How learning to listen can help communities heal from disasters

In 1989, when a young Patience Andersen Faulkner was working as a legal aide in the picturesque town of Cordova, disaster struck when crude oil spilled into Prince William Sound from the tanker Exxon Valdez. Part of her job was to listen to the folks who came into the law office talk about their experiences with the spill. “They would tell me how things devastated them emotionally,” she says. Even though the spill affected her too, she just…

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> About these lessons Please use the dropdowns to filter by grade, subject, or lesson duration. Lesson Plans or Supporting Materials Lesson Plans Supporting Material All grade ranges 6-8 (38) 9-12 (27) 3-5 (23) K-2 (9) All Subjects Advocacy (1) Art (3) Chemistry (8) Conservation (12) Cultural Studies/Native Studies (3) Earth and Space Science (13) Engineering and Technology (7) Environmental Science (18) Government (2) History (1) Life…

New Zealanders visit Alaska in search of Exxon Valdez lessons

This past June brought visitors to Alaska to learn about the Exxon Valdez oil spill. Raewyn Bennett and Elaine Tapsell, elders of the indigenous Maori people of New Zealand, came to look for information and best practices or guidance that might be useful to them in the aftermath of their own oil spill off the coast of New Zealand in 2011. The cargo tanker Rena ran aground on the Astrolabe Reef in October 2011, releasing over 350 tonnes…

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