Sustainability Spotlight: Veranda Johnson at East High School
Lincoln Public Schools has a history of taking big steps to operate more efficiently and sustainably in our buildings, but another area of focus is how we are addressing sustainability and climate in the classroom. State science standards have been updated to support these topics, but how to bring such a big issue into the classroom is an ongoing effort. One place for an easy connection is in the high school geoscience course that all LPS students take. These students dive into earth systems, the origins of the earth, and energy in the earth systems. Veranda Johnson, geoscience teacher at East High School, is providing a great example of how to incorporate sustainability when teaching her classes.
In Johnson’s classroom, students learn how carbon affects earth systems and how they are changing because too much carbon causes a warming cascade. This message is reiterated when students use the Climate Modeling Tool, a climate simulation tool that was piloted at East. “No matter what variables you change, in every model simulation [students] get carbon as being the main source for warming,” explained Johnson. This exploration exercise allows for critical thinking, problem solving, and curiosity revolving around carbon and the effect it has on our planet. Johnson mentioned that the connection between carbon and the changing earth systems is easy, because many of the students are already aware of issues like sea level rise and ocean warming. Student-led discussions and questions help in making connections to more problems caused by excess carbon in our atmosphere creating a climate crisis like increasing temperatures and ocean acidification. In order to allow students to personally connect to these issues, Johnson offers a “create your own adventure” research project so students can look into how the climate crisis is affecting specific areas or locations they are curious about around the globe.
By offering these connections, Johnson is bridging the gap between sustainability and the classroom curriculum. She has found that by having student led discussions pertaining to sustainability, students have become more curious, passionate about the environment, and reflective of their everyday actions that might fuel the climate crisis. Aside from being an advocate for sustainability in the classroom, Johnson also supports environmental efforts in the community. “I love finding the cool new green engineering products that are coming out,” says Johnson. She enjoys supporting innovative thinking and sustainably minded solutions on a national, community and individual level. With the initiative and energy of staff like Johnson, we see successful examples of bringing sustainability into the classroom and inspiring students to be stewards of the earth.
Updated January 15, 2021
