Teaching sequence

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

15 minutes

Tune In: Flipped classroom

15 minutes

Find Out: What is climate change?

35 minutes

Take Action: Recycled models

5 minutes

Reflection

Learning intentions and success criteria

Students will:

explore climate change
build their thinking and questioning skills.

Students can:

understand the causes, effects and solutions of climate change
use recycled materials to create a model.

Tune In: Flipped classroom

Step 1

In their own time, students will watch the video.

Climate Change Everyone’s Business - (vimeo.com/65187288/f6c1d94912)

Students are to take notes on the Student Worksheet while watching the video to record the facts and their feelings.

Find Out: What is climate change?

Step 1

Read the excerpt below to students:

“Climate change is the large-scale and long-term shift in the average temperature and weather patterns over an observable period of time on both regional and global scales. While the Earth’s climate has been constantly changing, the last 200 years have seen it change at a rate that has not been seen in the past 10,000 years. Some of these shifts can be naturally occurring, occasionally altering due to changes in the sun’s activity or significant volcanic eruptions yet the term ‘climate change’ is widely used to refer specifically to human-made changes to the climate over the past 200 years, primarily due to burning fossil fuels like oil, coal and gas.” (Source: WWF Australia)

Step 2

Divide students into small groups of 3-4, and give each group a pad of sticky notes and pens. Ask each group to write the causes and effects of climate change on separate sticky notes.

For example:

Causes: Fossil fuels, cutting down trees, pollution from factories, and single-use plastic.
Effects: Melting ice caps, rising sea levels, habitat loss, and rising temperatures.

Numeracy extension: Students research to find at least five statistics on the causes and effects of climate change.

Step 3

Draw a table on a whiteboard with three columns: “Causes,” “Effects,” and “Solutions.” Invite each group to place sticky notes in the “Causes” and “Effects” columns. As students place their sticky notes, check for student understanding and support them in relocating them into the correct columns if necessary.

Step 4

Ask each group to write on a sticky note one way they can reduce the impact of climate change.

For example:

eating less meat
turning off lights when not in use
planting trees
using minimal plastic products
walking or biking instead of driving.

Step 5

Invite students to place these sticky notes into the “Solutions” column. Read through the student responses in this column, and encourage students to turn one of the solutions into an action they can implement at school or home to help slow the progress of climate change.

Take Action: Recycled models

Step 1

Allocate students into pairs. Explain to the students that each pair will create a small recycled material model to raise awareness about climate change. Their model represents a suggested action that can be used to reduce the impact of climate change.

Direct students to the “Solutions” column for inspiration and provide materials to get them started (see Resources Required for a detailed list). You could invite students to explore the schoolyard for additional natural materials they could include in their design.

Learning support:

Provide students with a list of suggested models. See below:

Mini recycling bin	Use a small cardboard box and paint it according to your local council’s recycling bin colour. Add cut-out images of recyclable items (plastic bottles, paper, cans) and place them inside the bin.
Wind turbine	Use a cardboard tube for the tower and cardboard strips for the blades. Attach the blades to the top of the tower with a pushpin or thumbtack so they can spin.
Tree	Use a cardboard tube for the trunk and coloured paper or fabric of your choice for the leaves. Decorate with drawings or small models of animals to show the importance of trees for biodiversity.
Electric car	Create a small car model using a cardboard box or recycled milk bottle. Use bottle caps or natural materials (such as acorns or gum nuts) for the wheels. Use a small cardboard box to create a charging station.
Compost bin	Use a cardboard box to design a compost bin. Add cut-out images of compostable items such as fruit peels, vegetable scraps and leaves.
Rainwater harvesting system	To demonstrate how rainwater can be collected and reused, use a small recycled bottle to represent a water tank and attach it to a cardboard model house.
Community garden	Use a small tray or box and fill it with soil (if you have access) or brown paper to represent garden beds. Add small paper or fabric plants and vegetables to show a community garden.
Energy-efficient light bulb	Use recycled material (plastic or paper) to replicate the shape of a light bulbLabel it as an LED and explain how energy-efficient lighting can reduce carbon footprints.
Public transport	Create a bus, train or bicycle using recycled materials. Decorate and label it to show the benefits of using public transport to reduce emissions.

Step 2

Provide students with a 10-minute warning near the conclusion of the activity to allow them time to write a short paragraph discussing their model and how it represents a suggested action that can be used to reduce the impact of climate change.

Step 3

Once students have completed their models, assess each model for:

Recycled and natural materials - how did students use various materials to create their model?
Creativity - what creative elements and changes did students make to their model?
Call to action - how does the model represent a solution or action to climate change?

Reflection

Get students up and moving in a gallery walk! Invite each group to display their models on their desks and give each student a sticky note. On the sticky note, encourage students to leave one piece of positive and constructive feedback on the model.

Earth Hour - Crafting for Climate Change

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Summary

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