This unique resource offers teachers a ready to use set of tools to examine climate change, particularly how it is affecting Alaska's ecosystem. This resource is based on powerful videos and reflection questions so students really grasp the issues presented. This excellent 13 part lesson is also complete with an action project in the student's community.
In this resource, students will:
This resource would be great to use in courses where the issue of climate change and global warming are of importance. This lesson will help students understand that the issue is local and that they can help.
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 | Students form their opinions and take informed positions on different subjects based on videos and information they've received. Different points of views and different methods of Western scientific observations and Alaska Native observations are also introduced to students and they have to determine advantages and disadvantages of both methods. |
Consideration of Alternative Perspectives:
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Multiple Dimensions of Problems & Solutions | Very Good | Students are asked to investigate concerns about climate change and other environmental issues in their community. They then need to come up with a plan to help with the problem. Since the environmental problem to study is the students choice, it could have economic and social dimensions as well. |
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 videos and other supporting materials address the complexity of climate change. |
Respects Complexity: The complexity of the problems/issues being discussed is respected. | ||
Acting on Learning | Very Good | In this lesson, students will work on a project where they study an issue important to their community, they then create an action plan to resolve the issue or educate others about it. |
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 | Throughout this resource, the activities require students to reflect on and articulate their responses to different subjects. |
Values Education: Students are explicitly provided with opportunities to identify, clarify and express their own beliefs/values. | ||
Empathy & Respect for Humans | Satisfactory | Student will learn about Alaska Native people and how they have developed a large storehouse of knowledge about their local environments, based on wisdom collected and shared over generations. |
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 | Good | Students will be introduced to climate change and global warming through various videos. Students will then need to connect with their community to decide on an environmental issue they would like to do more research on and try to find a solution to the issue. |
Personal Affinity with Earth: Encourages a personal affinity with -the natural world.
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Locally-Focused Learning | Very Good | This resource explicitly has students working within their community to address an environmental issue. Students are asked to take notes of the communities response to their solutions and to interview members of their community. |
Locally-Focused Learning: Includes learning experiences that take advantage of issues/elements within the local community.
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Past, Present & Future | Very Good | Climate change is a current issue that has been mostly caused by our past. Students will take on an action project with a goal to better the future. |
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 | Students are encouraged to develop and share their opinions during class discussions or as reflection questions. Students also choose the environmental issue to study and the action plan to put in place. |
Open-Ended Instruction
: Lessons are structured so that multiple/complex answers are possible; students are not steered toward one 'right' answer. | ||
Integrated Learning | Very Good | This resource responds to the content and skills of several curriculums that will become more clear once the students determine the issue to study and the action plan to put in place. |
Integrated Learning: Learning brings together content and skills from more than one subject area
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Inquiry Learning | Very Good | Students are not given direct instructions as to what problem to solve nor how to solve the problem they choose. In a group they self-direct how they want to go about working on the issue. |
Inquiry Learning: Learning is directed by questions, problems, or challenges that students work to address.
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Differentiated Instruction | Good | The variety of activities of this resource makes it a great fit for the needs of visual, auditory and kinesthetic learners. Unfortunately there are no strategies or modifications provided for learners with difficulties. |
Differentiated Instruction: Activities address a range of student learning styles, abilities and readiness.
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Experiential Learning | Good | The action plan students are working on is based from a real problem from their community. |
Experiential Learning: Authentic learning experiences are provided
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Cooperative Learning | Good | Students must work in groups and the tasks at hand would be difficult to complete without being able to work well together. |
Cooperative Learning: Group and cooperative learning strategies are a priority.
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Assessment & Evaluation | Satisfactory | Although no assessment tool is available, a large number of reflection questions are asked and could be used to assess student learning on the subject. |
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 | Good | Students must work with the community and must present their findings to their peers. Although not in the resource, it would be interesting for students to show their findings and data to their community during an open community night. |
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 | Very Good | The videos provided are from real events. As well the problem to study is from their own community. |
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 | Students have full control over the community issue to study and how they want to try and find solutions to the problem. |
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. |