Youth Perspectives on Climate Change
Articles/Websites
Grades9, 10, 11, 12, APCivics
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 Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change Impacts
What it is
- This written interview with a climate activist touches on the efforts of young Wisconsinites to fight climate change, climate justice, climate anxiety, and the need for inclusion within environmentally-focused movements.
- Students will learn about the Youth Climate Action Team in Wisconsin that was started to address climate justice and mobilize youth to take action.
Teaching tips
Positives
- This interview provides a personal story that students may connect with.
- This interview is concise and thought-provoking.
Additional Prerequisites
- Students should understand how BIPOC communities and other groups globally may be disproportionately impacted by natural disasters.
- Students should understand the following terms: BIPOC, ethnocentric, tokenize, and First Nations.
Differentiation
- This article could supplement a lesson on the social and emotional impacts of climate anxiety.
- This article could enhance a lesson about environmental racism and how it fits within the context of climate change.
- After reading the article, the teacher could lead a classroom discussion on why different parts of the world are more vulnerable to climate change than others.
- This article could augment a classroom discussion on why young people are so motivated to act on climate change.
From the scientist review
This resource from the Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change Impacts is an interview with Youth Climate Action Team's co-founder, Stephanie Janeth Salgado Altamirano. After discussing the work of the Youth Climate Action Team, the interview turns to issues of environmental injustice and climate anxiety. More than anything, this resource shows students how youth, particularly those from marginalized communities, can effectively advocate for climate justice. Closing with a hopeful tone, this interview reassures young people that they are not fighting a losing battle. This resource is recommended for teaching.
How we review resourcesReady to use it?
Hosted on wicci.wisc.edu
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