UC Irvine

A sustainability literate person possesses the knowledge, skills, values, and ecological worldview needed to make decisions and engage in actions that move society toward a more sustainable existence. Often, students learn about an environmental issue, such as deforestation, and are then encouraged to take action, like planting a tree. While this approach allows students to engage in action quickly, it misses an opportunity for students to delve more deeply into sustainability issues by exploring diverse perspectives, examining assumptions, and imagining a more just future before taking that action, skills that are rooted in critical literacy. This article presents a framework for integrating sustainability literacy into K-12 language arts using a critical literacy approach. Drawing from multiple fields, it highlights how critical literacy can be employed with sustainability literacy to help prepare not only critical readers and writers but also problem solvers and changemakers ready to address the challenges of a changing climate. Along with the framework, an explanation will be provided for how educators can equip students with the skills needed to take sustainable action while strengthening their reading and writing abilities and harnessing the power of words to influence change in their communities.