be.

[alokin]

I think it is very important teach the kids about PO, as the kids go home and teach their parents. They might protest, because it is not what they read in the cooperate media, but some of them might wake up.
For the kids it is important to know what they're expecting and teach them practical skills.

Maybe it would be a good idea to organize some speeches in the school / church/library about PO at the same time you're introducing the topic to you kids or even a bit earlier.

[essex]

There are a lot of good ideas shared here. I teach social studies and history. I printed a pdf file of one of Simmon's speeches and put it on the wall, but have to say virually no student has looked at it other than to tag it - our school is at the bottom of the social spectrum. You just have to be gentle about it and not come over as " we're all gonna die" One of my students likes to tell me every day what the price of oil is. Most kids want glamorous and energy intensive carreers, pilot, air hostess etc and I encourage them to have a plan A , B, C etc. Kids live in the " now".

[Nano]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('PeakingAroundtheCorner', 'I') keep telling my stepson that just because things look bad, that is no excuse for giving up. I tell him that we can't give up now and we can learn now to deal with it when it comes.

[pup55]

Hi, Steven:

You are a good guy for going into teaching. You probably passed up a higher salary and put up with a lot of grief from the administration and parents in order to try to influence the lives of these young people.

The story I always tell is of my fourth grade teacher, Mrs. Solon. She was trying to teach us our multiplication tables, and she said the following: "You need to learn this stuff. No one can carry an adding machine around with them all the time to do these problems."


Of course, she could not see at the time that she was wrong. You can, indeed, carry more computing and communicating power around in your pocket than she could possibly have imagined in 1964. There is no way to tell whether anything you teach these little kids will have any applicability at all, when they are adults in 2050. Her training and education were set up to teach us how to get along fine in the society of 1945, when she went to school. She had no idea what was about to hit us in 1975, and certainly could not imagine the kids in her class texting one another, and communicating and collaborating like they do now.

So, give them a tool kit of skills, and the confidence to use them. Start off by not bogging them down in the doomer stuff. Teach them to observe the world around them, realize that they are part of a bigger system, that they have an individual impact, and by working through things logically, they can either solve problems or adapt to change.

Taking measurements is important. As they say in the quality systems business, you can't improve what you don't measure. There are a dozen things in your school that you can measure and monitor in order to understand how your ecological and energy systems work. That will help them think objectively about problems on the basis of data, rather than on something they hear in the media.

Don't spook them out. They have problems enough as it is.

[StevenSlaughter]

Being new to this board (and off of message boards in general for several years), I am really stunned and impressed by the number and quality of responses I've received so quickly. Wow! Thank you all so much, and if anyone has further thoughts or resources, keep them coming.

One thing I have in my favor is a good reputation at my school and very supportive parents. It is an interesting school. The neighborhood boundaries include some of the city's wealthiest and some below the poverty line, all in the same classroom, which is very unusual -- it is normally much more economically homogenous. So I have kids who have never experienced much beyond their few blocks sitting next to others who fly off to Vail for the weekend. We are building a rooftop greenhouse and other green initiatives, and, as liberals, in general the parents are VERY supportive of environmental education (at least in the abstract), so whenever it can be done, they support it.

As others have mentioned, kids today are growing up exposed to far more than most of us were. Even if we were exposed to the Red Scare -- and it was no doubt scary -- none of us were relentlessly bombarded by media the way kids are today, since the media simply was not as pervasive.

The Red Scare, the threat of nuclear holocaust, is an interesting case study, it seems to me. As one born in the summer of love ('67), this was before my time, but I see some useful parallels. While the threat was great and ominous, it never materialized the way doomsayers were certain it would (at least to date). So, helping kids understand the very real threat, which later led many of them to activism against nucs, etc. was a good thing; on the other hand, wherever it was framed as inevitable doom, kids were made terrified about something that didn't materialize. We must always hold out hope, whatever other information we are giving them.

I am convinced that PO will change everything, and I am not at this point a techno-optimist who believes we will be able to fix it in time with a miracle pill. I think life WILL be much different. My job, I believe, is to do whatever I can to help my students discover (for themselves to whatever degree is possible, the best way to learn anything) the truths that life on the planet is changing. This is nothing really new to them. And while alternative energy and conservation may not be able to completely rescue us from the over-indulgent lifestyle we cannot sustain, these are important things for them to know, for they will help, either large or small scale, and they can be taught with hope and fun.

I taught a lesson that was very powerful, and I plan on doing it again about resource distribution. We had all of the 5th grade classes together (about 60 kids) and I brought out a HUGE cake that my baker brother had made. I passed out colored slips of paper and the kids grouped themselves accordingly. I showed them a world population pie chart and pointed out that they were grouped the same way. So, if there were 4/60 Americans and Canadians, there were 36/60 Asians, 6/60 Europeans, etc. I asked them how we should split up the cake; of course they said proportionately. I showed them a second pie chart showing the ratio of resource consumption as it actually is and announced we'd be splitting the cake that way. So those four N. Americans received about 25% of this giant cake, while the Africans and Asians received what amounted to a small bite or two each. Kids this age have a high regard for "fairness", so of course this was rather upsetting.

I separated the groups into different rooms for discussion and deliberation about how they would divide their part of the cake, and it was so interesting. In the end, while a couple of the rich nation kids gorged themselves, most shared with the poorer countries. Their impulse to fairness led them to want to be generous. I made sure to point out that this was a very simplified demonstration, that I was not trying to sell them on a worldwide communist system. It opened up their eyes to the enormous inequity and wastefulness in the world. It launched further discussions at school and at home -- about corrupt dictators who get rich from our good will donations, about how we can be generous in ways that truly help people, etc. One girl asked me about how her family could sponsor a child in another country.

Another piece of this that I'd like your feedback on is finding ways to teach them that some traditional or low-tech activities/skills can bring them more pleasure in life than the mountains of gadgetry and years they will otherwise spend in the front of the glowing screen of TV. I've read on these boards about mental/psychological strength to weather the coming storms. Kids today are so saturated in media and high tech toys that they really see no other pleasure in life, despite it being rather empty in the end, IMHO. It is such a lie that everyone has just accepted. Rather than ranting about it in a negative way, I want to expose them to the fun they can have doing simpler, low-tech things. Give kids a chance and they LOVE gardening, examining the soil for insects, etc. Many of them also love to cook, maybe because it is such a novelty in their lives (they've never seen anyone do more than reheating before). Nobody gives kids a chance to build things on their own. (It's interesting...the very popular "Dangerous Book for Boys/Girls" books were given to a lot of my students last year, but I wonder how many parents showed their kid how to use a few hand tools -- if they own any -- to let them actually build or create anything on their own.)

Thanks again for all of the great thoughts and ideas.

Warm Regards,

Steven Slaughter
Chicago

[Aaron]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'B')eing new to this board (and off of message boards in general for several years), I am really stunned and impressed by the number and quality of responses I've received so quickly. Wow! Thank you all so much, and if anyone has further thoughts or resources, keep them coming.

[Mack12345]

I guess I dont really have much to contribute , that hasnt already been said . However I wanted to chime in breifly and say how wonderfull I think that this thred is .
THIS , is constructive exchange of ideas at its very best IMO . This type of Discussion is in my mind at least . What can/does make the internet a great thing .

[Heineken]

How much control do public school teachers have over what they teach? How much latitude to communicate unvarnished and unpleasant truths, express and encourage opinion, foster individuality? Just curious. When I look at a public school I see a conformity farm, but maybe my perception is wrong?

Good thread idea. We don't discuss the educational system enough here.

[StevenSlaughter]

Heineken,

Good question about the amount of freedom public teachers have. I'm sure the truth is that, like most of life, it runs the spectrum depending on where you are, the parents, political disposition of the locality, academic status of the school, and most important, the administration. In my case, I am fortunate to have all of these things working for and not against me. The academic status of the school often drives things, especially since our current presidential administration has championed No Child Left Behind. Even for those of us (teachers) sympathetic to more conservative/centrist politics, there are many things about NCLB that are very bad for children and that force schools to drill students on a handful of core technical skills at the expense of authentic learning and critical thinking. NCLB is encouraging the training of next gen of worker bees, office and assembly line drones. In struggling schools, the reality is that if they do not hit specified increasingly unattainable benchmarks (as if the school alone can control this!), their funding will suffer. That will sure help those kids, won't it?

Anyway, I am lucky enough to be at a school that works, one of the best public schools in the city. (I consider getting this job a miracle, a blessing from God.) Because of this, it is culture that welcomes genuine learning and doesn't "teach to the test." We still have specific content that must be taught -- all of the basics that most of us studied in school -- but there is also a lot of flexibility. I also run an afterschool ecology club and I can do what I like there. I am keenly aware that I am in a very unique situation and that most public schools, I think, tend to more regimented.

Steven

[StevenSlaughter]

I want to recommend a couple of fantastic, award-winning novels written for middle-school age. Since switching to teaching five years ago, I've read a LOT of books for this age and have been struck with just how fine many of them are. I smile, because my wife is in a book club that reads a lot of the "Oprah's Bookclub" sort of books -- most very good writing, but rather long. A lot of 'serious' adult novels take 100 pages just to get going. This is why I'm constantly recommending kids and Young Adult novels to my reading friends. Many are just as beautifully written, but get right into the thick of it and aren't a zillion pages. Many of them also have wonderfully rich and complex themes.

Given this forum, I thought I'd recommend a few dystopian novels.

First, I highly recommend Lois Lowry's trilogy (not precisely a trilogy, but more a set of related stories set in the same sort of period). All three take place in some vague future that feels rather primitive. Sort of like what the world might be like 200 years into the future if TSHTF and we revert to more medieval village-style living. Fascinating and profound.

The titles are: The Giver, Gathering Blue, and The Messenger.

Due to the nature of this forum, I am confident that nearly all of you would find these novels beautifully written, haunting, and thought-provoking.

The second series I recommend in part because the first book is soon to be a feature film. Jean Du Prau's "City of Ember" and its sequels are very interesting. It takes place in a small city that is lit only by electric lighting (the sky is always dark). When the electricity goes out, it is utter darkness. I won't spoil it by telling you why this is, but I'll say that it has to do with the depletion of energy and other calamities that have brought about this strange, dystopian setting. As you find out what's what, it is really fascinating and profound. In fact, now that I think of it, I may read this book aloud to my class before the film comes out. It would be such a great intro to the study of energy in science.

Adults rarely take me up on my recommendations, but for those of you who are avid readers, believe me: these are very well written books that you will really enjoy if you give them a shot. And, if you don't, you can get through one in just a few days, so no big investment. If anyone takes me up on it, please reply to this post to let us know what you think.

Steven

[Heineken]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('StevenSlaughter', 'H')eineken,

Good question about the amount of freedom public teachers have. I'm sure the truth is that, like most of life, it runs the spectrum depending on where you are, the parents, political disposition of the locality, academic status of the school, and most important, the administration. In my case, I am fortunate to have all of these things working for and not against me. The academic status of the school often drives things, especially since our current presidential administration has championed No Child Left Behind. Even for those of us (teachers) sympathetic to more conservative/centrist politics, there are many things about NCLB that are very bad for children and that force schools to drill students on a handful of core technical skills at the expense of authentic learning and critical thinking. NCLB is encouraging the training of next gen of worker bees, office and assembly line drones. In struggling schools, the reality is that if they do not hit specified increasingly unattainable benchmarks (as if the school alone can control this!), their funding will suffer. That will sure help those kids, won't it?

Anyway, I am lucky enough to be at a school that works, one of the best public schools in the city. (I consider getting this job a miracle, a blessing from God.) Because of this, it is culture that welcomes genuine learning and doesn't "teach to the test." We still have specific content that must be taught -- all of the basics that most of us studied in school -- but there is also a lot of flexibility. I also run an afterschool ecology club and I can do what I like there. I am keenly aware that I am in a very unique situation and that most public schools, I think, tend to more regimented.

Steven

[patience]

StevenSlaughter,

Problem solving skills and creativity are the best we can teach, IMHO. How about a class solar oven design project? (Don't forget the sunglasses!) Here's just one link of many on the net for other ideas:

Solar Designs

I agree, don't scare the kids, teach them hope to cope with life.

[vilemerchant]

You must work with some smart kids. My wife is a literacy councilor at a rather poverty-stricken school here in Australia. These kids struggle with 10+1 (luckily not her department) so I really doubt they could in any way fathom the concepts of rising oil demand and an imminent decline in supply. Hell, 95% of adults DON'T GET THIS AND CAN'T BE TOLD.

It's one thing to be called a doomsday theorist on the internet or at work around the water cooler, but as a school teacher I think you should be very careful. Parents won't want their kids indoctrinated with beliefs that they themselves don't believe or don't want to hear about. By putting forward such a 'fringe' belief you could well paint yourself into a corner. Just concentrate on teaching reading, writing and arithmetic IMO.

[midnight-gamer]

I had a fantastic history teacher in my 8th year of public school. One day, he simply did not come to school any more. The students speculated about what happened, and the staff kept the matter hushed. Years later, I learned my old teacher held some controversial views that landed him in hot water. For the OP, if you need your job, stick to the prescribed teaching plan. Some things are just taboo in our culture, talking about die off is likely among them.

[perdition79]

Slaughter, you are the man for even thinking to prepare children for PO; it shows you see it as a reality rather than a theory. Teaching the children survival skills under the guise of science projects is the way to go. Growing plants, collecting rain water, etc. are both fun and memorable activities for fifth graders.

Plus, think of how much fun your local edition of "Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?" will be after TSHTF. Little Johnny has a doomer victory garden on the roof and a 5,000 gallon cistern in the basement, while his neighbors are killing each other over a can of baked beans.

[Revi]

I thought about it and peak oil addles the minds of most adults. it upsets them. Kids know it's happening anyway. They live in a different world than most adults anyway. I asked some students which they would rather live without, their cell phone or a car. Most gave up the car.

We are the ones attatched to car culture. They have already moved on to a world where oil is scarce.

I did a little informal survey of 10 kids who graduated from my high school. 5 kids who stuck around here had jobs and no cars, and 5 others had a job and a car. The job was the military, and their cars sat on the base.

[cestlavie]

Hi Stephen,

My mom was a english teacher (30 years, now retired). My dad threw the (black and white) TV down the cellar stairs when I was a baby (so we never had one). So I've had high expectatations (imaginative wise) since imagination was explored only (or mostly) through books. This movie has inspired me to cook and add imaginative things in that I normally wouldnt. Its about a rat inspired by higher ideals. The ideals of living a cleaner life, not just eating garbage but actually cooking food, and savoring it. Savoring each moment eating, and living life. Its a very entertaining, very amusing movie for both students and adults alike. Its wonderful to know there is such a good opportunity for you to educate students and help them develop their intellect (and creativity) in ways that will last. If you determine that you cant show the movie then if nothing else it will be good $ spent on a DVD rental and a good laugh! :>

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3966204027951681372&ei=FFezSNfNNIiOrwK7p9SADQ&q=ratatouille&vt=lf&hl=en