System of activities that contributes to the environmental education for sustainable development of 6th grade students through an environmental club in English Language

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(1)“FÉLIX VARELA MORALES” UNIVERSITY OF PEDAGOGICAL SCIENCES SCHOOL OF HUMANITIES DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES. AN ENVIRONMENTAL CLUB IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS. MAJOR PAPER. AUTHOR: Dayan Berges Coma. ADVISER: Eida de la Paz Gálvez, Ph.D. Associate Professor. Santa Clara 2015.

(2) All my gratitude to: My adviser, Eida de la Paz Gálvez, for her patience and dedication all over these years. My family for all their love and patience with me. Dayana Monteagudo, Alejandro Álvarez, Felix Gabriel, Hanser Yanes and all my classmates including those who could not finish for lighting me up with their recommendations when I needed them the most. My friends Olga, Hector Miguel, Mario Sergio Hernandez, and all my neighbors who told me yes when I thought it was not possible. Every teacher from the English Department of this University, for being examples of professionalism and humanism, I am eternally indebt to them all. The Molinet´s family for given to me their support and love. To my students from the mid-term course that have helped me to be a better teacher. I would like to extend my eternal gratitude to all those people who inspired, taught, and encouraged me to be here today, especially to my dear mom for all the love, understanding and support she has always given me..

(3) ABSTRACT. This paper presents a system of activities to be developed with elementary school students through an environmental club in English language with the purpose of enhancing their environmental education in terms of knowledge, motivation and attitudes. A theoretical and methodological background on the topic is provided including the concepts of environment, sustainable development, and environmental education, as well as the most outstanding global and local environmental issues nowadays. A needs assessment was carried out by means of empirical methods like the pedagogical test, the survey, and the scientific observation. The results revealed that the sample of students had very limited knowledge on environmental issues and that their attitudes towards the environment needed to be corrected. Accordingly, a system of activities was designed to meet such needs, including appealing activities that imply active involvement in environmental protection along with language learning..

(4) RÉSUMÉ Cet article présent un système d'activités à développer avec les élèves des écoles élémentaires à travers un club environnemental en langue anglaise dans le. but. d'améliorer. leur. éducation. à. l'environnement. connaissances, la motivation et les attitudes.. en. termes. de. Un fond théorique et. méthodologique sur le sujet est fourni, y compris les concepts de l'environnement, le développement durable et l'éducation environnementale, ainsi que les questions les plus remarquables écologiques locales et mondiales de nos jours. Une évaluation des besoins a été effectuée au moyen de méthodes empiriques comme le test pédagogique, l'enquête et l'observation scientifique. Les résultats ont révélé que l'échantillon des étudiants avait une connaissance très limitée sur les questions environnementales et que leurs attitudes à l'égard de l'environnement devaient être corrigées. En conséquence, un système d'activités a été conçu pour répondre à ces besoins, y compris des activités attrayantes qui impliquent une participation active dans la protection de l'environnement ainsi que l'apprentissage des langues..

(5) INDEX INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………………………. 1. I. THEORETICAL AND METHODOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT THROUGH THE TEACHING-LEARNING PROCESS OF ENGLISH 7. LANGUAGE IN CUBAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. 1.1 Antecedents of environmental education in Cuban educational system……………………….......................................................................... 7 1.2 Environmental education for sustainable development...……...…………….. 8. 1.2.1 Global environmental issues nowadays.....……...………………………… 13 1.3 Environmental Education in 6th grade………………………………………..... 15 II.. NEEDS. ASSESSMENT. RELATED. TO. THE. STUDENTS. ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION....................................................................... 18. 2.1 Characteristics of the adolescent in Elementary School……………………. 18. 2.2 The analysis of the results of the diagnosis………………………………....... 20 2.2.1 Regularities of the diagnosis………………….……………………………… III.. THE SYSTEM OF ACTIVITIES TO DEVELOP 6. th. 23. GRADERS. ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION THROUGH ENGLISH LANGUAGE 25 LESSONS……………………………………………………………………. 3.1 Philosophical, sociological, psychological, pedagogical and methodological bases of the proposal…………………………………………… 26 3.2 Characteristics of the proposal…………………………………………………. 27. 3.3The system of activities comprised in the Environmental Club………………. 28. 3.4 The specialists` criteria about the system of activities …………………. 33 3.5The partial implementation of the proposal……………………………………. 34 CONCLUSION..………………………………………..………………………….. 37. SUGGESTIONS………………………….…………………..…………………..... 38. BIBLIOGRAPHY APPENDIXES.

(6) INTRODUCTION. At present, the world is focused on finding solutions to the environmental crisis the earth is undergoing. It is not possible to talk about environmental problems without regarding the conflicts and disruption caused by the development models based on the plundering of natural resources, the concentration of economic power, social inequality and inequity in the distribution of riches. The deterioration of the environment has had a high impact on the components of nature, such as water, atmospheric air, soil, biodiversity, climate; as well as cultural, ethical and aesthetic values. A look at the past century observed the destruction of many ecosystems, accelerated soil loss and forests, extinction of species, increased pollution, which is a result of how humans have impacted on nature and organized access to resources. Such problems have moved to the center of concern of the contemporary world. The news concerning the natural environment predict an increasingly bleak future. All this combined with the ever-deepening gap between the rich and the poor worldwide, states the imperative need for change in social, environmental, economic and production policy. The dilemma of environmental degradation raises the reformulation of new patterns of behavior with nature, because the natural resources that are available may be exhausted and only human beings are able to change these patterns. This is how humanity displays the importance of environmental education for the survival of life and of the human specie. Such scenario puts environmental education as a premise of importance for achieving the processes of change that should guide humanity towards a more harmonious relation between society and nature; allowing traffic to sustainable levels of development and conducive to a decent quality of life for society and Earth. In the Cuban educational system, environmental education has become an essential content that all subjects should cover, but not only through the teaching learning process such goal is to be attained; there are also educational 1.

(7) activities in and out of the school area that could be developed to favor environmental education. The Cuban Minister of Education passed a resolution in 2013 that establishes the need “to promote educational activities of both curricular and extracurricular nature, activating scientific societies and student’s clubs”. She also states that “such activities are to be organized and integrated to the strategy and work system of educational institutions and will aim at presenting and discussing the result of projects, research, experiences and activities.” Also the Cuban National Strategy for Environmental Education up to 2015 states the following as objectives to be attained: -. To reach higher levels in the development of values, knowledge, and capacities in the citizens to promote their active and conscious participation in the protection of the environment and in sustainable development.. -. To strengthen the processes of environmental communication so as to develop capacities in (…) institutions that contribute to raise awareness and sensitize Cuban population.. However, the establishment of national policies does not guarantee on its own, the achievement of the desired results. So, the role of teachers, as promoters of pro-environmental behavior, is essential within the educational system nowadays. Searching for strengths and weaknesses in the work towards environmental education, the author of the present paper developed a study by administering empirical methods, at the school where his practicum is conducted. As a result it was revealed that at Juan Carlos Rodriguez elementary school, there is a strategy that encompasses the work towards the environmental education for sustainable development of the students, but it shows some weaknesses because the strategy does not focus on values, feelings and attitudes, though knowledge and ability are present. It was also found that 6th grade students show limited knowledge on what the term environment comprises and difficulties in identifying global and local environmental issues. They also show poor motivation towards environmental topics. Though they acknowledge the importance of solving environmental problems, do not show enough 2.

(8) commitment in the solution of such issues or enthusiasm in pro-environmental activities. In terms of attitudes, it was noticed that some students keep a loud behavior, litter, waste water and school materials, and at times do not care about social property. The search for some previous research projects that might offer a solution to such problematic situation revealed that environmental education has been the object of study for plenty of specialists in the national context, for example: Abreu, 2002; Marimón, 2004; Marrero, 2007; Duarte, 2010; Meson, 2013; Abad,2012; Utria, 2013; Carrazana, 2014; Gutiérrez, 2014; among the most significant ones. These authors have developed their research works within the teacher education context, the education of other professionals, or the education of young learners aiming at the development of environmental values or valuable environmental behavior. However, no research was found that covered the environmental education for sustainable development of 6th graders through extracurricular activities in English language involving the students actively in the protection of the environment. The analysis of such problematic situation led to the establishment of the following scientific problem: How to contribute to the environmental education for sustainable development of 6th-grade students? Object of research: The environmental education for sustainable development of elementary school students Field of action: The environmental education for sustainable development of 6th-grade environmental students club Objective: To propose a system of activities that contributes to the environmental education for sustainable development of 6th-grade students through an environmental club in English Language.. 3.

(9) Scientific questions: 1. What theoretical and methodological framework sustains the environmental education for sustainable development in elementary school? 2. What are the strengths and weaknesses that 6th-grade environmental club students at “Juan Carlos Rodríguez” Elementary School show in terms of environmental education for sustainable development? 3. What are the characteristics and composition of a system of activities that contribute to develop environmental education for sustainable development in 6th-grade environmental club students? 4. What are the specialists` criteria about the system of activities designed? 5. What results derive from the implementation of the system of activities? Scientific tasks: 1. Establishment of the theoretical and methodological framework that sustains the environmental education for sustainable development in elementary school 2. Assessment of the strengths and weaknesses that 6th grade Environmental club students at “Juan Carlos Rodríguez” Elementary School show in terms of environmental education for sustainable development 3. Design of the system of activities to contribute to develop environmental education for sustainable development in 6th-grade environmental club students 4. Evaluation of the system of activities by the specialists 5. Evaluation of the results derived from the implementation of the system of activities SCIENTIFIC METHODS This research work bases upon the dialectic-materialistic scientific method and follows mostly a quantitative paradigm to come across the solution to the scientific problem, but using also methods of a qualitative nature. From the theoretical level, the research demanded the following methods:. 4.

(10) Analytic-synthetic: It was useful throughout the whole research process and helped to find the essence of the object, accomplish the systematization of the theoretical information obtained from the scientific literature, and the design of the environmental club. Inductive-deductive: It was especially valuable for the interpretation of reality to draw partial and final conclusions along the research process. Historical-logical: It allowed the historic study of environmental education in the teaching learning process worldwide, as well as the analysis of the continuing development that the environmental education has had so far. Transit from the abstract to the concrete: It facilitated the theoretical synthesis of the abstractions made through the research process and the concretion of the regularities derived from the theoretic analysis in the design of an environmental club for children. System Approach: It allowed the study of environmental education as a comprehensive reality and the design of an environmental club that reflects stable ways of interaction among its activities, basic precepts, and general qualities, which differ from the individual features of each component. Triangulation: It made possible the authentication of data by contrasting the information provided by different sources and methods. From the empirical level, it was necessary to employ the analysis of documents, the pedagogic test, the survey, and the scientific observation during the need’s assessment at the initial stage; as well as the specialist’s criteria that provided an evaluation of the quality, pertinence, and feasibility of the proposal before its practical implementation; while the participant observation was useful during such implementation to verify the effectiveness of the proposal in practice. 5.

(11) From the mathematical level, the percent analysis allowed the processing of empirical data obtained during the need’s assessment. POPULATION AND SAMPLE: Out of a population of 30 6th-grade students at ‘Juan Carlos Rodriguez’ Elementary School, a sample of 16 students was intentionally chosen for this research, since they showed motivation regarding the environmental club, and belong to the class in which the author of this paper conducts part of his practicum as a language teacher. As a practical contribution, this research project provides the system of activities comprised within an environmental club in English language to contribute to develop the environmental education for sustainable development of 6th-grade students. The novelty of the project consists of the integration of both linguistic and environmental objectives within the design of a club for 6th-grade students.. 6.

(12) MAIN PART I. THEORETICAL. AND. METHODOLOGICAL. FOUNDATIONS. OF. THE. ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL The present epigraph contains the essential theoretical and methodological precepts related to the object and the field of action of the research, as a result of having studied and evaluated the scientific literature for such purpose. 1.1 Antecedents of environmental education in Cuban educational system It is very useful for teachers to know about the historical evolution of the concept of environmental education. It is known that a kind of environmental education existed somehow since human beings developed an awareness of their own importance as social beings, getting reflected in the changes of the society that varies from one socio-economical formation to another. In Cuba, since the colonial period, outstanding personalities made emphasis on the importance of applying the principle of nature in the teaching- learning process, though the concept of environment was not used yet by that time. Among those personalities, is Felix Varela who said “(...) the real teacher of men is nature.” Jose Julian Martí Pérez who sentenced “(…) divorcing men and nature is an abominable act (...)”; and Enrique Jose Varona who stated: “(…) human beings need to acquire a representation of the natural environment that surround them (...)” Cuban National System of Education and its improvement processes have made possible that the concept of environmental education had an important evolution. At the very beginning, it started as a doctrine of knowledge, then it turned into an education for the preservation of nature, and today it is approached as the whole process of relationships between human beings and nature. Its study provided concepts that created attitudes to understand the interrelations on it, its cultural and biophysical nature; and also provided with practical activities that allowed making decisions of preservation, and protection.. 7.

(13) Nowadays the focus is aimed at preparing new generations and all social actors for sustainability; i.e., educating them in the construction of a society where human development occurs under comprehensive conditions that, not only pay tribute to the nature of the present-day environment but protects its resources. That is the principle of the Cuban society with the environment. In environmental education the main goal is to attain changes in the students the get reflected in their behavior. That is why their perceptions and internal insights must be taken into account. If a motivating and appealing environmental education wants to be attained, new methods that do away with traditional teaching has to be found. The general objectives to be attained in the comprehensive education of students, shades light on the educational contents to be taught in the process of personality development. Such contents are not specific of any subject, like the case of sexual, cultural, political, and economic education, among others. Environmental education is oriented towards such objectives, contributing to solve serious environmental issues generated by economic development, and to raise awareness within NGO’s in first place and later in governments and international organizations. In the case of the present Cuban Elementary School system there are some limitations in terms of environmental education oriented towards sustainable development. This mainly happens through the contents treated in the syllabus of 6th grade. Besides, the aims of the subjects are not explicitly stated towards this new perspective and the textbooks are not in line with the present situation of the environment and the methodological guidelines are not enough to concrete the integration of environmental contents. 1.2 Environmental education for sustainable development Environmental education is “a practical, methodological and theoretical model that goes beyond the traditional educational system and reaches the conception of environment and development” (CITMA, 2010:7). It is conceived as an education for sustainable development that is expressed and planned by means of the insertion of an environmental dimension in all educational processes.. 8.

(14) Such dimension, thoroughly inserted within the educational system, should aim at acquiring and generating knowledge, at developing habits, skills, changes in behavior, and values looking forward to a new relationship among human beings and nature, within human beings, and with the rest of the society. Environmental education should be a continuing and permanent process that comprises all educational spheres: formal, non-formal, and informal, addressing all age and social groups. It should seek active participation as well as competence in solving problems; change the vision for planning, focusing on mid and long term actions. It should modify the conception of consumption and welfare and foster austerity attitudes, strengthen cultural identity and traditions, the value of independence and freedom, among many other knowledge items and values that need to be reinforced to transit towards a sustainable development. The dynamic essence and complex nature of environmental education contents demand an active, flexible, and participant methodology that stimulates creativity and intelligence. The United Nations designated the period 2005 to 2014 as the decade of “Education for Sustainable Development”. The objective is to integrate the concept of sustainable development in education processes around the world. Among the theoretical and methodological foundations that support the environmental education for sustainable development, is the notion of environment as “the complex and dynamic system of cultural, socioeconomic, and ecologic interrelations that evolve throughout the historical process of the society” (CITMA, 2010:5). Such concept provides a holistic, systemic, and comprehensive vision of environment, since it comprises nature, society, the historical-cultural heritage, humanity in itself, and social relations. The environment, seen as a resource to be managed, is a collective sociobiophysical heritage, which sustains the quality of life. This limited resource is deteriorating and wasting away. It should be managed according to the principles of sustainable development and equitable sharing. The goal of sustainable development, according to the WCED (1987), refers to this. 9.

(15) conception of environment-as-a-resource. People must make the necessary decisions to ensure adequate resources for our, and future, generations. David Orr (1992) (inspired by Thoreau) proposes an education for rein habitation, which favours developing the art of living in harmony within our place. L'étude de milieu as proposed by Bernard Dehan and Josette Oberlinkels (1984), appears to be an effective model for education about and for the environment-as-a-place-to-live. Among the teaching/learning strategies adopted in this view, are those related to resource or heritage interpretation in parks and museums (to ensure that the public acknowledges and appreciates the resource) and campaigns for the wise use of resources (such as recycling). An interesting pedagogical strategy also proposed is the environmental audit which can be applied to energy consumption or waste management (Panneton, 1994; Baczala, 1992). Environment is also seen as a problem to be solved. It is threatened by pollution and degradation. People must learn to preserve its quality and restore it. Educational strategies that help develop problem-solving skills (as proposed by Hungerford et al., 1992) are often favored. Essential learnings include how to identify, analyze and diagnose a problem, how to search for and evaluate different solutions, how to conceptualize and execute a plan of action, how to evaluate the process and ensure a constant feedback, among others. A pragmatic approach is adopted here. Finally environment can be approached as a community project in which to get involved. This is the environment of a human collectively, a shared living place, a political concern, the focus of critical analysis. It calls for solidarity, democracy and personal and collective involvement in order to participate in the evolution of the community. Here many preoccupations of the socially critical EE are found, as identified by Robottom and Hart (1993). We also find the characteristics of the grass-roots EE proposed by O'Donoghue and McNaught (1991) and Ruiz (1994). The pedagogical model developed by William B. Stapp and his team (1988) has proved relevant to this outlook: it proposes a researchaction process for community problem solving. Also pertinent is the. 10.

(16) Environmental Issue Forum's strategy (NAAEE, 1993) which invites citizens, as members of a community, to study Lots of organizations, specialists, and people in general are raising awareness towards the protection of the environment worldwide. As Palmer (2013:3) said: “This is the day-to-day environment, at school, at home, in the neighborhood, at work and at play. This environment is characterized by its human, sociocultural, technological and historical components. This is our environment, one that we should learn to appreciate and one towards which we must develop a sense of belonging. We should learn to plan and take care of our place to live.” EE is a central aspect of the process of change towards sustainable development. It is time to realize that the environment is not just a factor in this game, but a game in itself; a game in which all human beings are players and on which future existence depends. Environmental problems such as climate change. jeopardize. prosperity. and. economic. development.. Everybody. contributes to environmental problems and, as a result, they can only be solved on the basis of cooperative action. EE, like education for sustainable development, is based on building awareness. EE is linked to the conception of environment-as-a-community-project. Emphasis is placed on an educational perspective rather than on exclusive environmental preoccupations. Development is not perceived from a resource management perspective according to a rational and exogenous economic logic. Instead, it is defined as “the community's competency to interpret its own problems, natural resources, needs and aspirations and to develop creative projects that minimize social and environmental costs” (Ossa, 1989). Education is of prime importance for promoting sustainable development and helping people to develop competencies in order to solve environmental and development problems. (UNCED, 1993, chap. 36.3) EE is thus closely associated with sustainable development. This relationship however can be perceived in different ways. For some, sustainable development is the ultimate goal of EE: the term EE “for” sustainable development (EEFSD) is proposed. For others, sustainable development refers to specific objectives, which should be added to those of EE: therefore, they use the expression education for. 11.

(17) environment “and” sustainable development. According to the document proposed by UNESCO (1992) at the ECO-ED Conference, EE is just one of many themes that contribute to the overall education for sustainable development. Finally, the expression education about sustainable development is found in the literature: sustainable development becomes the focus of a critical analysis. In retrospect, if the debate surrounding the expressions EE and other terms such as education for environment is still going on after more than twenty-five years, it can be expected that the discussion concerning the relationship between EE and sustainable development will not be resolved in the immediate future. As suggested by Bob Jickling (1992), we must however continue to critically review the relationships between sustainable development and EE. Different conceptions of environment, education and sustainable development coexist. These conceptions influence the way educators define and practice EE. Should this diversity be perceived as a problem? Should it be ignored in the search for standardized definitions? On the contrary, as suggested by Jickling (1995), Hart (1990), Robottom (1990) and others, this diversity needs to be acknowledged and considered as “fuel” for critical reflection, discussion, contestation, and evolution. It should be taken into account in a clarification process aimed at helping educators develop their own relevant EE theory. Research shows that despite formal theory, in the end, it is the educator's personal theory, self constructed, whether explicit or not, that influences his or her daily pedagogical choices (Donnay and Charlier, 1990, pp. 95-96; Hart, 1990). EE, regardless of the manner in which it is connected to sustainable development, must face its own limits. The complexity of the contemporary problems forces EE to interface with other interrelated educational dimensions: peace education, human rights education, intercultural education, population education, international development education, media education, among others. The ultimate goal of these interrelated dimensions of contemporary education is the development of responsible societies. And sustainability is one of the. 12.

(18) expected outcomes. It appears therefore redundant to speak of responsibility and sustainability. EE would benefit from being included in the perspective of education for the development of responsible societies, as inspired by the Treaty on EE for sustainable societies and global responsibility (Earth Council, 1992) thus surpassing the somehow limited framework of sustainable development. Moreover, EE should start by analyzing what the most outstanding environmental issues are, as well as their consequences, so that education can be focused on preventing them from worsening. The relationship between school and life is a basic element in the treatment of EE through the teaching- learning processes. This should be contextualized taking into account the needs and fundamental problems of the school area and of the community in general. This would raise the students’ motivation and interest and would facilitate teachers´ work. Regardless of all the international conferences and meetings, the agreements among governments, and the efforts of the educational systems; EE is still a goal to fulfil, a process without a result in the development of the personality in most of the inhabitants of Planet Earth (Gonzalez, 2006). 1.2.2 Global Environmental Issues Nowadays Environmental issues are organized and declared taking into account the interests of different authors, organizations, and groups. Present-day studies have revealed that among the most common classification is the following: Related to climate change: Global warming; global dimming ;the waste of fossil fuels; sea level rise; greenhouse gas effect; ocean acidification; shutdown of thermohaline circulation; flooding Related to ecosystems: Anoxic waters; loss of biodiversity and biosecurity; coral bleaching; edge effect; habitat destruction; and habitat fragmentation Related to Fishing: Blast fishing; bottom trawling; by-catch; illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing; overfishing; marine pollution; whaling Related to forests: Clear-cutting; deforestation; illegal logging. 13.

(19) Related to natural resources: Resource depletion; excessive exploitation of natural resources Related to the species: Endangered species; loss of genetic diversity; habitat destruction; invasive species; species extinction; threshold host density; wildlife trade; wildlife disease Related to energy: Energy waste; negative environmental impact of the coal, hydraulic, and energy industry Related to wars: Agent Orange; depleted uranium; military superfund. Related to genetic engineering: Genetic pollution; genetically modified food Related to intensive farming: Environmental effects of meat production; monoculture; nutrient pollution; overgrazing; pesticide drift; plasticulture; slash and burn. Related to land use: Built environment; desertification; habitat fragmentation; habitat destruction; land degradation; land pollution; soil salination; urban sprawl. (Baczala, 1992: 24). Cuban environmental problems have been assessed by CITMA and have been declared in the initial segment of its environmental education strategy since 2005. These issues are shown with more or less intensity in provinces, regions, and towns in the country, each one with its own peculiarities. In all cases, the school should treat them as part of the environmental education it develops. CITMA’s recent studies have revealed that the most outstanding Cuban environmental issues are six: . Pollution (atmosphere, water, food, and land). . Lack of fresh water. . Forest decay. . Land degradation (erosion, draining problems, acidity, compacting, salinity). . Loss of biological diversity. . Deterioration of sanitary conditions in human settlements. 14.

(20) 1.3 Environmental Education in 6th grade A general overview of this topic in 6th grade showed that there are some limitations in terms of Environmental Education for Sustainable Development in this level of education. That is why a group of teachers from Félix Varela Pedagogical University are working in a research project to improve this situation in 6th grade students. According to the document written by Yoppis (2015), there are some aspects that need to be reoriented towards Sustainable Development. The main objective in 6th grade is: -. To train a reflective, critical and independent student able to assume a more important role in their behavior, including values such as love for their homeland, their family, their school, their classmates, and for nature as well. The present syllabus for 6th graders has some weaknesses in relation to students` environmental education as follows: -. Misbehavior towards natural and socioeconomic components. -. the textbooks are not in line with the present situation of the environment. -. Lack of a system of actions in the school environmental strategy to strengthen students` environmental education. -. Teachers ` limited knowledge on environmental issues. This group of researchers stated some of the most important goals to be attained in this level of education to achieve better results in terms of students` environmental education, and they are: -. To look for some alternatives that allow to treat Environmental Education oriented towards Sustainable Development in 6th graders. -. To exploit the potentialities of the community to favor. students`. environmental education -. To guarantee the preparation of Elementary School teachers in terms of Environmental Education. 15.

(21) Specifically, in the English syllabus for 6th grade students the aims are stated as follows: • Reproduce simple messages with the help of the teacher • Ask and answer at elementary level about basic information: personal information, spelling, description of school objects, talk about family members, physical moral description, occupations, likes and dislikes, and parts of the body, school routines and means of transportation. • Express the content with a correct pronunciation and intonation • Comprehend simple oral messages while listening attentively to the teacher and video-sequences. • Strengthen bounds of friendship and solidarity with other countries, especially with English-speaking ones, as well as knowing about their language and culture. As it can be seen, in the majority of the aims stated above, the environmental content is not explicitly declared, but as far as the teacher deepened in the program of the English subject for 6th grade, he could realize that there are some contents and communicative functions that tribute to strengthen students´ environmental education. Some of them are summarized below: Lesson 2. Content/communicative function Greet people formally and informally. 6, 10. Talk about weather conditions. 36, 38. Describing objects and places. 44. Talk about healthy lifestyles and daily routine. 50, 51. Talk about the activities you do in your free time. 54-56. Expressing moods and feelings. 57. Talk about healthy habits. 59-61. Talk about means of transportation. 67, 74. Talk about health problems. 16.

(22) Summarizing, the contents of the English syllabus for 6th graders offer some possibilities to strengthen students´ environmental education. It all depends on how aware the teacher is on environmental issues. In general, the analysis of the theoretical and methodological foundations presented in this epigraph reveals the need of developing an environmental education that aims at sustainable development since early ages, looking forward to the fostering of an awareness in children that eventually lead to their active involvement in the preservation of the environment, by recognizing that human race is responsible for the current environmental deterioration of the planet.. 17.

(23) II. NEED’S ASSESSMENT RELATED TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN 6TH GRADE STUDENTS AT JUAN CARLOS RODRIGUEZ ELEMENTARY SCHOOL After analyzing the theory and establishing the foundations for the research process, it was necessary to assess the initial state of the environmental education for sustainable development in 6th grade students at Juan Carlos Rodríguez elementary school as a point of departure for the further proposal of a solution to the problem. 2.1 Characteristics of the adolescent in Elementary School A young learner is defined as “a child who is in their first six years of formal education, from the age of 6 to 12”. The reason for this choice is that the lower limit of 6 roughly corresponds to the start of formal schooling in many countries, while the upper age of 12 approximates to a time when many children have begun to experience significant cognitive and emotional changes. Piaget stated that children are active learners and thinkers, who construct knowledge from actively interacting with the physical environment in developmental stages. They learn through their own individual actions and exploration. As referred by Vygotsky (1962) children learn through social interaction and construct knowledge through other people, through interaction with adults. So, adults/teachers work actively with them in the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD). Children are developing as thinkers, they also understand the difference between the real and the imaginary, can plan and organize how to carry out best an activity, can work with others and learn from others, can be reliable and take responsibility for class activities and routines. The adult’s role is very important in a child’s learning process. Adults provide an instructional framework which helps children to learn effectively. This instructional strategy is known as scaffolding, and involves supporting novice learners by assisting them with planning, organizing, doing and/or reflecting on the specific task, so as to limit the complexities of the context and gradually remove those limits as learners gain the knowledge, skills, and confidence to cope with the full complexity of the task. 18.

(24) The theory also acknowledges the role of school activities and teachers in such educational. purposes. taking. into. account. the. students. psychological. characteristics in the first place. Some of the characteristics previously mentioned match with the study being carried out by the researcher. For such purpose, a sample of 16 sixth-grade students from Carlos Rodríguez Elementary School was intentionally chosen from the class in which the author of this paper conducts his practicum as a language teacher, since they are the ones that show motivation towards extracurricular activities. Within the educational context they are graded in different levels of learning, five students belong to the 1st level (highest), six of them belong to the 2nd level, and the five remaining belong to the 3rd learning level (lowest). These students are motivated in relation to the school activities, they like to participate in extracurricular events and show willingness to learn as much as possible. They come from different family backgrounds: in three of the families both parents hold university degrees, in six other families one parent has reached higher education, but in the other seven families none of the parents have gone beyond secondary school; however, all of them try to help their children with school activities and care about their duties. In terms of economic situation, four families live in excellent conditions, seven of them have an economic situation that can be rated as standard, but five families live below the standard. To carry out the needs assessment of this sample of students, it was necessary to use the following scientific methods from the empirical level: Survey: It was given to the students to find out about their motivation towards environmental. topics, acknowledgement. of. the. importance. of. solving. environmental problems, commitment in the solution of such issues and enthusiasm in pro-environmental activities. Analysis of documents: It allowed analyzing the school strategy for environmental education in terms of objectives, actions, and general conception to verify if they meet 6 th grade students´ needs in relation to knowledge, motivation, attitudes and values. 19.

(25) Pedagogic test: It was administered to assess the students´ knowledge on environmental issues. Scientific observation: It provided information about the students’ attitudes towards the environment From the mathematical level, the percent analysis facilitated the scrutiny of the quantitative data obtained throughout the needs assessment process. 2.2 The analysis of the results of the diagnosis Once the instruments were administered, they showed the following results: As a result of the analysis of documents (Appendix 1) (the school environmental strategy), it was found that there are prioritized topics in it related to Law 81 and particular environmental issues like climatic change, biological diversity, environmental rights and citizen participation. However, the analysis revealed that there are some weaknesses because the strategy does not focus on values, feelings and attitudes linked to the environment that the students should show. In the initial question of the survey (Appendix 2), inquiring about the students’ opinion in terms of offering a current solution to the environmental issues nowadays, 6 (37, 5%) of them ticked necessary, 8 (50 %) of them not too necessary, and the 2 (12, 5%) left answered totally unnecessary. This reveals that most of the students are not aware of the urgent need to take actions in favor of the environment. In the second question that searched for the students’ commitment towards the protection of the environment that surrounds them, 5 (31, 2%) of the students ticked yes, 2 (12, 5%) of them answered no, the other 9 (56, 2%) answered partially. The answers here showed that only the minority of the sample feels committed to protect the environment. The third question was related to their opinion about their classmates´ commitment. So, 2 (12, 5%) of the students answered that most of them were committed, 3 (18, 7%) of them answered some of them, and the other 11 (68,. 20.

(26) 7%) answered just a few. These answers revealed that the majority of the students see most of their classmates as not committed with the environment. The fourth question was about the frequency in which the students participate in the solution of environmental issues, 5 (31, 2%) of them answered very often, other 5 (31, 2%) answered rarely, and the 6 (37, 5%) left answered that they never participate in such activities. The answers showed that most of them admit that they do not participate in such activities. The last question was in relation to the students’ enthusiasm about environmental activities. In it, 5 (31, 2%) of them answered in an enthusiastic way, others 5 (31, 2%) answered that it is a duty in the school, 4 (25%) students answered that they participate with little motivation, and the last 2 (12, 5%) did not tick any of the choices. The answer proved that even though the students are very motivated in extracurricular activities, it is not the same when they have to participate in environmental events. In general, the results of the survey showed that the majority of the students lack awareness of, commitment, and motivation towards the protection of the environment. The first question of the pedagogic test (Appendix 3) was about the students’ knowledge on the concept of environment and on the most important environmental issues; they had to answer true or false. The first item stated that the environment is the nature that surrounds us; all of the students wrote true which represents the 100%. The second item stated that the world is facing environmental issues nowadays, 100% of them wrote true. The third item stated that the environmental issues nowadays have no possible solution, 5 (31, 2%) of them answered true, the others 11 (68, 7%) students answered false. The fourth item stated that the solution of the environmental issues nowadays is only in the hands of the rich countries, not in ours, 14 (87, 5%) of the students answered true, the others 2 (12, 5%) students answered false. The last item stated that children are also able to contribute to solve environmental issues 3 (18, 7%) of them answered true, the 13 (81, 2%) left students answered false. The answers to this question revealed that they mistakenly assume that environment is only nature; they all recognize that the world is facing 21.

(27) environmental issues, but some think that there is no possible solution for them; the majority believes that only rich countries can do something about it, and that children cannot contribute. The second question asked for the students´ own definition of environment, 3 (18, 7%) of them defined it as the place where we live, nature and society. Other 4 (25%) of the students stated that environment is everything that surround us, the animals, plants, rivers. The 9 (56, 2%) students left only wrote that the environment is everything that surround us. These answers revealed that most of the students omit the sociocultural and socioeconomic component of the environment. In answering the third question the students had to select the main environmental issues that affect the world nowadays, 4 of them (25%) chose global warming, loss of biodiversity, wars, and desertification. Other 3 (18, 7%) answered: global warming, endangered species, desertification, wars, and environmental effects of meat production, the other 6 (37, 5%) answered: global warming, loss of biodiversity, blast fishing, endangered species, energy waste, and wars. The answers here revealed that the majority of the students cannot discriminate major environmental issues from secondary ones. The following question was concerning the students’ knowledge on the environmental issues in their communities and school area. In this case, 2 (12, 5%) of the students referred that people litter, pollute rivers, and build houses without permission. 7 (43, 7%) of the students referred that people litter and hunt animals. The 7 students left (43, 7%) had no examples of environmental issues in their community or school area. As a conclusion, it was noticed that no sociocultural or socioeconomic issue was mentioned, and that they omit mentioning the waste of natural resources. The final question asked about the importance of preserving the environment. While 3 students (28, 7%) answered that it is important because we cannot live without the environment, 6 students (37, 5%) answered that it is important because in that way the sources will be everlasting, and the other 7(43, 7%) said that if people do not take care of the environment, the whole in the ozone layer will be wider and human race will die. These answers showed that the. 22.

(28) students do acknowledge the importance of solving environmental problems, and know about the consequences. In general, the pedagogic test revealed that the majority of the students show limited knowledge on what the term environment comprises and difficulties in identifying global and local environmental issues, though they do acknowledge the importance of solving environmental problems, and know about their possible consequences. On the other hand, the scientific observation (Appendix 4) searched for information on the students’ behavior and attitudes towards the environment in the school routine. The results showed that most students (87, 5%) keep a loud behavior on a regular basis as they yell at each other. They also (10 students: 62, 5%) litter in the classroom, and in the school areas, waste water, school materials, energy and, at times, disrespect social property. According to the information obtained, 9 of them (56, 2%) regularly waste water, school materials or energy. Besides that, most of them 14 (87, 5%) disrespect social property at times, by not taking care of the books or school property like the T.V set, the VCR, their chairs, tables, among others. 2.2.1 Regularities of the diagnosis After having analyzed the results of the survey, the pedagogic test, scientific observation and the analysis of documents, the following regularities were found in the majority of the students:  They acknowledge the importance of solving environmental problems, know about their possible consequences, and consider environmental education as necessary.  They show limited knowledge on what the term environment comprises and difficulties in identifying global and local environmental issues.  They lack awareness of, commitment, and motivation towards the protection of the environment and they rarely take part in solving environmental issues.  They keep a loud behavior, litter, waste water, school materials, energy, and at times, disrespect social property. Taking into consideration the potentialities and deficiencies found after the analysis of the different instruments applied the author of the present research. 23.

(29) decided to design a system of activities to develop 6th-grade environmental club students' environmental education in English Language.. 24.

(30) III-. THE. SYSTEM. ENVIRONMENTAL. OF. ACTIVITIES. EDUCATION. TO. DEVELOP. THROUGH. 6th. GRADERS. EXTRACURRICULAR. ACTIVITIES The father of the system Von Bertalanffy defines system as the ‘’group of elements that interact with each other’’ (1968) and the interactions make a new global properties appear, different from the isolated elements that form the system. The majority of the authors point at Von Bertalanffy as their main enhancer, even though they recognize the term had been used before by outstanding specialists such as Marx and Hegel among others. To Lorences (2003), behind the diversity of the existing definitions, the authors’ orientations, and the terms used, there exists an agreement in pointing out that a system is a form of existence of the objective reality, that can be studied and represented by human beings, undertaking some general laws, conformed by a group of elements that are distinguished by a certain order, where its limits are relative. Its elements are only separated and limited for the sake of their studies with certain purposes, belonging to a system of a bigger size. The theoretical study of the system and its practical implementation is characterized in the first place by its own qualities. This way the specialists (Pérez, G. y Nocedo, I.. : 1983) propose the following components of the. system: the principle of hierarchy, the structure of the system, and the functional relations of the system. Such qualities characterize every phenomenon since they are formed by a multiplicity of elements, where the main components allow its characterization. Every system has a hierarquical structure, it is integrated by different parts that can be considered as subsystems of that totality, and at the same time, components of one of a bigger size complexity where the referred components are organized and interact on a stable basis, conforming its structure. The system as a pedagogical scientific result is defined by Lorences, J. (2003) as ‘’an analytic construction somehow theoretical that tries to modify the structure of a given real pedagogical system and/or the creation of a new one, and its goal is to obtain superior results in a given activity’’.. 25.

(31) The characteristics that a system as a pedagogical scientific result should have are: intentionality (aimed at a definite purpose), degree of determination (defines the criteria that determine the optional and necessary components taking into account its goals), referential capacity (given by the dependency that it has with regards to the social system in which it is inserted), degree of amplification(the limits that defines it as a system should be explicitelly established),analytic approximation to the object (the system should be able to represent analytically the material object to be created and the real possibility of its creation should exist), flexibility (it should have the capacity to include the changes that take place in reality). Moreover, educational activities ‘’comprise those that are planned and guided to fulfil objectives of an instructive and educational nature carried on at a school with the students and allows the rational use of their free time’’ (Colectivo de autores, 1998:149), it includes revolutionary acts, works in the community and in the classroom, among others. 3.1. Philosophical,. sociological,. psychological,. pedagogical. and. methodological bases of the proposal The present paper takes its philosophical foundation from the Dialectic Materialism of the Marxist-Leninist philosophy, so it assumes the cognoscibility of the world as an objective reality and considers all the phenomena as interconnected, in constant evolution and with internal contradictions. It also assumes the cognitive process as a complex reflection in the subject's conscience and takes practice as a starting and finishing point within the theory of knowledge. From the sociological point of view, the present proposal assumes education as a social phenomenon oriented towards the training of men for life. Within educational institutions, it also takes into account the incidence of inter-group relations (teacher-student, teacher-class, student-student, and student-class) in the environmental education of children, as well as the role of the processes of socialization and individualization in a dialectic integration. The proposal was designed upon psychological foundations that mirror the Socio-cultural-historical theory developed by L. S. Vygotsky, therefore the 26.

(32) design of the system of environmental activities takes into account that whatever the students are able to do at present with levels of help, they will be able to do on their own in the near future. The proposal also assumes the union between the cognitive and emotional aspects in learning, as well as the integration of education and development in the students' personality. From the pedagogical perspective, the system of activities bases upon the laws and principles of Pedagogy as a science, assuming the dialectic integration of instruction and education, teaching and learning. The proposal also considers that teaching goes at the forefront of development directing it and should aim at the maturing functions rather than at functions that are already developed. Finally, from the methodological point of view, the system of activities harmonizes with the philosophy behind the communicative approach; consequently, it was conceived taking into consideration the students' learning needs, their interests and motivations, it favors the conscious involvement of the students in learning, and uses a holistic approach when dealing with the language system, and provides flexibility when dealing with errors. (Camacho Delgado, 2002) 3.2 Characteristics of the proposal The system of activities contained within the environmental club conveys both a linguistic and an environmental goal, and was designed in a way that might be appealing and significant for the students, to guarantee their motivation towards the activities. They are all interconnected and gradually set from the simple to the complex. It is composed of 7 activities and they are designed as extracurricular activities to be carried out in an Environmental Club with 16 students who showed interest and motivation towards environmental issues. Environmental clubs are public-interest groups that advocate around conservation and ecological issues. 6th-grade. environmental. club. students. from. “Juan. Carlos. Rodríguez”. Elementary School advocate around conservation and ecological issues. They work to gain or retain benefits for their members, and to make general changes for the public good. 27.

(33) Within the Environmental Club there are different kinds of activities such as group work, fragments of movies, board game, matching, painting and drawing. A great variety of topics are covered through the designed activities since they include national attributes, endangered species, social misbehavior, global and local environmental problems, among others. At the end of each activity the teacher conducts his students to a reflection on such environmental issues dealt with in order to strengthen their Environmental Education. 3.3 The system of activities comprised in the Environmental Club General objective: To. contribute. to. develop. 6th-grade. environmental. club. students'. environmental education in English Language Activity # 1 Title: Finding a Name for the Club Objective: The students will come up with a suitable name for the club as they acquire new vocabulary in English language related to the environment and show sensitivity towards nature. Description: It consists of taking the students out of the school and into the community showing them the beauty of nature, explaining the need to preserve it for the future, at the same time teaching them simple words and phrases in English language like: tree, river, fish, wood, litter, life, bird nests, protect the environment, save water, avoid pollution, and others; as they come up in context. The teacher explains the objective of the club and asks the students to work in four teams in order to suggest a name for it, which is later put into English under the direction of the teacher. Eventually, they will all vote individually to choose the best choice. Activity # 2 Title: Working with the national attributes 28.

(34) Objective: The students will acquire new vocabulary in English language related to our national attributes (bird, flower, and tree) and show pride and respect for their homeland symbols Description: The teacher will show some pictures to the students of different flowers, trees and birds, including the butterfly lily, the Cuban trogon, and the royal palm tree. Each image will be identified with its name in English (Appendix 5). After practicing the pronunciation of each, the students are asked to identify which of them are our national bird, flower and tree. Once they do it, the teacher will explain the importance of preserving them all, especially those that are endangered species. Activity # 3 Title: S.O.S.: a distress call from nature Objective: The students will identify some Cuban endangered species as they acknowledge the importance of taking care of them so as to preserve our biological diversity Description: The teacher asks the students to work in two groups to do some research about Cuban endangered species in ECURED (group 1: flora and group 2: fauna) (Appendix 6), and find their names in English. Each group will make a presentation of their results, naming each species in English and showing pictures. Once they have the results there will be a discussion about the importance of the care and preservation of the endangered species. Activity # 4 Title: Environment is not Only Nature Objective: The students will recognize that social relations are part of the environment and will think through their own behavior. Description:. 29.

(35) The teacher will copy on the board some phrases that describe a kind of social misbehavior, for example: listening to loud music in public places, yelling at people, causing troubles in the neighborhood, keeping a loud behavior, and not abiding laws. After going through the meaning of each phrase using techniques like mimicry and student-teacher interaction, the teacher will play some videos (fragments of movies) on the TV, showing examples of people performing such social misbehaviors, and the students' task is to match each video fragment with the corresponding phrase. After matching, the teacher will explain that not only nature is part of the environment; social relations are also an important part of it. The students will then (with the help of the teacher for vocabulary) come up with simple ideas of how each behavior in the videos affects the environment. Activity # 5 Title: Playing and Learning (Board game) Objective: The students will identify the most significant environmental issues nowadays as well as good practices in favor of the environment as they get sensitized with such topics. Description: The students are arranged into two teams to play a board game. The teams will take turns to throw a dice and move forward through the squares in the board; according to the number the dice shows.. Each square contains either an. environmental issue or a pro-environmental practice. If the team’s move stops at a square with an environmental issue, they will have to move backwards as many steps as indicated in the landing square. On the contrary, if the team stops at a square with a pro-environmental practice, they will continue to move forward as many steps as indicated in the landing square. The winning team will be the one arriving first at the finish line. Activity # 6 Title: What´s wrong?. 30.

(36) Objective: The students will identify the most significant environmental issues nowadays as they recognize the importance of making efforts to contribute to solve them. Description: The students will match the environmental issues in column A with the corresponding picture in column B COLUMN A. COLUMN B. ___Agent Orange. ___ Blast fishing. ___ ___ Deforestation. ___Deterioration of sanitary conditions. ___ Energy waste. ___Forest decay. 31.

(37) ___Lack of fresh water. ___Land degradation. ___Land pollution. ___Loss of biological diversity. ___Pollution. ___Water pollution. 32.

(38) After matching, they will choose out of a set of faces denoting different moods (Appendix 7), the one that corresponds to what they feel when they see each picture. Activity # 7 Title: Painting and drawing Objective: The students will represent local environmental issues in a painting or drawing and socialize it in an exhibit for the rest of the school. Description: The students will reflect in a painting or drawing of their own, the environmental issues that they come across in their own community. This activity will be carried out in different stages: explaining the activity, discussing on the topic to activate prior knowledge, painting and drawing, presenting the works and exhibiting them. 3.4 The specialists` criteria about the system of activities In order to check the pertinence, quality, scientific requirements, coherent, logically structured, feasibility, potentiality to tribute to environmental knowledge and attitudes of the proposal, a survey (Appendix 8) was administered to a group of specialists in the teaching of English as a foreign language. They are all experienced professionals who show competence, creativity, analytical skills, critical spirit and effectiveness in their professional activity as educators. All of them are Associate Professors. Their experience average is about 28 years. Once the proposal was analyzed by all of the specialists, their criteria were processed according to the different aspects included in the survey. The results showed that the proposal was evaluated as pertinent (100%), since they. 33.

(39) consider necessary that all the students in early ages get acquainted with topics related to the environment, its care and preservation. In relation to the second item, 100% of the specialists emitted their evaluation, grading the quality of the proposal as 5, the maximum degree. In the next item, they also expressed that the proposal was designed with the established scientific requirements. In the subsequent four aspects, the specialists (100%) evaluated the system of activities as adequate, coherent, logically structured, and feasible; in all cases grading them also with the highest rank. Regarding. the. specialists’. suggestions. and. remarks,. 20%. of. them. recommended that the proposal be widened including other environmental subjects to enhance its tribute to the students’ knowledge. Another 40% of the specialists suggested that it could comprise more practical activities that focus on the students’ attitudes. The specialists also complimented the proposal and expressed that it could be implemented in different primary schools of the territory. They also encouraged to author to continue working with the topic in other school levels. 3.5The partial implementation of the proposal Once the system was carefully planned, the author proceeded to its implementation in practice. First, the activities were distributed during the second semester. Second, the necessary materials and structural actions were cared for. During the whole implementation process, the participant observation method (Appendix 9) allowed the author to assess the changes and progresses in the students’ motivation, knowledge, and attitudes related to the environment. While the first activity was being developed, most of the students were very motivated with the club, they went on a field trip around the school areas and were taught different words and phrases in English related to the environment as they came up in context. The teacher also explained the importance of preserving it. When they were divided into different groups to suggest names for the club, some choices arose such as “Children and the Environment”, “Captain Planet and the Planeteers” and “Saving the world”.. Finally, they all voted. individually and chose ¨Saving the world¨.. 34.

(40) In the second activity, the students showed knowledge related to the national attributes since they easily identified all of them out of a set of pictures, as they learnt their names in English language (Butterfly Jasmine, Cuban Trogon, and Royal Palm tree) and practiced their pronunciation. The teacher corrected the mistakes the students made and, next, explained that there are people who damage the flora and fauna by hunting, cutting down trees, throwing garbage into the rivers, beaches, among others, and the teacher also encouraged them to contribute to stop all these wrong human behavior that might surround them. The students paid close attention all the time and showed apprehension. They even set examples of environmental misbehavior they had witnessed so far. For the third activity the students had been divided into two groups to research about the Cuban endangered flora or fauna species. They completed the task mostly assisted by ECURED, and developed their presentations, which was quite difficult for them due to their low command of the language, but the teacher helped with the pronunciation while looking at the pictures. It represented a challenge for the students, but they were enthusiastic all the time. Afterwards, the students with the help of the teacher, used phrases to express the importance of preserving these species, especially because they are all about to disappear if people do not take actions immediately. This activity increased the students’ knowledge on Cuban endangered species and their commitment to protect them. As the fourth activity was in process, most of the students were extremely surprised due to the fact that they did not know that social behavior was also part of the environment because misbehavior in this sense affects other people’s welfare. After the video fragments were played, most of the students matched correctly their content with the kind of social misbehavior they depicted. The students showed understanding of the importance of stopping social misbehavior. Eventually, they decided to take actions in their neighborhood and school areas, which revealed a change of attitude on the students’ side. In the fifth activity the students showed motivation toward the board game as they said that it was entertaining and funny. They also acquired knowledge by recognizing environmental issue and pro-environmental practices. The students’ 35.

(41) attitudes were fantastic because they participated in a very enthusiastic way, and their discipline was excellent. In the six activity, the students had some problems in matching the pictures with the environmental issue due to the fact that they did not have a holistic notion of the environment and the damages that could cause its wrong use, but with the help of the teacher the activity turned to be very effective, they showed understanding once they picked correctly the mood faces. The final activity was aimed at painting or drawing environmental issues of the students own community. When the teacher explained the activity, he could notice that they were very motivated since they declared they were good at it. Afterwards, the teacher discussed the topic with the objective of activating prior knowledge. Then, the students gathered and made the activity in a very dynamic way. Finally, they presented their work and exhibited them in all areas surrounding the school, even in their community. The success of the implementation of the system of activities did not depend on the teachers’ efforts; but in those of the students who were the real performers of the activities; and as they were different from the regular type used in other student clubs. The students felt highly motivated towards the activities as such and showed a particular enthusiasm in the preservation of the environment; but most. importantly,. the. students. improved. their. attitudes. towards. the. environment. The most important achievement of the environmental club was the fact that the students became aware of the importance of protecting the environment and acquired a general knowledge on it, as well as the positive attitudes they showed after the activities were developed. The author of this research also noticed that the students still show irresponsible behavior out of the school area, but in a lower degree. Thus, it is important to continue working with the aspects that have to do with their environmental education for sustainable development.. 36.

(42) CONCLUSION 1) The design of activities to develop 6th-grade students environmental education for sustainable development through English Language lessons. is. theoretically. and. methodologically. supported. by. a. comprehensive conception of environment, the notion of environmental education oriented towards the purpose of contributing to sustainable development, and teaching/learning strategies that deal with the environment as a resource to be managed, as a problem to be solved, as a place to live, and as a community project. 2) The needs assessment revealed that 6th-grade students’ environmental education for sustainable development at Juan Carlo Rodrigues needs to be developed, since they showed to have very limited knowledge on environmental issues and to keep attitudes towards the environment that are not always either constructive or positive. 3) The system of activities designed to develop the students environmental education for sustainable development through extracurricular activities, includes. appealing. activities. that. imply. active. involvement. in. environmental protection and education along with language learning. 4) The specialists evaluated the proposal as pertinent, adequate, coherent, logically structured, feasible, and designed with the established scientific requirements. 5) The partial implementation of the system of activities proved to be effective in practice, since the students not only increased their knowledge on environmental issues, but also showed to be committed to and enthusiastic about participating in their solution.. 37.

(43) SUGGESTIONS 1. Adapt the system of activities so that it can be implemented in other grades and levels 2. Enrich the system with other activities that involve the students more actively in the protection of the environment. 38.

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