Doug Hayhoe

1. Preservice teachers,
Environmental Concerns,
and a Christian Perspective
Doug Hayhoe,
Tyndale University
College & Seminary,
Toronto, ON, Canada

2. Tyndale department of education
 Christian university, authorized by Ontario to
graduate one-year Bachelor of Education students
 Preservice teachers don’t sign a statement of faith,
as faculty do, but agree to follow lifestyle code.
 Of the 60-70 teachers, some 1/3 are evangelical,
1/3 Catholic, and 1/3 other, including no faith

3. The commonplaces
 Preservice teachers
 30 primary-junior (PJ) teachers (K-Gr. 6)
 30 junior-intermediate (JI) teachers (Gr. 4-10)
 Science & technology methods course
 Knowledge: understanding of concepts
 Skills: inquiry, investigation, & communication skills
 Relating science & tech. to society & the environment
 Provincial focus in Ontario
 The Environment

4. Ontario’s K-10 Curriculum for
Science & Technology
Gr. Life Systems Structures & Matter & Earth &
Mechanisms Energy Space
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

5. Grade Life Systems Structures & Matter & Energy Earth & Space
Mechanisms
1
Ontario’s K-10& Scienceour
Living things Materials
Structures
Energy in
Lives
& Daily & Seasonal
Changes
2 Technology CurriulumLiquids
Animals Movement Solids & Air & Water in the
Environment
3 Plants Structures Forces Soils in the
Environment
4 Habitats Pulleys and gears Light & Sound Rocks & Minerals
5 Human body Structures Chemical Changes Conservation of
Energy
6 Biodiversity Flight Electricity Space (Astronomy)
7 Ecosystems Form & Function Solutions Heat in the
Environment
8 The cell Systems Fluids Water Systems
9 Ecosystems Electricity Atoms Space (Astronomy)
10 Tissues & Organs Light & Optics Chemical Climate Change
Reactions

6. Grade Life Systems Structures & Matter & Energy Earth & Space
Mechanisms
1
Ontario’s K-10& Scienceour
Living things Materials
Structures
Energy in
Lives
& Daily & Seasonal
Changes
2 Technology CurriulumLiquids
Animals Movement Solids & Air & Water in the
Environment
3 Plants Structures Forces Soils in the
Environment
4 Habitats Pulleys and gears Light & Sound Rocks & Minerals
5 Human body Structures Chemical Changes Conservation of
Energy
6 Biodiversity Flight Electricity Space (Astronomy)
7 Ecosystems Form & Function Solutions Heat in the
Environment
8 The cell Systems Fluids Water Systems
9 Ecosystems Electricity Atoms Space (Astronomy)
10 Tissues & Organs Light & Optics Chemical Climate Change
Reactions

7. Grade Life Systems Structures & Matter & Energy Earth & Space
Mechanisms
1
Ontario’s K-10& Scienceour
Living things Materials
Structures
Energy in
Lives
& Daily & Seasonal
Changes
2 Technology CurriulumLiquids
Animals Movement Solids & Air & Water in the
Environment
3 Plants Structures Forces Soils in the
Environment
4 Habitats Pulleys and gears Light & Sound Rocks & Minerals
5 Human body Structures Chemical Changes Conservation of
Energy
6 Biodiversity Flight Electricity Space (Astronomy)
7 Ecosystems Form & Function Solutions Heat in the
Environment
8 The cell Systems Fluids Water Systems
9 Ecosystems Electricity Atoms Space (Astronomy)
10 Tissues & Organs Light & Optics Chemical Climate Change
Reactions

8. The context
 Leadership in the environmental movement has
often been provided by those of little faith, or
little Christian faith. Our natural environment,
however, is a very much a part of God’s creation.
 My own research in science education as a
Christian focuses on soil, air, water, and energy.
 Classical Greek and Egyptian thought talked
about four elements: earth, air, water, and fire.

9. Jeremiah’s World
“But God made the earth by his power; he founded
the world by his wisdom and stretched out the
heavens by his understanding.
When he thunders, the waters in the heavens roar;
he makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth; he
sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind
from his storehouses.”
Jer. 10:12-13; 51:15-16

10. Jeremiah’s World
“But God made the earth by his power; he founded
the world by his wisdom and stretched out the
heavens by his understanding.
When he thunders, the waters in the heavens roar;
he makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth; he
sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind
from his storehouses.”
Jer. 10:12-13; 51:15-16

11. Jeremiah’s World
“But God made the earth by his power; he founded
the world by his wisdom and stretched out the
heavens by his understanding.
When he thunders, the waters in the heavens roar;
he makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth; he
sends lightning with the rain and brings out the
wind from his storehouses.”
Jer. 10:12-13; 51:15-16

12. Jeremiah’s World
“But God made the earth by his power; he founded
the world by his wisdom and stretched out the
heavens by his understanding.
When he thunders, the waters in the heavens roar;
he makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth;
he sends lightning with the rain and brings out the
wind from his storehouses.”
Jer. 10:12-13; 51:15-16

13. Jeremiah’s World
“But God made the earth by his power; he founded
the world by his wisdom and stretched out the
heavens by his understanding.
When he thunders, the waters in the heavens roar;
he makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth;
he sends lightning with the rain and brings out the
wind from his storehouses.”
Jer. 10:12-13; 51:15-16

14. The challenge
 To develop a Christian framework for focusing on
environmental concerns in a science methods
course with preservice teachers, which
compliments the secular science curriculum they
will be teaching from in school.
 The environment is a key focus in the province of
Ontario, with sustainability a “big idea”

15. Grade Life Systems Structures & Matter & Energy Earth & Space
Mechanisms
1
Ontario’s K-10& Scienceour
Living things Materials
Structures
Energy in
Lives
& Daily & Seasonal
Changes
2 Technology CurriulumLiquids
Animals Movement Solids & Air & Water in the
Environment
3 Plants Structures Forces Soils in the
Environment
4 Habitats Pulleys and gears Light & Sound Rocks & Minerals
5 Human body Structures Chemical Changes Conservation of
Energy
6 Biodiversity Flight Electricity Space (Astronomy)
7 Ecosystems Form & Function Solutions Heat in the
Environment
8 The cell Systems Fluids Water Systems
9 Ecosystems Electricity Atoms Space (Astronomy)
10 Tissues & Organs Light & Optics Chemical Climate Change
Reactions

16. Focus in science methods courses
 With PJ preservice teachers (Gr. K-6)
 Soils (Grade 3 unit)
 Conservation of Energy (Grade 5 unit)

17. Focus in science methods courses
 With PJ preservice teachers (K- Gr. 6)
 Soils
(Grade 3 unit)
 Conservation of Energy (Grade 5 unit)
 With JI preservice teachers (Gr. 4-10)
 Water Systems (Grade 8 unit)
 Climate Change (Grade 10 unit)

18. Focus in science methods courses
 With PJ preservice teachers (K- Gr. 6)
 Soils
(Grade 3 unit)
 Conservation of Energy (Grade 5 unit)
 With JI preservice teachers (Gr. 4-10)
 Water Systems (Grade 8 unit)
 Climate Change (Grade 10 unit)
Q1. What is their initial level of conceptual understanding?

19. Focus in science methods courses
 With PJ preservice teachers (K- Gr. 6)
 Soils
(Grade 3 unit)
 Conservation of Energy (Grade 5 unit)
 With JI preservice teachers (Gr. 4-10)
 Water Systems (Grade 8 unit)
 Climate Change (Grade 10 unit)
Q1. What is their initial level of conceptual understanding?
Q2. Can this be improved with course activities?

20. Focus in science methods courses
 With PJ preservice teachers (K- Gr. 6)
 Soils
(Grade 3 unit)
 Conservation of Energy (Grade 5 unit)
 With JI preservice teachers (Gr. 4-10)
 Water Systems (Grade 8 unit)
 Climate Change (Grade 10 unit)
Q1. What is their initial level of conceptual understanding?
Q2. Can this be improved with course activities?
Q3. Will this also affect their stewardship concerns?

21. Sample item: soils (Gr. 3)
2. It usually takes how many years to form 1 cm of
topsoil?
a) 1-10 months
b) 1-10 years
c) 100-1000 years
d) 1-10 million years

22. Sample item: energy (Gr. 5)
23. Which of the following decisions would save the
average family the most energy?
a) Replace all the incandescent light bulbs with
fluorescent light bulbs
b) Buy all new energy-efficient appliances
c) Only buy fruit and vegetables grown near where
you live
d) Trade in a large family car for a compact electric
car

23. Sample item: water (Gr. 8)
20. Water that becomes groundwater
a) Typically occurs as underground lakes and rivers
b) Exists in the spaces between soil and rock particles

24. Sample item: climate change (Gr. 10)
16. Over the past century, the average surface
temperature of Earth’s oceans
a) has risen significantly
b) has stayed approximately the same

25. Pre-post results: soils & energy
PJ teachers
wrote a multiple
choice survey
on soils and on
energy with 25
items each. The
random score
would be 25%.

26. Pre-post results: water & climate chg
JI teachers
wrote a survey
on climate
change and
water with 45
binary choice
items each. The
random score
would be 50%.

27. Ontario’s K-10 Curriculum for
Science & Technology
A NEW BIG IDEA IN THE CURRICULUM
 Sustainability is the concept of meeting the
needs of the present without compromising the
ability of future generations to meet their needs.
 Stewardship involves understanding that we
need to use and care for the natural environment
in a responsible way and making the effort to
pass on to future generations no less than what
we have access to ourselves.

28. Stewardship and sustainability – a
new BIG IDEA?
“The custody of the garden was given in charge to
Adam, to show that we possess the things which
God has committed to our hands, on the condition,
that being content with the frugal and moderate
use of them, we should take care of what shall
remain. Let him who possesses a field, so partake
of its yearly fruits, that he may not suffer the
ground to be injured by his negligence; but let him
endeavor to hand it down to posterity as he
received it, or even better cultivated.”

29. PJ Focus Group Interviews
1. Why do you think soil is an important topic for
students to learn about?
2. Which key concepts about soil should
students learn?
3. What should we be doing to conserve energy
as teachers, students, adults, world citizens?

30. PJ Focus Group Interviews
l Why do you think soil is an important topic for
students to learn about?
l Which key concepts about soil should
students learn?
l What should we be doing to conserve energy
as teachers, students, adults, world citizens?
l What perspectives inform your answer? In
terms of scientific, ethical, faith-based?

31. Answer – an analogy from nature
“Life is based on death and in order for life to
happen there needs to be death and so I made
an analogy that in order for us to have life and to
have oxygen there needs to be a de-composition
cycle that goes on. [When] things in the soil are
in the process of dying, that gives life … that
leads [to] as teachers we are going to have to
put certain behaviors to death in our classrooms
so that we can then have life with our students ”

32. Answer – ethical considerations
“Ethically we have to start thinking about what
are we putting into the soil. Do we really need
tomatoes that are so large, is it changing the way
the soil is made, is it changing the de-
composition, is it changing the way the humus is
in the soil for us to be creating crops that are
surviving? ”

33. Answer – ethical coming out of
faith-based considerations
“I think the ethical component comes out of the
faith-based. Because we feel that, you know, this
world is given to you by God and he created it for
you. He wants you to take from it but also give
back to it, care for it, nurture it and pass it on to
the next generation. Those are the underlying
values that inform the ethical … we are supposed
to take care of the earth for ethical reasons, but it
comes to, I think, a faith-based reason.”
”

34. Answer – created by God, so we
need to take care of it
“My last placement was in a Catholic board, so I
could speak about faith openly. So, a lot of
conversation did come back to that God created
this beautiful world for us. He created plants and
the soil and we need to take care of it. There was
conversation with children – you know, God
made this for us, so we have to take care of it.
He made us, so we have to take care of
ourselves. So there was ownership there.”

35. Answer – an awe for God’s creation
“I love the term stewardship because that in itself
is a Biblical term. Because God tells us to be
good stewards of the earth and so that’s a task
that he has given us. So, absolutely it is faith-
based and to instill a love for the earth in our
students and to instill a wonder for what they are
seeing … that is something that you did and I
really appreciate it in science” (continued)
”

36. Answer – an awe for God’s creation
(continued) “you just have this awe and wonder
for the world which carries on into your students
because when we have that same wonder, then
they are going to want to learn more and learn …
and hopefully they will want to learn more about
how we can protect in the best manner possible
… that’s why God put us here for. He gave us the
gift and we have to respect that gift.”
”

37. Answer – take care of the earth
“We always say that God wants me to do this, but
the first thing he said to any human was to take
care of the earth. So often we forget that, and
there are Christians who say, well, Christ is
coming back so we can use up whatever
resources we want because the world is going to
end anyways … When they say that, you are
missing the whole section where God gave it to
us as a gift and we have to respect that and we
have to fear God too. ”

38. A PJ student at a secular university
 “I wouldn’t say faith-based …Umbrella
Christianity, and depending who you talk to,
some may yes, others no. That’s a hard one. As
far as ethical, same thing. What’s ethical to you
might not be ethical to me … People get backed
into a corner when you talk ethics, morals, or
faith. But if the ministry angles it from the
scientific, factual basis, you are giving people
less opportunity to argue it isn’t important.”

39. JI Focus Group Interviews
l Describe the water cycle.
l Why is water a looming environmental issue,
when the Earth has so much water?
l Explain why Earth’s average global
temperature is rising?
l What obligations do we have as teachers,
students, adults, world citizens?
l What perspectives inform your answer? In
terms of scientific, ethical, faith-based?

40. Answer – ethical considerations #1
“I think on an ethical basis we are all people who
live on the earth. The planet belongs to everyone
and though we have enough in Canada, we are
spoiled because we have this natural source of
water that we take for granted that it will always
be there and that it is ours.”

41. Answer – inform ourselves, first
“I think we have to inform ourselves, first and
foremost, and then bring that to life in the
classroom. Not only in terms of instruction but
also in what we do in day to day life at school.”
”
”

42. Answer – ethical considerations #2
“I’d like to take a holistic approach. And I think
that all three of those can inter-play with each
other. My faith-base motivates me to act ethically
and I use the science to back it up.” (to be
continued)

43. Answer – Biblical considerations
[Question: Do you think there is a commandment
that says, ‘take water to poor countries”?]
”

44. Answer – Biblical considerations
[Question: Do you think there is a commandment
that says, ‘take water to poor countries”?]
“No, it says ‘do unto other as you would have
them do unto you’ and another commandment
‘love you neighbor as yourself’ and my faith
commands me to be a good steward of the earth
as well. So, stewardship is another part of the
science curriculum here in Ontario and so I think
we need to practice this. So I see it as a holistic
piece.”

45. Answer – more ethical than faith-
based
[Q: What does sustainability & stewardship mean?]
”
”
”

46. Answer – more ethical than faith-
based
[Q: What does sustainability & stewardship mean?]
“I would say it is more ethical …what you are doing
effects the person next to you. You don’t need to
be someone of a particular faith to realize that is
not being fair. So, I think it is more ethical than faith
based. Because even if you have no religion –
like, you don’t have anything that you are holding
onto, that in itself that you’re being concerned
about the next human being is coming more from
an ethical point of view rather than faith.”

47. Answer – more ethical than faith-
based
[Q: What does sustainability & stewardship mean?]
“I would say it is more ethical …what you are doing
effects the person next to you. You don’t need to
be someone of a particular faith to realize that is
not being fair. So, I think it is more ethical than faith
based. Because even if you have no religion –
like, you don’t have anything that you are holding
onto, that in itself that you’re being concerned
about the next human being is coming more from
an ethical point of view rather than faith.”

48. Answer – for Christians, faith-based
“I also hear what Olga and Jack have said that
there are those who do not hold to a faith basis,
but if you are a teacher with a faith basis, that is
motivating for you to educate your students and
their families about climate change and the
environment. It does motivate, and those who do
have a faith basis should be motivated by that
because we do know that it has been given to us to
take care of and it is a pleasure to take care of it.”
”

49. Key ideas of preservice teachers:
 Stewardship is not just a faith-based concept
 Sustainability is not just a secular concept
 Ethical and faith-based reasons support each other
 Having a wonder for creation links to caring for it
 Creation also has lessons for us to appreciate
 Stewardship goes back to Genesis, but the two great
commandments were emphasized by Christ
 We have to be informed before being transformed

50. Approaching the issue negatively
Calvin de Witt’s 7 Degradations
l Climate change caused by greenhouse gases
l Land and soil degradation
l Deforestation
l Extinction of species
l Water degradation
l Global toxification
l Human and cultural degradation

51. Approaching the issue positively
Calvin de Witt’s 7 Provisions for Creation
l Earth’s energy exchange with the sun and space
l Soil building
l Cycling in the atmosphere (water, carbon cycles)
l Water purification and detoxification
l Fruitfulness and abundant life (habitats, biodiversity)
l Global circulations of water and air
l Human ability to learn from creation

52. Grade Life Systems Structures & Matter & Energy Earth & Space
Mechanisms
1
Ontario’s K-10& Scienceour
Living things Materials
Structures
Energy in
Lives
& Daily & Seasonal
Changes
2 Technology CurriulumLiquids
Animals Movement Solids & Air & Water in
the Environment
3 Plants Structures Forces Soils in the
Environment
4 Habitats Pulleys and gears Light & Sound Rocks & Minerals
5 Human body Structures Chemical Changes Conservation of
Energy
6 Biodiversity Flight Electricity Space (Astronomy)
7 Ecosystems Form & Function Solutions Heat in the
Environment
8 The cell Systems Fluids Water Systems
9 Ecosystems Electricity Atoms Space (Astronomy)
10 Tissues & Organs Light & Optics Chemical Climate Change
Reactions

53. Grade Life Systems Structures & Matter & Energy Earth & Space
Mechanisms
1
Ontario’s K-10& Scienceour
Living things Materials
Structures
Energy in
Lives
& Daily & Seasonal
Changes
2 Technology CurriulumLiquids
Animals Movement Solids & Air & Water in
the Environment
3 Plants Structures Forces Soils in the
Environment
4 Habitats Pulleys and gears Light & Sound Rocks & Minerals
5 Human body Structures Chemical Changes Conservation of
Energy
6 Biodiversity Flight Electricity Space (Astronomy)
7 Ecosystems Form & Function Solutions Heat in the
Environment
8 The cell Systems Fluids Water Systems
9 Ecosystems Electricity Atoms Space (Astronomy)
10 Tissues & Organs Light & Optics Chemical Climate Change

54. Our Creator’s unique gifts to us:
1. The universe, a unique energy environment for Earth
2. Earth’s unique atmosphere for life
3. Earth’s unique water systems
4. Earth’s unique rock and soil formations
5. The unique web of life
6. Unique cycles of energy and matter
7. Humans, a unique species in relationship with the
Creator, stewarding the Earth and our own bodies

55. Grade Life Systems Structures & Matter & Earth & Space
Mechanisms Energy
1
Ontario’sMaterials & Science &
Living things K-10
Structures
Energy in our
Lives
Daily & Seasonal
Changes
2
Technology Curriulum
Movement Solids & Liquids
Animals Air & Water in the
Environment
3 Plants Structures Forces Soils in the
Environment
4 Habitats Pulleys and gears Light & Sound Rocks & Minerals
5 Human body Structures Chemical Conservation of
Changes
Energy
6 Biodiversity Flight Electricity Space (Astronomy)
7 Ecosystems Form & Function Solutions Heat in the Envir.
8 The cell Systems Fluids Water Systems
9 Ecosystems Electricity Atoms Space (Astronomy)
10 Tissues & Light & Optics Chemical Climate Change

56. Grade Life Systems Structures & Matter & Earth & Space
(biotic Mechanism Energy (abiotic environment)
environment) (technology) (science)
1 Ontario’sMaterials & Science &
Living things K-10 Energy in our Daily & Seasonal
Structures Lives
Technology Curriulum Changes
2 Animals Movement Solids & Liquids Air & Water in the
Environment
3 Plants Structures Forces Soils in the
Environment
4 Habitats Pulleys and gears Light & Sound Rocks & Minerals
5 Human body Structures Chemical Conservation of
Changes
Energy
6 Biodiversity Flight Electricity Space (Astronomy)
7 Ecosystems Form & Function Solutions Heat in the Envir.
8 The cell Systems Fluids Water Systems
9 Ecosystems Electricity Atoms Space (Astronomy)
10 Tissues & Light & Optics Chemical Climate Change