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Provided by: Paleontological Research Institution |Published on: August 29, 2025
Lesson Plans
K-12
Synopsis
In this activity from the Paleontological Research Institution, students will create works of art to show their vision for the future in a world where people are taking action against climate change and its impacts.
Students will discuss positive things about their communities and dream of ways to make them better.
This activity allows students to flex their creativity and encourages the use of found materials and reusing waste.
Students will feel hopeful for the future as they create visualizations of a better world.
Prerequisites
Students should be familiar with climate change and some of the problems caused by pollution and emissions.
Teachers will need to gather materials such as glue, markers, yarn, and others.
Differentiation & Implementation
To make language arts connections, students can write narratives using descriptive imagery and other techniques to help the reader visualize the climate future.
To help give students ideas, teachers can show them resources to explore possible climate solutions. Younger students can use this resource, which is a kid-friendly version of this table of solutions that is better-suited for high school students.
Students can incorporate the UN Sustainable Development Goals by choosing a specific goal to focus on and base their vision for the future around its achievement. If younger students are unfamiliar with the goals, this video gives a helpful overview.
After creating their art pieces, students can view each other's work in a gallery walk, noting what others visualize for the future.
Scientist Notes
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
About the Partner Provider
Paleontological Research Institution
Paleontological Research Institution (PRI) is a national leader in Earth systems science education. They strive to help make sense of the present and potential future climate change, while also increasing understanding of global change in Earth’s past. Their programs focus on systems thinking, understanding scale and learning in your own backyard.
Related Teaching Resources
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