Green Curriculum as a Media for Students to Get to Know the Environment Deeper

There are three (3) questions that should be the basis for every person on this earth in addressing global climate change; must we change? Can we change? Will we change? These are the questions I got when I read the book "An Inconvenient Sequel Truth to Power" written by Al Gore in 2015. Global climate change is a real phenomenon that affects all aspects of human life and other living things. Flash floods, storms, sea level rise are some examples of natural disasters that are affected by global climate change. This should be realized by every person, in order to prevent the earth from further damage.

A basic understanding for everyone about the importance of protecting the earth should be instilled early on, starting from elementary school education. It is undeniable that one day the person who will have a big role in protecting nature and its contents, is the young generation. Schools as a learning institution can make the green curriculum as one of the learning media and an introduction to environmental issues. By incorporating them into learning, children will gain new insights about current environmental issues while learning to map solutions to problems that occur.

Green curriculum can be a teacher strategy to improve students 'ability to understand a learning that is modified by the teacher so that it can become one of the unique learning media and increase students' insights. The curriculum can also be interpreted as a response to ecological issues around the world and represent ways to save energy, conserve resources, incorporate environmental education into the curriculum, create school gardens and parks and prepare healthy food in school canteens. This green curriculum should also be a regular learning material in line with learning materials that are already established by the government.

Schools can start by providing simple learning; for example, by providing 1-2 hours of learning special subjects on how to garden or by the teacher inviting students to create a waste bank. There are many developed countries that have implemented this green curriculum and have proven successful. Some of them are in Germany, which teaches how to plant apple trees for young children managed by the German Forest Protection Community for Day of the Forest. Then another example is in Missouri where children have their own green fields where they grow vegetables. Vegetables that are planted will be used as a side dish for their lunch. In addition, all matters relating to learning are always environmentally friendly such as the use of environmentally friendly fertilizers, organic food, and the reduction in the use of plastics.

In Indonesia the application of this curriculum should be easy to do. I remember when I was in elementary school, I was required to bring a family medicinal plant (TOGA) to be planted at school. Until now I still have memorized anything that is classified as a medicinal plant that can be planted at home. In implementing this curriculum, an optimization that can be done is also by inviting parents of students to apply it at home. Thus, learning in schools can be sustainable and carried out in their respective homes.