Teaching Climate Through Stories: The Power of Narrative in School Curricula

In the Indonesian archipelago of Banda Neira cluster of islands, situated at the far southeastern end of the Indian Ocean, in a village called Selamon, located at the northern end of Lonthor, which is also referred to as Great Banda as it is the largest islet in the cluster, a story unfolds that is as haunting as it is illuminating.

On the night of April 21st, 1621, a lamp fell in the bale-bale where a Dutch commander Martin Sonck slept. This seemingly insignificant event triggered panic among the Europeans, who constantly feared treachery in the islands teeming with nutmeg trees. The subsequent massacre of the Banda people, driven by colonial paranoia and greed, annihilated a community and disrupted an ecological and economic balance that had thrived for centuries.

This account, drawn from JA Van der Chijs’s 1886 monograph De Vestiging van het Nederlandsche Gezag over de Banda-Eilanden (or in English, The Establishment of Dutch Rule Over the Banda Islands), illustrates the catastrophic consequences of human actions on societies and their environments.

An Indian descent and internationally celebrated author of 20 historical fiction and non-fiction books, Amitav Ghosh, in 2021 The Nutmeg’s Curse: Parables for a Planet in Crisis, expands on this history, connecting it to contemporary ecological crises and climate vulnerability. The nutmeg embodies both opportunity and suffering. It represents economic value and colonial wealth and also the violence, ecological ruin, and displacement that resulted from its extraction and trade.

Ghosh’s analysis points to how the exploitation of resources like nutmeg came at a steep cost, framing it as a “curse” that reflects the deep and enduring scars of imperialism and environmental degradation. This duality—value and curse—captures the complex legacy of the global economy shaped by colonial ambitions. His evocative storytelling transforms abstract concepts like ecological imbalance and climate justice into deeply felt realities. Imagine the impact if stories like this were part of every student’s learning journey. What if classrooms didn’t just teach about rising temperatures or carbon emissions but also invited students to step into the lives and histories shaped by these forces? This is the transformative power of storytelling in climate education, communication, and diplomacy.

Why Stories Matter in Climate Education

Traditional climate education often revolves around data: graphs, charts, and alarming statistics about greenhouse gas levels and global temperature rise. While essential, these facts can feel remote and abstract, especially to young learners. Stories, on the other hand, bridge the emotional and cognitive divide.

Stories humanize climate issues by presenting them through the experiences of individuals and communities. A tale of a farmer adapting to erratic rainfall or a coastal family witnessing rising sea levels can evoke empathy and make the challenges tangible. Moreover, stories are memorable. Studies show that narratives engage multiple parts of the brain, helping people retain and internalize information more effectively than cold and hard facts alone.

Incorporating storytelling into education also fosters critical thinking and improves climate literacy. Students learn to analyze the causes and consequences of human activities to extreme weather events and disasters, recognize patterns of injustice, and imagine alternative futures. By engaging with narratives, they develop a more nuanced understanding of climate issues and are empowered to act.

Creative Mediums: Tools for Engaging Students

1. Literature and Fiction/Non-Fiction

A non-fiction book like The Nutmeg’s Curse by Amitav Ghosh, which discusses colonialism and environmental issues with a particular focus on the Banda islands, or a novel such as Kim Stanley Robinson’s The Ministry for the Future offer rich narratives that connect global climate challenges with personal stories. These works can be used in literature classes to discuss themes of resilience, justice, and the human impact on nature. Short stories, poetry, and even graphic novels can similarly engage students and provoke meaningful discussions. This method has been practiced in a course by Dr. Philips Vermonte, the Dean of UIII Faculty of Social Sciences who teaches MPP 207 – Seminar in Policy Communication and Climate Diplomacy.

2. Film and Documentaries

Visual storytelling through films like My Octopus Teacher (about nature documentary filmmaker, naturalist, and founder of Sea Change Project, Craig Foster, and his unlikely friendship with a common octopus), or Buy Now! The Shopping Conspiracy (that exposes the dark underbelly of modern consumerism) provides immersive experiences that make climate science and carbon footprint relatable. Teachers can use documentaries to introduce students to real-world impacts and innovative solutions, sparking both awareness and inspiration. This method has been practiced in a course by Dr. Sonny Mumbunan, the Head of the Master of Public Policy specializing in Climate Change at UIII Faculty of Social Sciences who teaches MPP 214 – The Politics and Economics of Climate Policy Sequencing.

3. Role-Playing and Simulations

Interactive storytelling tools like role-playing games allow students to step into the shoes of climate negotiators, activists, or affected communities. For example, simulating negotiations at a global summit like the Conferences of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change helps students understand the complexities of international diplomacy while fostering collaboration and problem-solving skills. This method has been practiced in a course named MPP 202 – The Science of Climate Related Risks in the Global South by Dr. Michiel Schaeffer, a biophysicist with PhD in Dynamic Meteorology from University of Utrecht, The Netherlands who also contributes to IPCC’s Fifth Assessment Report and many peer-reviewed scientific studies. 

4. Personal Narratives

Encouraging students to share their own experiences with climate change can be deeply empowering. Whether it’s a journal entry about a local flood or an oral history project interviewing elders about environmental changes, personal storytelling helps students connect global issues to their own lives. Students are encouraged to share their written journal entries or blog posts like this one, simply because, borrowing from Umberto Eco, the Italian author, literary critic, semiotician, and philosopher: “To survive, you must tell stories.”

The State of Climate Change Education in Indonesia

Climate change education in Indonesia has a long history rooted in environmental education initiatives. It began with the integration of environmental education into the Kurikulum Inti (Core Curriculum) in 1980. The foundational legal structure supporting environmental and climate change education is laid out under Law No. 20/2003 on the National Education System. This law emphasizes that curricula should reflect both regional diversity and global issues like climate change and technology developments.

Under this framework, Law No. 23/2006 allows schools to develop their own operational curriculum, aligning with national priorities while integrating climate change education. Despite these advances, climate change has only been sporadically addressed within educational structures.

In 2013, Indonesia updated its National Curriculum Framework, with climate change included as a basic competence, particularly for primary school students. This competency emphasizes the attitudes, skills, and knowledge students should develop to engage with climate change challenges. However, the most recent National Education Sector Plan (2020-2024) does not explicitly include climate change topics.

Strategic Frameworks: Climate Learning and Capacity Building

Indonesia has pursued structured strategies for climate change education through initiatives such as the National Climate Change Learning Strategy, developed in 2013 under the UN CC: Learn Pilot Project. The National Climate Change Learning Strategy focuses on:

• Strengthening human and institutional capacity to support climate action
• Identifying gaps in knowledge and resources for climate education
• Empowering communities by promoting education tailored to vulnerable and climate-affected groups

Although the Strategy highlights the importance of cooperation and knowledge-building, its implementation has been limited, with its use and application remaining somewhat unclear to date.

Furthermore, key terms such as capacity building are central to Indonesia’s climate change communication and education efforts. The 2013 Climate Change Learning Strategy, with its subtitle “capacity building of human and institutional resources to address climate change,” highlights this priority. Additionally, the 2014 National Action Plan for Climate Change Adaptation integrates Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE) principles by emphasizing:

• Socializing public awareness about climate change impacts
• Implementing education, counselling, and training initiatives

A more recent concept is the internalization of climate change in the education curriculum, introduced in 2021 by the Climate Corner, a discussion forum managed by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry.

Embedding Storytelling in School Curricula

Integrating storytelling into climate education requires a deliberate, interdisciplinary approach. Here are some possible ways to make it happen:

1. Language and Literature Classes

Teachers can incorporate climate-themed novels, short stories, and poems into reading lists. Class discussions can explore how these works reflect environmental challenges and inspire action. Creative writing assignments can invite students to craft their own climate stories, imagining solutions or alternative futures.

2. History Lessons

Stories from the past—like the colonial exploitation of Banda Neira—can reveal the roots of current climate issues. Historical narratives help students see climate change not just as a scientific phenomenon but as a consequence of human decisions and systems.

3. Science Education

Science classes can use storytelling to explain complex concepts. For example, a fictionalized account of a scientist discovering the greenhouse effect can make the science more accessible and engaging. Case studies of communities adapting to climate impacts can also illustrate resilience and innovation.

4. Art and Drama Projects

Creative projects like climate-themed plays, visual art, or digital storytelling encourage students to express their understanding in diverse ways. These activities also foster collaboration and empathy, as students work together to bring stories to life.

Empowering Students Through Storytelling

Beyond consuming stories, students should be encouraged to create their own. This active participation deepens their engagement and helps them develop communication skills essential for future advocacy. Possible activities may include: Story Mapping, where students create narrative maps tracing the journey of a climate migrant or the lifecycle of a plastic bottle; Community Storytelling, where students interview residents about their experiences with environmental changes and compile these into a digital archive; Climate Podcasts, where students produce podcasts sharing personal or communal stories related to challenges and solutions. By telling their own stories, students not only process their understanding but also contribute to a growing collective narrative of resilience and hope.

Climate education and communication are vital tools for addressing climate change by fostering awareness, building resilience, and equipping individuals and communities with knowledge and action strategies. In Indonesia, climate change education has been integrated into the national framework through various policies and programs, although challenges remain in its widespread implementation and coordination.

Conclusion: Stories as Seeds for Climate Literacy

Amitav Ghosh reflects on how the modern era is often celebrated as one that has freed humanity from dependence on the Earth. Yet, this belief is profoundly misleading. As Ghosh observes, we remain deeply reliant on natural and botanical matter—not only for food but also for the fossilized forms of carbon that fuel our world. Recognizing this dependence, the story of the Bandanese no longer feels distant; instead, it becomes a pressing template for our current predicament. If we set aside the myths of modernity and acknowledge our enduring servitude to Earth’s products, we can see that the fate of Banda Neira holds vital lessons for today. By learning to tell such stories, we can inspire students to connect the past and present, fostering a generation ready to confront the intertwined crises of climate and history.