Abstract:

The current climate crisis is one of the most significant challenges humanity has ever faced, posing a real and imminent threat to future generations. After centuries of uninterrupted growth, human beings must re-establish a balanced relationship with the Earth system by promptly mitigating the sometimes irreversible effects of this crisis. The first step to reverse the course taken so far is to invest in education and awareness-raising on environmental issues, starting right from the first levels of education. Through this research, therefore, an attempt has been made to analyse the changed relationship between Man and Planet Earth, considering the anthropic impact that has led to today's unprecedented climate and environmental crisis.

This paper aims to claim the role that the Education System must assume in educating present and future generations to protect and preserve our living environment.

Through administering a questionnaire addressed to primary school teachers, a survey was conducted concerning the environmental education teaching practices presented in the classroom to draw a picture of them, including strengths and weaknesses to hope for school renewal and soliciting actions to improve the educational offer. Suggestions for improving the effectiveness of climate change interventions and promoting greater environmental awareness are also considered. Certainly, inherent in the role of the teacher is the additional ethical responsibility to educate and provide all the tools necessary for life within society; therefore, it is fundamental to innovate education to form adults capable of facing their destiny with more excellent knowledge, understanding and awareness of the world.

Keywords:

Primary school, climate crisis, IBSE, environmental awareness, innovation, educational project.