Global climate change, like most environmental topics, is so complex that undergraduate students have difficulty understanding the concept. But with a topic of such importance, a student’s learning outcome should be more than understanding, it should be internalization. I suggest that a narrative, fictional in concept but scientific in content, is an effective way to achieve this outcome. I report on my success in using short stories to achieve comprehension and personal appreciation for environmental topics in a non-majors science course. Each entertaining story is specifically written for an undergraduate audience. “Henry Ford Hated Glaciers” is the tale of roommates arguing over the causes and solutions to climate change. After reading the story, students embark on an entrepreneurial mission to develop a product that sequesters carbon. In “Talking Turkey” a student causes a stir at her Thanksgiving dinner when she announces to her family that she has become a vegetarian. Students must explain the ecological rationale behind the character’s decision and engage in an on-line discussion of its merits. In “Breeding Discussion” college friends debate reproductive and lifestyle choices within the context of human population growth and resource consumption. Students continue the characters’ discussion within an on-line forum.
Results/Conclusions
Upon reading the stories and completing the assignments, students demonstrated an increased interest in the topic. Student posts on-line were lively, insightful, and often exceeded the requirements. As evidence of internalization, students were more willing to voice their personal views on the subject in the on-line forum and in spontaneous classroom discussions. In reading their posts and listening to classroom chatter about the stories, I have been better able to identify points of confusion about the underlying science and have acted to clarify the material. I have found these scientific narratives to be a very effective tool in helping students personally relate to environmental topics and consequently increase their comprehension.
