A Primer for Teaching Environmental History

“Emily Wakild and Michelle K. Berry challenge us to transform the environmental history classroom, suggesting we abandon the typical periodization or thematic issues that organize our syllabi. In their stead, they outline a more organic approach that unlocks the tangled pasts and contemporary interconnections of the foods, places, animals, and technologies students encounter daily. This provocative primer compels us to forsake rigid structure in favor of flexibility and innovation grounded in a deep reading of the literature.” - Kathleen A. Brosnan, author of Uniting Mountain and Plain: Cities, Law, and Environmental Change along the Front Range

“This friendly book invites teachers to reflect on the wide and diverse natural world, the joys of the classroom, and the fascinations of the past. Imagine Rachel Carson and bell hooks discussing The Historian's Craft by Marc Bloch. Add to that practical tips for designing syllabi and classroom exercises. Teachers of environmental history will be enriched by reading and rereading Emily Wakild and Michelle K. Berry's primer.” - Nancy J. Jacobs, author of Birders of Africa: History of a Network

"More about possibilities than prescription, A Primer for Teaching Environmental History is one of the most compelling texts on course design I’ve encountered—which is why I will keep it nearby as I revise my own environmental and U.S. history courses." - Amy Kohout, Western Historical Quarterly

"Wakild and Berry have accomplished a first. They have published a usable, innovative, and relevant guide to teaching environmental history that should be on every historian’s bookshelf at a time when enrollment trends jeopardize the stability and future of the humanities. From this perspective,Wakild and Berry provide a compelling defense of the profession. Instructors must continue to adapt to the shifting landscape of academia in the twenty-first century. It is only fitting that environmental historians be at the forefront of that effort."
  - Brittany B. Fremion, Environmental History

"The richness of content and context provided by Wakild and Berry makes it hard to not want to teach a course on environmental history, or at the very least attempt one of the assignments outlined in the book. Still, the book deserves a wider audience than just those who might readily see its appeal and educators from a variety of fields and levels of experience could find ways to adapt the approaches to their lesson plans and goals. It is an excellent starting point for designing a new course or even refreshing the content of an existing one." - Abbey Lewis, Electronic Green Journal

"Every environmental historian, or those wishing to inject a little environmental history into their curriculum, should read [this book]. It is a rich and engaging resource for all aspects of environmental history pedagogy. The authors have a wealth of teaching experience and their enthusiasm for their subject is infectious." - Frank Zelko, Journal of World History

“This very timely and important book has ideas for almost every kind of educator, and a little environmental history can go a long way. I have recommended it to friends and colleagues who teach in both high schools and colleges, and I recommend it to you now.”

"This book has the immense merit of inviting all historians to consider the need to integrate a material and ecological dimension into their teaching." - Renaud Becot, Review of Agricultural, Food, and Environmental Studies