Eco-Narratives
Provided by: Children's Environmental Literacy Foundation|Published on: January 27, 2026
Grades: K-12
Type: Lesson Plans
Subjects: English Language Arts, Visual and Performing Arts
Authors: Children's Environmental Literacy Foundation
Region: Global
Languages: English
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Synopsis
- In this lesson from the Children’s Environmental Literacy Foundation, students will write their own narrative stories about their experience with the environment and environmental issues.
- Students will use these narratives to create, record, and publish multimedia presentations.
Teaching Materials
Positives
- Students will love working with multimedia components to create a final product that they can be proud of and look back on.
- Using storytelling highlights students’ individual voices, which will help them feel connected to their learning.
Prerequisites
- Students may benefit from the teacher modeling the writing of an eco-narrative or providing an example that was prepared ahead of time.
- Teachers may want to introduce older students to environmental issues and environmental activists ahead of time so they can make connections to these topics in the discussion questions and in their narratives.
Differentiation & Implementation
- Though the primary lesson is geared for older students, the lesson includes grade-level modifications throughout for PK-1
- To make connections to climate change, teachers can ask that students highlight how climate change has impacted or will impact their eco-narratives.
- Students may need extra time and support to familiarize themselves with multimedia tools, such as Canva.
- Classrooms without one-to-one tech can have students use a low-tech approach by creating posters and presenting their stories to the class or for the teacher to record.
This lesson helps students explore their relationship with nature, reflect on the connection between humans and the environment, and think about how we can work towards a sustainable future. These econarratives help people feel more connected to and invested in the environment, encouraging them to take care of it. The lesson includes suggestions for tailoring the activities to different grade levels, and the science content is universally applicable because students are discussing their own experiences. The information presented is accurate, and this resource is recommended for teaching.
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
About the Partner Provider
Children's Environmental Literacy Foundation
The Children's Environmental Literacy Foundation (CELF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2003 with the mission to make Education for Sustainability (EfS) an integral part of every child's K-12 learning experience. CELF engages educators, students and community leaders through award-winning programs that are designed to succeed in a wide range of education settings, including multi-day Summer Institutes, school professional development workshops, custom curriculum and instruction consulting, green career speaker series, and outdoor learning experiences. CELF's programs aim to help cultivate a society of global citizens with deep understanding of the dynamic interdependencies among human systems nested within natural systems, and the critical role education plays in cultivating healthy, equitable communities in a changing climate.
Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
Learn about our review process →
