Brainstorming: What Is Climate Change?

This activity acts as an anticipation guide to learn what knowledge students already have about climate change.

• This graphic organizer can be used as an anticipatory set or pre-assessment. It allows the teacher to gauge student background knowledge on the topic in an open-ended way.
• It also allows for the teacher to identify misconceptions about climate change.
• Students can write about feelings or facts in the bubbles.
• Check in with students before, during and after discussions and activities related to climate change. These topics are important but can be upsetting and triggering. Be aware of students’ needs and take breaks, as needed.
  

Students can use this exercise to come up with ideas for how they could best take climate action and share what they know about climate change. The exercise has undergone a rigorous science review and has been approved for classroom use.

Primary Standards

• Common Core English Language Arts Standards (CCSS.ELA)
  • Writing (K-12)
    • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.3.7 Conduct short research projects that build knowledge about a topic.
    • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.7 Conduct short research projects that build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic.
    • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.7 Conduct short research projects that use several sources to build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic.