| To paraphrase a well-known historian, there is too little nature in the study of history. Although environmental history is a well established field, nature and the physical environment are still often excluded agents in history pedagogy. The following essay is an effort to remedy this problem.;This dissertation has two main objectives. The first is to define and describe environmental history and present a rationale for its inclusion as a major component of survey history courses. The second is to outline ways college teachers can include an environmental perspective in their instructional strategies. It includes three sample lesson plans that permit the non-specialist to incorporate an environmental view into his or her syllabus.;In conclusion, an environmental perspective brings explanatory power to the study of history, and can help to synthesize a sometimes fragmented discipline. |
