Weaving sustainable connections: the significance of teaching environmental history in contemporary education

Abstract

This article explores the often overlooked intersection between History and the environment, challenging the conventional historical approach. Environmental History seeks to redefine this perspective by promoting an analysis not only of political, economic, and social aspects but also of the environmental dimensions in the history of a population. The central objective is to foster an interdisciplinary approach, transcending the traditional compartmentalization of disciplines such as Humanities, Sciences, and Biology, encouraging reflection on the integration of historical and biological themes. Acknowledging the challenges of environmental education, it is argued that Environmental History can significantly contribute to teaching by using concrete examples to illustrate the interconnection of human actions with the environment. This approach facilitates understanding the importance of the student's role on Earth. The study aims to analyze how the incorporation of Environmental History in education can enhance environmental awareness, using historical situations as a basis. Ultimately, the article seeks to provoke reflections on the present and the relationship of contemporary society with the environment, emphasizing the need for a more integrated and conscious approach.

Keywords: environmental history; teaching; environmental education.