Creative Communication and Climate Change: The Ocean as Climate’s Heart

Positives

• The unit embraces the students' artistic expression and leaves room for student choice and voice.
• Students are encouraged by the notion that you don't have to be a scientist to engage with data and make a difference.

Additional Prerequisites

• The link for the full-size climate-inspired images is broken. However, there are links to each art piece in the presenter's notes.
• There are a few links in the presenter notes section of the slides that do not work, including the worksheet link, NNOCCI Climate’s Heart, the creative journal (all three links), "7 things absolutely everyone should know about ocean acidification" (screenshots and PDF), Glow and Grow Protocol, Ocean-Atmosphere Carbon Dioxide Exchange, and Earth Overshoot Day Solutions PDF.
• Students should understand the pH scale, chemical notation, and chemical reactions.

Differentiation

• Teachers can take the vocabulary listed at the bottom of each Lesson Checkpoints section and create a word wall to support English Language Learners in acquiring the vocabulary.
• Students can plan a showcase to display and perform their artwork for others.
• Students can interpret other examples of climate art, such as Jill Pelto's "Habitat Degradation: Ocean Acidification."
• Math classes can focus more on the graphs by answering specific questions about data points.
• Language arts classes can use the framework to write poetry or other creative pieces that inform and inspire people.