Environmental Education and Science Teaching in the Context of a Waldorf School: The Use of a Collective Reading Activity to Reflect on Pesticides

ABSTRACT The contemporary significance of Scientific Literacy underscores the importance of reading and writing practices, often neglected in classroom settings. The urgent global climate crisis calls for immediate action in Environmental Education, emphasizing holistic environmental relationships. This article describes how an Environmental Education initiative at a Waldorf school fostered reflections on science and the environment through a collective reading activity. Conducted in a Brazilian Waldorf high school, this study aligns with the principles of holistic development and judgment in Waldorf Pedagogy. The activity involved students reading Rachel Carson's Silent Spring , celebrated for its exposé on the effects of pesticides, followed by group discussions and reflections through written narratives. The experience revealed profound emotional responses from students, suggesting a nurturing of their environmental awareness, and they connected the content of the book with their own experiences, reinforcing the relevance of environmental issues in their lives. Integrating collective reading activities into Waldorf‐inspired curricula seems to inspire in‐depth environmental reflections, which can be a way to cultivate a generation of environmentally responsible citizens.