A new integration of Goleman's emotional, social, and ecological intelligence

Hopeful, eloquent, and bold,Ecoliterate offers inspiring stories, practical guidance, and an exciting new model of education that builds - in vitally important ways - on the success of social and emotional learning by addressing today's most important ecological issues.

This book shares stories of pioneering educators, students, and activists engaged in issues related to food, water, oil, and coal in communities from the mountains of Appalachia to a small village in the Arctic; the deserts of New Mexico to the coast of New Orleans; and the streets of Oakland, California to the hills of South Carolina.

Ecoliterate marks a rich collaboration between Daniel Goleman and the Center for Ecoliteracy, an organization best known for its pioneering work with school gardens, school lunches, and integrating ecological principles and sustainability into school curricula. For nearly twenty years the Center has worked with schools and organizations in more than 400 communities across the United States and numerous other countries.

Ecoliterate also presents five core practices of emotionally and socially engaged ecoliteracy and a professional development guide.

Daniel Goleman is an internationally known psychologist, formerNew York Times science reporter, and author of the classic Emotional Intelligence.

Lisa Bennett is the communications director of the Center for Ecoliteracy, a longtime writer about the environment, health, and education. She is also a former fellow at Harvard University's Center on Press, Politics, and Public Policy.

Zenobia Barlow is the executive director and cofounder of the Center for Ecoliteracy and coeditor ofEcological Literacy: Educating Our Children for a Sustainable World.

Acknowledgments xiii

Introduction: From Breakdown to Breakthrough 1

Five Practices of Emotionally and Socially Engaged Ecoliteracy 12

Section One: Stories From the Field

Part One Standing Strong on a Coal Mountain 21

1 Lessons from a Coal Miners Daughter 23
Teri Blanton and Wendell Berry, Kentucky

How to Mine a Mountain 25

Deconstructing the Meaning of Cheap 26

Why Cant We Go Out and Play, Daddy? 30

2 Taking a Power Trip 35
Spartanburg Day School, South Carolina

Bringing The Ecosphere Down to Earth 36

Whats My Connection? 40

The Last Mountain 41

Part Two From Anger to Action in Oil Country 43

3 The Heart of the Caribou 45
Sarah James, Arctic Village, Alaska

Top Ten Oil Producers 48

United States Is Number One in Oil Consumption 53

4 Beyond Whining 55
Kids Rethink New Orleans Schools

The Worlds Most Important Energy Source 59

Classroom Exercise: Wheres the Oil? 62

Part Three Shared Water: Moving Beyond Boundaries 63

5 Water Wars and Peace 65
Aaron Wolf, Mediator and Oregon State University Professor

The Biggest (Hidden) Use of Water 67

Ocean Water in a Glass? 68

The Resilience of Water 71

6 From Restoration to Resilience 77
Students and Teachers Restoring a Watershed, Northern California

Freshwater Blues 81

The Rise of Dead Zones 82

The New Face of Water Pollution 84

Part Four Nourishing Communities with Food 87

7 Changing a Food System, One Seed at a Time 89
La Semilla Food Center, Anthony, New Mexico

How to Feed Nine Billion 92

Test Your Food IQ 94

8 Forging the Food Justice Path 99
Tony Smith, Superintendent of Schools, Oakland, California

The Rise of School Food Reform 100

The Curriculum Connection 105

Rethinking School Lunch 106

Section Two: Professional Development Strategies 111

9 Cultivating Ecoliterate Learning Communities 113
Guidelines for Engaging Colleagues

Using Circles to Cultivate Deep Listening 118

Transformation in the Classroom 120

10 Reflection and Practice 123
Conversation Strategies for Getting Started

Going on a Virtual Dive 127

Professional Development Sample Agendas 130

Conclusion: Hands-On Hope 133

Notes 135

Resources 155

Index 163

The Center for Ecoliteracy 171

The Authors 173