Storytelling as Pedagogy: Story-based Learning for Environmental Education

Catalog description

Everyone can tell a story! This course will explore the use of storytelling in outdoor learning and environmental education for all ages, for both beginner and experienced storytellers. We will look beyond picture books to see how important it is to continue the tradition of oral storytelling to inspire imagination, create community, teach ecology, build relationships, celebrate cultures and belonging, inspire a sense of place, and learn land stewardship ethics. We will consider how we can respectfully incorporate storytelling into our sessions, acknowledging that Indigenous pedagogies often include teaching through oral storytelling. As Jan Hare states in Reconciliation Through Indigenous Education (2018),”Story is important to processes of reconciliation.” There is an extensive “hidden curriculum” in storytelling which also includes literacy, science, social skill development, and emotional regulation. We will explore how to find stories, how to create and co-create stories with your learners from the inspiration of place, and explore natural materials for storytelling props. Join this course for an active, collaborative journey designed to show how nature and place-based storytelling can nurture students, educators, and the land.