After four years of cooperation between the three European universities, the mobility project funded by the Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills (HK-dir) has concluded its teaching and research tasks with the publication of a book that includes fifteen activities designed for implementation in university classrooms and intended for students who plan to work in literary mediation with children aged six to twelve in the future. All the activities share an ecocritical approach, i.e. they emphasise ecological awareness and the relationship between humans and nature. The book is currently available in digital format and will soon be published in print.

During this period, teaching staff and students from the three universities reflected on the value of dialogic practices in the classroom, both when designing and delivering university courses and in the schools where the students completed their teaching placements. At UIC Barcelona, the project was led by the SEI research group, in partnership with Maria Dolores Cámara, from the International Relations Service. The vice-dean of the Faculty of Education Sciences and the project’s principal investigator, Maria Pujol Valls, remarked on the joint learning process: “We have developed competencies for analysing children’s and young adult literature through an ecocritical lens, considering how the role of humans and other species in achieving a balanced planet is represented.”

What is ecocritical reading?

The authors of the book revisit the concept of “ecoliterature”, first introduced by Fritjof Capra in 1997, which links education with environmental awareness. The author contends that ecocritical dialogues may involve more than just humans – plants, animals, books, etc. – and that interaction between participants is not always verbal. Based on this literature review, ecocritical reading may be defined as “social engagement with the head, heart, hands and spirit, encompassing an organic understanding of the world and participatory action with the environment.”

The Green Dialogues: Ecocritical Pathways to Children’s Literature in Education presents methodologies written collaboratively by the seven authors participating in the project, drawing on their teaching and research experience. UIC Barcelona lecturers Maria Pujol, Mariona Graell and Carme Balaguer explored innovative approaches related to topics including children’s rights, the promotion of literary discussion, responsible consumption linked to environmental protection and respect for cultural diversity. All the activities recommend readings designed to instil these values in children.

25 inspiring reads in response to the environmental emergency

One of the most innovative activities from the book is the result of a meeting between participants at the Rosa Sensat Teachers’ Association library and the activity 25 Essentials, which features twenty-five illustrated stories that encourage symbolic thinking through play. This experience inspired the Norwegian researchers to create their own selection of twenty-five books that encourage ecocritical reading and to organise an exhibition for both university students and local schoolchildren. The list includes both fiction and non-fiction novels, illustrated picture books and accordion-style fold-out books, among others.

The authors of the book are adamant that the project contributes to an environmental education that is literature-focused, innovative and necessary. “We have seen that all the proposed activities can be implemented and that they really motivate students,” conclude the book’s authors.