Hello! My name is Olivia and I will be going into my third year of teaching. I am originally from Bethesda, MD, and went to college in Massachusetts, where I studied Psychology and Africana Studies. Upon my graduation from college, I joined Teach for America’s 2021 Hawai’i cohort. It was during those years that I developed my passion for teaching English through a social justice lens. I also really enjoyed teaching my students about climate sustainability and loved experiencing the ways we would all inspire one another to be active change makers in our community. I became involved with Subject to Climate this past summer as a Hawai’i fellow and am thrilled to continue to partner with them as I create content that is student-centered and SEL-focused.
In this lesson, students learn about the harmful environmental effects of fast fashion and discover ways to increase personal responsibility and fashion sustainability.
Step 1 - Inquire: Students discover the origin of the clothing they personally wear and speculate about possible connections to climate change.
Step 2 - Investigate: Students analyze an editorial and a video detailing the connection between fashion production, carbon emissions, and human rights.
Step 3 - Inspire: Students calculate their fashion footprint and write a paragraph identifying choices they or others can make that promote fashion sustainability.
In this lesson, students analyze a poem by Marshallese poet Kathy Jetñil-Kijiner, then write a poem that reflects their culture or homeland and how they have been affected by climate change.
Step 1 - Inquire: Students identify the Marshall Islands on a map, reflect on the title of the poem “Tell Them,” and listen to a recitation by the poet.
Step 2 - Investigate: Students analyze how elements such as figurative language and imagery in the poem evoke the poet’s culture, homeland, and the impact of climate change.
Step 3 - Inspire: Students use “Tell Them” as a model to write their own poem that connects to their culture, home, and experience of climate change.
In this civic engagement lesson, students explore Green Ribbon Schools, audit their own school’s practices, and write sustainability proposals.
Inquire: Students reflect on their experience of climate change education and sustainability practices at their school.
Investigate: Students learn how schools across the country have implemented the three pillars of Green Ribbon Schools and then participate in a “tour” to evaluate their own school.
Inspire: Students create and present a proposal for an action to improve their school’s sustainability.
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