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Climate Changing

Section 2

Middle, Secondary

Description

Climate changing is second part of the compilation Climate Justice, Hope and Action. This four-part lesson plan explores the local and global impacts of climate change through research, presentations, and role-playing news stories from international sources. Although the compilation was developed in the UK, the activities can be adapted to Canadian contexts, allowing students to explore similar issues through local examples and perspectives.

Section Two, Climate Changing includes four short lesson plans supported by videos, PowerPoint presentations, and links to additional information and resources.

Climate Change Is Now – Students develop skills in organizing information, speaking confidently, and understanding climate justice. Activities include analyzing images of flooding, writing and rehearsing scripts, and presenting news programs to raise awareness and encourage active hope around climate issues.

Degrees of Concern – Students explore climate justice, active hope, and responsibility for climate change. They examine evidence, consider how climate change affects different groups, and explore the role of organizations such as the United Nations. Activities include sorting who is responsible, discussing climate facts, watching videos about scientific knowledge and corporate accountability, and identifying actions that can promote climate justice.

Changemakers – Students learn about youth climate activists, including Greta Thunberg, while exploring empathy, influence, and ethical action. Through image comparisons, case studies, discussions, and creative activities, students consider how individuals can influence change and shape history. The lesson develops communication skills while encouraging active hope and awareness of climate justice.

Understanding Our Values – Students explore their personal values and how these influence their decisions, behaviour, and lifestyles. Through activities, scenarios, and reflection, students identify their core values, consider different moral choices, and examine how their actions can align with their beliefs about climate justice and active hope.

General Assessment

Strengths

  • The lesson plans are easy to use, up to date and are supported by videos, powerpoints and additional information
  • The activities raise awareness and provide active hope around climate issues
  • The resource provides a variety of differnt activities to keep students motivated and engaged

Weaknesses

  • No assessment tools such as rubrics are provided
  • No outdoor activites, the activities and simulations are classroom based

Recommendation of how and where to use it

Although the compilation was developed in the UK, the activities can be adapted to Canadian contexts, allowing students to explore similar issues through local examples and perspectives. Designed for UK Key Stage 3 students (ages 11–14), approximately equivalent to Canadian Grades 6–9.

Relevant Curriculum Units

The following tool will allow you to explore the relevant curriculum matches for this resource. To start, select a province listed below.

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        • Living Systems: Understandings of the living world, Earth, and space are deepened through investigating natural systems and their interactions
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        • Citizenship: Understanding local, national, and global issues empowers individual and collective action toward an inclusive society
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        • Knowledge and Employability Science: Biological Diversity (Social and Environmental Contexts Emphasis)
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        • Exploring and sharing multiple perspectives extends our thinking
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        • Exploring and sharing multiple perspectives extends our thinking.
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        • Exploring stories and other texts helps us understand ourselves and make connections to others and to the world
        • Questioning what we hear, read, and view contributes to our ability to be educated and engaged citizens.
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        • Exploring stories and other texts helps us understand ourselves and make connections to others and to the world.
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        • Science 9: The biosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere are interconnected, as matter cycles and energy flows through them.
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        • Enhance the clarity and artistry of communication
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        • Exploring and sharing multiple perspectives extends our thinking
        • Exploring stories and other texts helps us understand ourselves and make connections to others and to the world
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        • Global Issues and Governance: Complex global problems require international cooperation to make difficult choices for the future.
        • Global Issues and Governance: Media sources can both positively and negatively affect our understanding of important events and issues.
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        • Exploring and sharing multiple perspectives extends our thinking.
        • Exploring stories and other texts helps us understand ourselves and make connections to others and to the world
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        • Science 7: Earth and its climate have changed over geological time
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      • English/Language Arts
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        • Exploring stories and other texts helps us understand ourselves and make connections to others and to the world
        • Questioning what we hear, read, and view contributes to our ability to be educated and engaged citizens.
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      • English/Language Arts
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        • Exploring stories and other texts helps us understand ourselves and make connections to others and to the world.
        • Questioning what we hear, read, and view contributes to our ability to be educated and engaged citizens.
      • Science
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        • Science 9: The biosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere are interconnected, as matter cycles and energy flows through them.
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    • Grade 6
      • Step 3Select a subject
      • English/Language Arts
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • Exploring and sharing multiple perspectives extends our thinking
        • Exploring stories and other texts helps us understand ourselves and make connections to others and to the world
      • Social Studies
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • Global Issues and Governance: Complex global problems require international cooperation to make difficult choices for the future.
        • Global Issues and Governance: Media sources can both positively and negatively affect our understanding of important events and issues.
    • Grade 7
      • Step 3Select a subject
      • English/Language Arts
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • Exploring and sharing multiple perspectives extends our thinking.
        • Exploring stories and other texts helps us understand ourselves and make connections to others and to the world
      • Science
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • Science 7: Earth and its climate have changed over geological time
    • Grade 8
      • Step 3Select a subject
      • English/Language Arts
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • Exploring stories and other texts helps us understand ourselves and make connections to others and to the world
        • Questioning what we hear, read, and view contributes to our ability to be educated and engaged citizens.
    • Grade 9
      • Step 3Select a subject
      • English/Language Arts
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • Exploring stories and other texts helps us understand ourselves and make connections to others and to the world.
        • Questioning what we hear, read, and view contributes to our ability to be educated and engaged citizens.
      • Science
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • Science 9: The biosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere are interconnected, as matter cycles and energy flows through them.

Themes Addressed

Air, Atmosphere & Climate (1)

  • Climate Change

Ecosystems (1)

  • Appreciating the Natural World

Human Rights (1)

  • Social Justice

Sustainability Education Principles

Principle Rating Explanation
Consideration of Alternative Perspectives Good

Students consider alternative perspectives by examining how climate change affects different groups, exploring different views of responsibility and accountability, and considering the motivations and experiences of youth climate activitsts.

Consideration of Alternative Perspectives:
  • Satisfactory: absence of bias towards any one point of view
  • Good: students consider different points of view regarding issues, problems discussed
  • Very good: based on the consideration of different views, students form opinions and  take an informed position
Multiple Dimensions of Problems & Solutions Good

The resource addresses the environmental and social dimensions of climate change, particularly through its focus on climate impacts, climate justice, responsibility, activism, and the effects on different groups. The economic dimension is touched on through discussions of corporate accountability and responsibility.

Multiple Dimensions of Problems & Solutions:

Effectively addresses the environmental, economic and social dimensions of the issue(s) being explored.

  • Satisfactory: resource supports the examination of  these dimensions
  • Good:  resource explicitly examines the interplay of these dimensions
  • Very Good:  a systems-thinking approach is encouraged to examine these three dimensions
Respects Complexity Good

The resource recognizes the complexity of climate change by exploring its environmental, social, political and ethical dimensions. Students consider climate impacts, responsibility, corporate accountability, different groups affected by climate change, activism and the influence of personal values.

Respects Complexity:

The complexity of the problems/issues being discussed is respected.

Acting on Learning Very Good

Section 5 Be the change in the compilation Climate Justice, hope and action has students work in groups to choose a climate change or climate justice issue, design a campaign, create a placard, and plan a realistic action intended to have an impact.

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

  • Satisfactory: action opportunities are included as extensions 
  • Good: action opportunities are core components of the resource
  • Very Good: action opportunities for students are well supported and intended to result in observable, positive change
Values Education Very Good

Lesson 4 Understanding Our Values has students identify some of their own values and consider how these might inform the decisions they make.

Values Education:

Students are explicitly provided with opportunities to identify, clarify and express their own beliefs/values.

Empathy & Respect for Humans Good

The lessons provide opportunities for students to develop empathy and respect for others by considering how climate change affects different groups, exploring the motivations and experiences of youth activists, and reflecting on personal values and moral choices. The emphasis on climate justice also encourages students to consider fairness, responsibility and the experiences of others.

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 Satisfactory

The lessons encourage students to reflect on their personal values, responsibility and ability to take action on climate change, which can contribute to a sense of connection and care for the Earth. 

Personal Affinity with Earth:

Encourages a personal affinity with -the natural world.  

  • Satisfactory: connection is made to the natural world
  • Good: fosters appreciation/concern for the natural world
  • Very Good: fosters stewardship though practical and respectful experiences out-of-doors 
Locally-Focused Learning Satisfactory

Students research current news events and choose one national story and one international story to report on.

Locally-Focused Learning:

Includes learning experiences that take advantage of issues/elements within the local community. 

  • Satisfactory: learning is made relevant to the lives of the learners
  • Good: learning is made relevant and has a local focus
  • Very Good: learning is made relevant, local and takes place ‘outside’ , in the community 
Past, Present & Future Good

Students participate in discussions of current climate impacts, climate justice, activism and opportunities for action. The past is addressed through discussions of historical influence and changemakers.

Past, Present & Future: Promotes an understanding of the past, a sense of the present, and a positive vision for the future.

Pedagogical Approaches

Principle Rating Explanation
Open-Ended Instruction Good

The lessons provide opportunities for open-ended discussion, reflection and creative expression, particularly through exploring personal values, considering different perspectives and creating news reports.

Open-Ended Instruction :

Lessons are structured so that multiple/complex answers are possible; students are not steered toward one 'right' answer.

Integrated Learning Good
  • Science
  • Geography
  • History
  • Language arts
Integrated Learning:

Learning brings together content and skills  from more than one  subject area

  • Satisfactory: content from a number of different  subject areas is readily identifiable
  • Good:  resource is appropriate for use in more than one subject area
  • Very Good:  the lines between subjects are blurred 
Inquiry Learning Good

Most activities are fairly structured and guided, with some opportunities for students to develop their own questions, choose their own approaches or determine their own outcomes.

Inquiry Learning:

Learning is directed by questions, problems, or challenges that students work to address.   

  • Satisfactory: Students are provided with questions/problems to solve and some direction on how to arrive at solutions.
  • Good: students, assisted by the teacher clarify the question(s) to ask and the process to follow to arrive at solutions.  Sometimes referred to as Guided Inquiry
  • Very Good:  students generate the questions and assume much of the responsibility for how to solve them.  . Sometimes referred to as self-directed learning.

 

Differentiated Instruction Good

The resource incorporates a variety of learning activities and approaches, such as discussion, visual analysis, videos, writing, role-play, presentations and reflection, providing some flexibility for different learners.

Differentiated Instruction:

Activities address a range of student learning styles, abilities and readiness.

  • Satisfactory:  includes a variety of instructional approaches
  • Good: addresses  the needs of visual, auditory &  kinesthetic learners
  • Very Good: also includes strategies for learners with difficulties
Experiential Learning Satisfactory

Some experientiel learning is provided through role-playing, sorting activities and creative tasks. The learning remains classroom-based or simulations. No outdoor experience is suggested.

Experiential Learning:

Authentic learning experiences are provided

  • Satisfactory: learning takes place through ‘hands-on’ experience or simulation
  • Good: learning involves direct experience in a ‘real world context’
  • Very good: learning involves ‘real world experiences’ taking place’ beyond the school walls.
Cooperative Learning Good

Students research two news stories and choose one to report on. They write and research their news story and present it to their peers.

Cooperative Learning:

Group and cooperative learning strategies are a priority.

  • Satisfactory:  students work in groups
  • Good: cooperative learning skills are explicitly taught and practiced
  • Very Good: cooperative learning skills are explicitly taught, practiced and assessed
Assessment & Evaluation Good

The lessons provide several opportunities for teachers to assess student learning through presentations, written work, discussions, activities and reflection. No assessment tools or rubrics are provided.

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

Students explore how climate change is affecting communities and present their news report to their peers.

Peer Teaching:

Provides opportunities for students to actively present their knowledge and skills to peers and/or act as teachers and mentors.

  • Satisfactory: incidental teaching that arises from cooperative learning, presentations, etc.
  • Good or Very Good: an opportunity is intentionally created to empower students to teach other students/community members. The audience is somehow reliant on the students' teaching (students are not simply ‘presenting')
Case Studies Good

Lesson 3 Change makers provides some real-world case studies and examples, particularly through the exploration of youth climate activists.

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 Satisfactory

Students have some choice in how they present their learning and reflect on their own values and actions. There are limited opportunitites for students to extend their learning or to further explore a chosen issue.

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.

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