Community Building for Climate by Kids

Provided by: We the Children |Published on: January 30, 2024

Podcasts

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Synopsis

This Los Angeles-student-hosted podcast episode centers on expert guest, Shawn Sweeney, Associate Vice President of Communications and Policy at the Jane Goodall Institute, who introduces listeners to a climate action group, Roots And Shoots.
This podcast is Episode 14 of the series "We The Children," in which child host, Zachary, speaks with a variety of climate change experts in the hope of educating other children about the importance of combating climate change now.
Through his work with Roots And Shoots, Mr. Sweeney discusses how today's students are stewards of our planet and how young people can help Earth in a variety of ways.

Related Teaching Resources

Subjects: Biology, Earth and Space Sciences, Geography

Authors: We the Children

Region: North America, USA - West, United States, Global, California

Languages: English

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Teaching Materials

Positives

The podcast includes a trivia game, "wacky" weather, and a weekly action step, so students will remain engaged throughout the presentation.
There are several sound effects which capture the attention of the listener.
Both the child host and the expert guest project a sense of positivity toward the younger generation as stewards of the planet.

Additional Prerequisites

There are ads before, during, and after the podcast.
Students should understand climate change, its causes, and its impacts.
There are references to "The Wizard Of Oz" and "Lord Of The Rings."
There are several references to Dr. Jane Goodall, so teachers may wish to have a photo of her, and perhaps a brief introductory video, as a lead-in to the podcast.

Differentiation

The expert guest emphasizes the importance of storytelling, so English teachers may wish to have students listen, and then create written stories that include the information in the presentation.
A story about a climate hero is set in Tanzania and concerns fuel-efficient stoves. so social studies teachers can create a geography lesson, as well a lesson on modern inventions designed to help combat global warming.
There is much talk of chimpanzees, so visual aids will be effective as the stories are told. After listening to the podcast, students in science classes can research more about Jane Goodall and her work with chimpanzees.
Regenerative farming is the action step topic, so science teachers can have students research that phrase, and then participate in mini-labs incorporating regenerative practices.
Teachers can expand on this introduction to Roots and Shoots by facilitating a Roots and Shoots project. There are a few in the SubjectToClimate database to start with.

Scientist Notes

Teaching Tips

Standards

Resource Type and Format

About the Partner Provider

We The Children

We the Children is a podcast for kids by kids to learn about the climate crisis and the environment while having fun. Episodes explore topics like climate change, severe weather, and sustainable living through conversations with experts, educators, and climate activists. Kids have a lot to contribute to the global conversation about the environment. The host, Zach, asks big, important questions to those dedicated to climate action and sustainability. We The Children aims to shape a thriving Earth for generations to come.

Related Teaching Resources

All resources can be used for your educational purposes with proper attribution to the content provider.