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Topics

Citizenship, Climate Change

Grades

3rd, 4th, 5th

Subjects

Science, Social Studies, Earth and Space Sciences, Civics

Duration

60 minutes

Regional Focus

Global, North America, United States, USA - Midwest, Wisconsin, Capital (CESA 2)

Format

Google Docs, Google Slides

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This lesson plan is licensed under Creative Commons.

Creative Commons License

What Can YOUth Do? (Art for the Earth #4)

Created By Teachers:
Last Updated:
Mar 27, 2024
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Synopsis
In this lesson, students learn about youth activists around the world, choose an environmental campaign, and collect data to support their campaign.

Step 1 - Inquire: Students share their concerns about the environment and assess their ability to make change.

Step 2 - Investigate: Students either watch a video about a youth activist in Wisconsin, USA and conduct research on youth activists or listen to a read aloud of the book Old Enough to Save the Planet.

Step 3 - Inspire: Students choose an environmental campaign. Students create a piece of writing about the campaign, create a data collection plan, and collect data.
Accompanying Teaching Materials
Teaching Tips

Positives

  • Students are able to share their climate feelings with each other.
  • Students are inspired by youth climate activists around the world.
  • Students collaborate to create a class climate action plan.
  • Students collect data in a real-world context.

Additional Prerequisites

  • This is lesson 4 of 6 in our 3rd-5th grade Art for the Earth unit.
  • Students will need enough iPads or laptops to complete Option #1 in the Investigate section. If there are not enough devices for every student, this can be completed in groups or as a whole class.
  • Students will need an understanding of how to collect data in a table and the importance of accuracy and consistency in data collection.
  • The Explore Youth Activists Student Document should be printed or shared digitally with the students before class.

Differentiation

  • The Investigate section of this lesson features two options. Choose the one that fits best for your students.
  • Be strategic with partnering and grouping students throughout this lesson. When discussing feelings and ability to make change, it may be best to group students together who have varying levels of interpersonal intelligence, intrapersonal intelligence, and existential intelligence.
  • A talking stick may be a great tool to use when students are choosing the class campaign.
  • The Inspire section calls for data collection. Depending on your campaign, it may be difficult for all students to participate. A select group of students could be the "data collectors" for the class. Another idea is to have students collect data in waves or groups outside of regular class time. Students could then collate the data into one larger data set.
Scientist Notes

This lesson has students identify key environmental problems that concern them, learn from other young environmental activists, evaluate other activists' work, and take action to solve the environmental issues in their community. All materials embedded in the lesson are properly sourced. Accordingly, this lesson has passed our scientific credibility.

Standards

Primary Standards

  • Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)
    • ESS3: Earth and Human Activity
      • 5-ESS3-1 Obtain and combine information about ways individual communities use science ideas to protect the Earth’s resources and environment.
  • College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Standards
    • Dimension 4: Taking Informed Action
      • D4.6.3-5 Draw on disciplinary concepts to explain the challenges people have faced and opportunities they have created, in addressing local, regional, and global problems at various times and places.
      • D4.7.3-5 Explain different strategies and approaches students and others could take in working alone and together to address local, regional, and global problems, and predict possible results of their actions.
Art for the Earth Unit Lesson Plans

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