There are many environmental movements today, some being successfully executed, and some struggling to get results. One common saying to those who advocate progressive environmental measures is that it should start with the children. When I was in elementary school in the 90’s I remember that we perhaps planted one tree every couple of arbor days, ( this all being negated by the fact that our principal had the mature oaks taken down because perhaps their branches would fall on some shade-loving parents.) And other than the occasional thought, these were practically non-existent. Today in the school district that I work for, vegetable gardens have been created, and other types of gardens for study. Another form of this education that I found out about recently was environmental online games.
Now I immediately become skeptical about this because while a child can learn about these pressing issues, and plant trees online, aren’t they better off going outside and planting? Either way maybe I can kind of agree that this is a step in the right direction. Regarding the medium of online gaming, makeuseof.com says, “Children can immediately learn that each action has a contributing effect. Plus, these interactive educational websites on the environment make both the teaching and learning enjoyable without losing out on the lessons”. One online game called the “Climate Challenge” from http://www.bbc.co.uk/sn/hottopics/climatechange/climate_challenge/ , was actually pretty enjoyable and educational. It is perhaps for the tween to teenage crowd. It involves you having to invest in environmental measures put forth by the government at the local, state, and national level. With each decision and subsidy, money is depleted and only a few measures can be taken each year.
A game that is for kids and tweens would be the game “Acid Lake” . In this game, you are taken through various stages of a lake with the pH scale. It gives children easily memorized facts, and has pictures that accompany the information. This is a simple and basic way for children to learn about one aspect of climate change.