Introduction
Natural darkness at night is a valuable and underappreciated natural resource: many species, whether nocturnal or diurnal, rely on natural patterns of light and dark to navigate, nest, mate, forage, hide from predators, and cue behaviors. Electrification and industrialization, and the introduction of Artificial Sources of Light (ALAN) at night, have radically altered the ecological balance in our nighttime environment, much to the detriment of animals, plants, and humans. Today, 99% of the US live under light polluted skies. Most areas in Missouri no longer experience a truly dark night. Indeed, most of our cities (Saint Louis, Kansas City, Columbia, Springfield, etc.) and even smaller towns (Kirksville, Joplin, Ozark, etc.) are bathed in a perpetual glow that mimics early to mid-twilight. There is growing consensus among scientists to maintain dark-sky conditions in remote areas to benefit wildlife, and to reverse our bad outdoor lighting habits in towns and cities to benefit humans (as well as animals and plants).
We note that Missouri data from 2011-2012 showed an average teacher age of 40 years, suggesting Missouri might have a relatively younger teacher workforce: it is very likely that few of our teachers have experienced true natural darkness and appreciate its importance. At the same time, there is considerable demand for providing teachers with support to introduce and enhance offerings related to sustainable development. A 2023 survey conducted by the Smithsonian Science Education Center & Gallup Inc. showed that “U.S. teachers were also more likely than their global counterparts to report lacking the support, time and expertise needed to incorporate sustainable development into their classroom lessons…” and that “…most U.S. teachers said direct experiences like field trips and hands-on materials are the most helpful for teaching about sustainability.”
To address this overall need and the particular lack of awareness about the importance of natural nighttime darkness as a natural resource that needs to be protected and restored, DarkSky Missouri and the Missouri Environmental Education Association (MEEA) are collaborating to produce a place-based DarkSky curriculum targeted at elementary school teachers and students.
Curricular Materials
We plan on training elementary, middle, and high school teachers to incorporate the following curricular materials into their classrooms:
- Basic Science of Light: Properties of Light, day-night cycle on Earth, interaction of light with biological organisms, the Circadian Rhythm
- The Nighttime Environment: Stargazing, astronomical and atmospheric phenomena, animals, birds, and insects at night.
- Use of Artificial Light at Night (ALAN): Proper and Improper uses of ALAN, Responsible Use of Light at Night.
- Benefits of Responsible Lighting: Safety, Environmental & Ecological concerns including the impact on humans, migratory birds, and pollinators & insects.
- Lighting inventories and Assessments: Creating an inventory of outdoor light sources on their campus, Rating outdoor light sources on the Five Principles for Responsible Outdoor Lighting, Cost assessment for rectifying improper lighting, Measuring before-after Sky Brightness.
- Advocating for Responsible use of ALAN: Creating lighting demos and posters, writing letters to school administrators, newspapers, and local utility companies etc.