Knowledge is Power – An analysis of what one lesson can do

I have always felt strongly that education is one of the best methods of correcting the wrongs of the world. When you educate children about peace, it is far harder for them to justify aggressive behavior. When students learn about climate change, they can feel empowered to do something about it. These are but a few examples of the power of education. LMCA classes have and will continue to do exxactly this.

My most recent topic in Non-Fiction reading class demonstrated this well. After completing a lesson on sharks, many of my students found their viewpoint had changed. When asked if their impression changed, here were a few of their answers:

My impression of sharks changed. First of all, shark eats many dead animals in the ocean, so it means the shark makes the ocean cleaner. Secondly, sharks don’t attack humans at all. Many people think that sharks are fierce animals and human-killers, but actually sharks don’t attack or kill humans much if the sharks are not angry.
- Jennifer

My impression of sharks changed greatly, because before I read the book I thought sharks were just dangerous animals that attack humans. But after I had read this book, I think people should be friends with them. If I could change what other people think about sharks, then I would make people understand that hunting sharks is bad.
- Daniel

Sometimes sharks only taste humans to try if they are good or not, most sharks don’t like eating humans because we have too many bones, it will take a long time to digest for the sharks. People can stop killing sharks by not cutting their fins off, and we should spread fewer nets than before.
- Felix

One lesson was all it took to get the message across. Responsible education should be built on such messages, informing people young and old on how to better exist on our planet.  All the submissions I read showed independently drawn conclusions, each with their own reasons and ideas on why we should protect sharks. Such lessons fulfill multiple goals. The first being the active use of English. The second is developing an awareness of one’s environment. And finally, that learning fosters enjoyment and pleasure for the students.

Tags: awareness, environment, knowledge, learning, lessons, non fiction, reading club, sharks