I watched Avatar over the weekend and was so struck by the many teachable moments in the movie that I may well use it as the focal point in my curriculum this fall.  There are not only the ecological and organismal biology themes, but also references to genetics, science and technology, resource management, space science, and maybe even physics of flight or animal movement.  And of course I would also like to engage a higher level of eco-consciousness, perhaps moving beyond a human-centered sustainability model to a more deep-ecology type thinking.

A few quotes from Critical Pedagogy, Ecoliteracy, and Planetary Crisis, distilled from the rather dense text.  (And sorry, but this is why no one wants to listen to pontificating radicals even when their words are important!)

"ecopedagogy...additionally incorporates [beyond anthropocentric, social justice-oriented approaches to environmental issues] more typically northern ecological ideas such as the intrinsic value of all species, the need to care for and live in harmony with the planet, as well as the emancipatory potential contained in human aesthetic experiences of nature"

"What if that which has allowed us to dominate will be that which in the end destroys us?"