Research-Backed Strategies to Engage Students on the Environment

Photographs can be a powerful way to explain complex issues

By Lisa Nehring

How do I talk to students about abstract concepts like biodiversity?

I’m a former middle school science teacher who left the classroom to research teaching about the environment. Here’s an expanded version of something I wrote for Character Lab as a Tip of the Week:

In the front of my classroom, I projected a photo of a group of Chinese farmers in a sunny pear orchard. Surrounded by delicate white flowers, the farmers extend long wands up toward the tree branches.

Yong Wang/Shutterstock.com

By looking at this picture, my 6th grade students came to terms with an astonishing fact: With no bees left, these farmers must pollinate their crops themselves.

Concepts like biodiversity loss are challenging to talk about—especially with children. How do you explain something that’s happening slowly and invisibly? But conversations are vital to understanding hidden threats, and photos offer a unique entry point.