Sound the Alarm — Declaring a Climate Emergency
Lesson Plans
Grades9, 10, 11, 12, APCivics, Visual and Performing Arts
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Provided by ACE
What it is
- In this lesson, students will consider how climate emergencies are created, how they can be a governmental policy tool, and how individuals can take positive action.
- Students will participate in a poster-making activity to teach their peers and community about climate change, and they will learn how to urge their leaders to declare a climate emergency in order to facilitate swift climate action.
Teaching tips
Positives
- This resource is dense, thorough, and engaging on multiple levels.
- The included materials are filled with notes, images, videos, and tasks that will make implementing this resource easy.
Additional Prerequisites
- Students should have prior knowledge of climate change, eco-anxiety, and how governments can make changes around climate change.
- Additional tips are provided to address eco-anxiety.
Differentiation
- Connections can be made in language arts classes focusing on persuasive writing, in art classes working on messaging through art, or in health classes discussing the effects of stress and anxiety on health.
- This lesson is meant to take two fifty five sessions, but consider modifying this into three or four sessions for students to take more time to process, discuss, plan, and work.
- Have students spread the word of their work on social media or in their communities, encouraging others to pressure leaders to declare a climate emergency.
From the scientist review
This resource provides a lesson plan that encourages students to take action on the current climate emergency. Students are asked to create posters to get people engaged with climate change. A teacher lesson plan provides a presentation and suggested teaching method. A student template for posters is also provided. This resource would be a great addition to a classroom that has already covered the topic of climate change and needs a final project to encompass all that the students have learned. Above all, this resource is recommended for teaching.
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Hosted on ourclimateourfuture.org
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