Teacher Preparation

Overarching learning goal: By participating in this activity students will understand how life on Earth has changed over time and how it continues to change. Students will also recognise the importance of environmental phenomena.

Teacher content information:

CLIMATE 101 with BILL NYE (https://youtu.be/3v-w8Cyfoq8)

In addition, this website (A Journey Through Climate History - ABC - https://www.abc.net.au/environment/?content=climate-history) shows key events in the climatic history of the planet, alongside events in human history.

For more reliable information about climate change in Australia, visit the Climate Council.

The IPCC:

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is the United Nations body for assessing the science related to climate change. It was created to:

provide policymakers (governments) with regular scientific updates about climate change;
highlight the impact climate change will have on the planet in the future; and,
offer some ideas about how to tackle the challenges of climate change's potential effects on the planet.

In 2021-22, the IPCC released their sixth assessment report. This is the most up-to-date physical understanding of the climate system and climate change.

The report makes a number of important points:

It is unequivocal that human influence has warmed the atmosphere, ocean and land.
Global surface temperature will continue to increase until at least mid-century under all emissions scenarios considered. Global warming of 1.5°C and 2°C will be exceeded during the 21st century unless deep reductions in CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions occur in the coming decades (B1). The report describes five possible climate futures, where #1 is not great and #5 is extremely bad. If we want to keep global warming at less than two degrees, which the IPCC says is the best-case scenario, we need to reduce our CO2 and greenhouse gas emissions significantly and start right away.

'Net zero' or 'carbon neutral' are terms that refer to achieving an overall balance between greenhouse gas emissions produced and greenhouse gas emissions taken out of the atmosphere. Getting to net zero means we can still produce some emissions, so long as we're doing something else to reduce the greenhouse gases already in the atmosphere at the same time, kind of like balancing a set of scales (more info).

Psychological safety. The IPCC Report sets a hard challenge. While this real-world issue is essential for students to understand, there is no doubt it can make them feel sad or anxious about the future is becoming darker and scarier by the day.

So, reassure students that we can have a hopeful and optimistic outlook on this report, rather than one of doom and gloom. Explain that optimism involves looking objectively at a situation and making a conscious decision to focus on the good (more info), and that hope is the belief that you can make an impact (more info). Explain to students that you are going to look ahead, identify what needs to be improved, and then work on the skills and confidence so that they can go out and do it.

If you're interested in learning more about how to approach challenging topics around climate change and sustainability in your classroom through a Hope and Optimism lens, consider our PD course.

Student and classroom organisation

Step 1.

Begin by asking students to read the quotes from We Are The Weather Makers and answer the question on the Student Worksheet: What 5 aspects of our planet wouldn't you like to see disappear?

Ask students to share the top 3 things they wouldn't like to see disappear from our planet. Create a class-wide Wordle image using these things. Engage students in a discussion around the most popular aspects put forward by the class.

Step 2.

Once complete, ask students to imagine that they have traveled back in time 55 million years. They should document what they see on their voyage as a journal entry. The journal entry should detail what the world looked like 55 million years ago: species of flora and fauna inhabiting the world, temperatures, CO₂ levels, ocean changes, the atmosphere etc. Students should conduct their own research to complete this.

Give students a word length for the journal entry that you expect them to reach. If students need more information, refer them to the We Are the Weather Makers book (Chapter 5) which provides a great deal of useful reference material.

Students can also create a Venn Diagram comparing the differences and similarities between the world of 55 million years ago and the world today. They should use the information they have gathered in their research to help complete the Venn Diagram.

Step 3.

Working in groups, ask students to imagine that instead of moving house, they have to move planets. Their family has to set up a new shelter and find new resources on a new planet. Groups should create a Padlet showing 10 things they would take from the environment on Earth to help them do this. They should add images, videos and text to support their Padlet and they should include information about why they want to take these items with them.

Alternatively, students could present this task in a variety of other ways: pack a suitcase of the items, develop a role play, make a diorama, draw/paint their objects etc. Consider incorporating a variety of learning styles in modes of presentation.

Reflection/Assessment

Imagining that all life on your new planet is different to Earth and that your relationship to this planet and its resources will also be different, ask students to work in groups to construct a glossary of five new words that they will need on their new planet. They should also create a definition for each word which should explain why this word is necessary.

Ask students to submit all words and definitions to you. Hold a class competition to see if other groups can guess the definitions for the new words submitted.

Weather Makers - Looking into the future

Go to

Summary

Learning intentions:

Students will...

Lesson guides and printables

Lesson Details

Curriculum Mapping

Resources Required

Additional Info

In this lesson