A headline on the front page of today’s Washington Post says “Climate Change Scenarios Scare, and Motivate, Kids.”
The story tells about the growing interest of students, some as young as 8, in the issue of global warming. Some youngsters are doing classroom projects on climate change; others are trying to rally their schools to raise money to combat global warming. And at one high school, enrollment in an AP environmental science class has doubled over the past two years and is expected to continue growing.
What’s the educational lesson here?
It’s a simple one: Make learning relevant to students’ lives and futures and their motivation will follow.