By Sunayana Prabhu
New Jersey school students will be the first in the nation to officially study climate change as part of their K-12 curriculum. An initiative of first lady Tammy Murphy, signed into law in June 2020, the mandate was implemented this school year. Public schools across the state, including in the Two River area, are now working to officially incorporate climate change content in classrooms. “Being in an area where climate change directly impacts the students and their families, it is easier for concepts to be grasped,” said Michael Haughwout, a science teacher at Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School. Considering several zones in the Two River area are highly susceptible to extreme climate conditions, most students have seen the impact firsthand and are sensitized enough to grasp new climate change concepts.
Officially recognizing climate change in education is a “major step in the right direction,” Haughwout said, adding that RFH is moving forward with a plan to include professional development for all staff so climate change can be incorporated in all subject matters. “All of our science classes have developed lessons around climate change, and we are in the process of planning environmental events and outreach to the public in student-led activities,” said Haughwout.
According to a September press release announcing the new climate change curriculum, Gov. Phil Murphy said the lessons New Jersey students learn “will bring us one step closer to building our green economy and reaching and sustaining 100 percent clean energy in New Jersey by 2050.”
Tammy Murphy said the new standards will develop the world’s next generation of climate-literate leaders, including policymakers, historians, teachers and more, who will discover new ways to address the climate crisis.
As additional support to equip schools with resources to implement the changes in curriculum, in March this year, Gov. Murphy allocated $5 million in the 2023 fiscal year state budget for K-12 climate change education. This led to the creation of a Climate Change Education Resource Hub. The hub serves as a database for climate change education lesson plans, professional learning opportunities and more.
New Jersey Student Learning Standards (NJSLS), a part of the of the NJ Department of Education, outlines what is taught in New Jersey’s public schools and sets the foundation for school districts to craft instruction. The NJSLS adopted climate change education to prepare students across seven content areas besides science and environmental studies, which include 21st-century life and careers, comprehensive health and physical education, social studies, technology, visual and performing arts, mathematics and English language arts and world languages.
For quite some time, students in the world language department at Rumson-Fair Haven have been studying how science, technology and the human footprint affect society, said Christina Gauss, a Spanish teacher at the school. Gauss noted that, in addition to several climate change discussions and activities at the local and national level, including mock United Nations Climate Change Conferences, the school has implemented projects “from hosting a beach sweep, talking with the cafeteria about replacing plasticware with utensils and volunteering at Rumson’s Eco-fest, to proposing no-idle zone signs in the school parking lots.
“We’ve also engaged the entire school in daily challenges such as ‘use a recyclable water bottle’ and ‘take a walk in nature,’” she said.
But not everyone in the state is convinced the new climate change curriculum mandate is necessary. According to a statement from Assemblyman Gerry Scharfenberger, climate change curriculum needs to “teach children how, not what, to think.”
Scharfenberger, a professional archeologist, and adjunct professor at Monmouth University, discusses with his classes that climate change has been occurring for millions of years, for natural and manmade reasons. While he supports a rigorous study on all topics controversial or not, he expressed concern over how this new curriculum will play out in the classroom. “There are a lot of things about this that bother me. First, this mandate was pushed by politicians, educators, and activists with an agenda, the green kind. Second, when listening to them, you would think the climate science is settled. It’s not, but they go unchallenged,” Scharfenberger (R-Monmouth) said. “Third, our children are a captive audience. Will they have the freedom to learn all sides of the issue and ask honest, tough questions – in otherwords, do the diligent work of a scientist – or is this just indoctrination time?” Students in grades K-12 will be taught that overuse of resources, unsustainable practices and policies, and human behaviors have resulted in climate change. Particular focus will be paid to the inequities of these catastrophes, with lessons focusing on “both the science of climate change and the environmental and social justice issues that result from the rapidly changing climate,” according to a February 2022 report for the New Jersey School Boards Association.
“It is incredibly important that the next generation has a solid understanding of climate change from a young age,” said Sen. Vin Gopal (D-11), Chair of the Senate Education Committee, in a press statement. “Through this curriculum, we can give meaning to the rise of severe weather and extreme temperatures, while offering explanations on how we can address it and what they can do to help.”
The article originally appeared in the November 10 – 16, 2022 print edition of The Two River Times.
