We designed multiple teaching and learning exercises about sustainability issues,
including examining human-environment interactions using a systems approach and analyzing
production and consumption. Since we acknowledge the pedagogical potential for using
controversial issues (Hess, 2004, 2009) such as plastic pollution within a comprehensive study of
sustainability education, we designed course experiences with plastic pollution that would
increase pre-service teachers’ knowledge expand their thinking about teaching sustainability with
young children. Many course experiences contributed to this development. We selected two
film texts, Bag It (Hill & Beraza, 2010) and The Story of Stuff (Priggen & Fox, 2007); hosted an
expert guest lecture; organized simulations (e.g., of the causes and effects of local river pollution
using a Population Connection© resource); analyzed related primary source documents; and read children’s literature related to human-environment interaction and sustainability (e.g., Common
Ground by Molly Bang, 1997). Pre- and post-survey instruments and structured discussions
provided data regarding our students’ perceptions about environmental sustainability and
specifically plastic pollution. Our teaching and research served two purposes: (a) to identify preservice
teachers’ perceptions of environmental sustainability and (b) to strengthen pre-service
teachers’ content and pedagogical knowledge regarding the teaching of sustainability concepts in
the elementary grades. We sought to learn: (a) What are elementary pre-service teachers’
perceptions of environmental sustainability? Did their attitudes and beliefs change as a result of
social studies education experiences based upon the Sustainability Education Framework for
Teachers (SEFT)? and (b) What are pre-service teachers’ beliefs about teaching environmental
sustainability in the elementary grades?