Abstract
Environmental education has been compulsory in Czech primary and secondary schools since 2007. Environmental education became one of the so called core cross curricular topics in 2007.
This means the topic should be approached by teachers of all different subjects taught at primary and secondary schools, not only by teachers of Biology and Geography. This in fact means that teachers are responsible for handing over information and knowledge they know very little, or nothing about.
Of course there are a variety of methodological handbooks whose aim is to offer advice to teachers on how to teach these issues. These methodological handbooks offer short-term as well as long-term projects, suggestions for activities in the wood, in the garden, or methodological approaches (e.g. eco games).
However, the experience of the author of this paper from her meetings with in-service teachers – students of combined study at the Faculty of Education – shows that they lack basic understanding of the issue. The aim of the author’s activity was to write a book for teachers as well as for specialists in other professions (non-experts in ecology, environmental studies and natural sciences) that would be comprehensible, readable, with appropriate content yet factually correct and up-to-date.
The presented book consists of three consequent parts: Ecology, Environmental Studies and Environmental Education. Each of the parts not only offers information and facts but also stories, storylines and narratives.
There are also suggestions for follow-up activities, e.g. excursions, films, educational programmes etc. These provide a deeper and more complex insight into the issue.
The author innovatively builds on new trends in environmental education.