Students learn about global climate change and its impacts before taking action to improve climate resiliency within their own communities. The resource consists of 6 lessons or sessions that engage students in a wide range of hands on activities, exercises, games and simulations. All instruction is indirect. The lessons include:
Introduction: Students learn about successful climate adaptation projects led by young people from around the world and what elements they have in common. The goals are to illustrate that students can make a difference and to get them thinking about community action.
Climate Change Challenge: Students are introduced to climate change through participation in three highly entertaining and games and activities. Content addressed includes climate vs weather, the greenhouse effect, global warming and climate change. The session ends with students discussing evidence of the effects of climate change within their own communities.
Map the Hazard: Through a series of games and activities students drill down into the connections between human activities, climate change and extreme weather events. A focus is placed on real events that are happening both around the world and in their own community.
See the System: In two fast-paced activities, students learn to view communities as systems, made up of many interrelated resources (people, places & things). Focus is then placed on how changes in these individual resources can impact the entire system.
Act to Adapt: Students participate in a giant board game during which they consider how extreme weather events could affect their community, identify which resources are particularly vulnerable and negotiate collective actions to protect them. Following the simulation, students decide as a group on specific actions to take towards climate adaptation.
Choose your Challenge: As a culminating activity, students are guided through a series of activities in the selection and feasibility testing of a specific climate adaptation action plan which they will then implement within the community. Students will have the opportunity to share their project results with other schools through the Y Adapt network.
All materials required to complete the many hands-on activities featured in the lessons are included in the resource.
The understanding, planning, testing and implementation skills required for action are well-supported. Collaboration, consensus-building and public presentation skills are also represented in the activities.
The learning is very much student directed. It includes a wide range of engaging activities and provides a good deal of background information.
All materials needed to complete the many 'hands-on' activities are included in the resource.
The resource does an excellent job in connecting the issue (climate adaptation) to the learner's own experience.
The resource supports students acting on what they have learned within their community.
The following tool will allow you to explore the relevant curriculum matches for this resource. To start, select a province listed below.
Principle | Rating | Explanation |
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Consideration of Alternative Perspectives | Very Good | The subject content of the games and activities students participate in are based on science. |
Consideration of Alternative Perspectives:
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Multiple Dimensions of Problems & Solutions | Very Good | A systems-thinking approach to climate change and climate adaptation is a focus of the resource. Lesson 6 explicitly examines communities as "systems". |
Multiple Dimensions of Problems & Solutions: Effectively addresses the environmental, economic and social dimensions of the issue(s) being explored.
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Respects Complexity | Very Good | The complexity of climate change and its impacts are well respected as are the challenges involved in climate adaptation. In addition to the integrity of the activities, the supplementary materials provide additional insight into the interplay of environment, society and the economy. |
Respects Complexity: The complexity of the problems/issues being discussed is respected. | ||
Acting on Learning | Very Good | |
Acting on Learning: Learning moves from understanding issues to working towards positive change — in personal lifestyle, in school, in the community, or for the planet
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Values Education | Very Good | Lessons include debriefing and reflection responsibilities and many involve students expressing their own interpretation and perspectives. |
Values Education: Students are explicitly provided with opportunities to identify, clarify and express their own beliefs/values. | ||
Empathy & Respect for Humans | Satisfactory | Significant attention is paid to climate impacts, many of which are most felt by the world's poorest people. |
Empathy & Respect for Humans: Empathy and respect are fostered for diverse groups of humans (including different genders, ethnic groups, sexual preferences, etc.). | ||
Personal Affinity with Earth | Very Good | The resource works to transfer knowledge and understanding into 'stewardship in action'. |
Personal Affinity with Earth: Encourages a personal affinity with -the natural world.
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Locally-Focused Learning | Very Good | In addition to the community based action experience, each lesson does a good job in connecting to the students' own experiences. |
Locally-Focused Learning: Includes learning experiences that take advantage of issues/elements within the local community.
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Past, Present & Future | Poor/Not considered | |
Past, Present & Future: Promotes an understanding of the past, a sense of the present, and a positive vision for the future. |
Principle | Rating | Explanation |
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Open-Ended Instruction | Very Good | The activities in the resource help students understand the complexities of climate adaptation and to consider a range of possible strategies and actions they can undertake within their communities. |
Open-Ended Instruction
: Lessons are structured so that multiple/complex answers are possible; students are not steered toward one 'right' answer. | ||
Integrated Learning | Satisfactory | The resource addresses content and learning outcomes in science, geography and social studies. Emphasis is also placed on citizenship education. |
Integrated Learning: Learning brings together content and skills from more than one subject area
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Inquiry Learning | Satisfactory | Students participate in a wide range of activities and reflect on their experience. There is little in the way of direct instruction. |
Inquiry Learning: Learning is directed by questions, problems, or challenges that students work to address.
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Differentiated Instruction | Good | This resource offers an exceptional array of activities to support a variety of learning styles. However, specific strategies for addressing learning difficulties have not been included. |
Differentiated Instruction: Activities address a range of student learning styles, abilities and readiness.
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Experiential Learning | Very Good | Much of the learning is achieved through 'hands-on' activities, role play and simulation. The community action component allows students to apply learning in a real world context. |
Experiential Learning: Authentic learning experiences are provided
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Cooperative Learning | Satisfactory | |
Cooperative Learning: Group and cooperative learning strategies are a priority.
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Assessment & Evaluation | Satisfactory | While multiple opportunities are provided for summative & formative evaluation, tools have not been included in the resource. |
Assessment & Evaluation: Tools are provided that help students and teachers to capture formative and summative information about students' learning and performance. These tools may include reflection questions, checklists, rubrics, etc. | ||
Peer Teaching | Satisfactory | |
Peer Teaching: Provides opportunities for students to actively present their knowledge and skills to peers and/or act as teachers and mentors.
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Case Studies | Good | Although not emphasized in the lesson activities, case studies are included in the resource to support both the core activities and supplemental learning. |
Case Studies: Relevant case studies are included. Case studies are thorough descriptions of real events from real situations that students use to explore concepts in an authentic context. | ||
Locus of Control | Good | The resource includes "specialist sessions" supported by additional readings and case studies to encourage students to 'dig deeper' into issues & concepts raised in the core lessons. |
Locus of Control: Meaningful opportunities are provided for students to choose elements of program content, the medium in which they wish to work, and/or to go deeper into a chosen issue. |