World Languages Lesson: Youth Climate Activism
Lesson Plan
1 hour 40 minutesGrades9, 10, 11, 12Spanish, French
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Written by Liz Ransom
About this lesson
Students use the target language to discuss childhood and the impact of climate change on children. Students explore readings and videos in the target language and compare Fridays for Future and other youth climate activism in Francophone or Spanish-language cultures with their own community. The class collaborates to create a multi-language display to inspire and educate others.
Inquire: Students use the target language to reflect on their childhoods and learn about the impact of climate change on children.
Investigate: Using target-language texts and audiovisual materials, students explore the demands and strategies of youth climate activists in target-language cultures.
Inspire: Students create a display depicting the impact of the climate crisis on children and the voices of youth climate activists across the globe.
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Everything you need to teach it
- Teacher Slideshow-SpanishOpen
- Teacher Slideshow-FrenchOpen
- Student Document-SpanishOpen
- Student Document-FrenchOpen
- Vocabulary Cards-All LanguagesOpen
Teaching tips
Suggestions
- French and Spanish language teachers in the same school can coordinate to complete this lesson at the same time to create a multilingual display.
- Teacher can plan to teach this lesson in conjunction with youth climate strikes in September or March, during Earth Day, during World Wide Climate and Justice Education Week, or World Languages Week.
- This lesson can be taught as part of a unit on childhood, children’s rights, or the environment.
- Student clubs, such as environmental, heritage, or cultural diversity clubs, can use this lesson as a guide to create a display that includes other languages in addition to French and Spanish.
- The drawing in the Inquire section, the comprehension activities in the Investigate section, and the creation of the artifact in the Inspire section can all be assigned for homework.
Prerequisites
- This lesson is appropriate for language learners at the Intermediate-Low proficiency level or above, typically a level 3 course in French or Spanish.
- Students should be able to discuss ideas in the past, present, and future, and be familiar with expressions to describe opinions, emotions, geography, and weather.
- Students need a device to access videos and websites for the comprehension activities and research.
Differentiation
- Teacher can scaffold language by having students study the vocabulary cards before the lesson, or students can create their own vocabulary cards, or play vocabulary games, such as Quizlet Live, during the lesson.
- The lesson can be adapted to teach or review targeted language structures, verb forms, or grammar, such as expressing ideas in the past or language needed to influence others.
- Intermediate-High or Advanced students can be assigned a target language country or region and conduct independent research to evaluate the current impact of climate change on children and youth, local youth climate activism, prioritized climate adaptation and mitigation measures, and cultural perspectives.
- Intermediate-High or Advanced students can record a 2-minute AP-style cultural comparison using one of the essential questions for this lesson as a prompt.
From the scientist review
This lesson allows students to learn about climate activism from diverse cultures. Students learn about the networks, individuals, and youth involved in climate action and share experiences about the vulnerability of children and youth to climate change and lessons learned from leading climate justice from an intergenerational lens. Although there is no specific science to review, this lesson is recommended for teachers.
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About the teacher writer
Liz Ransom
High School Teacher
As a High School Spanish teacher and student newspaper advisor, Liz has taught for over 20 years and has served as World Languages Department Chair and K-6 summer camp activities leader. She has worked in Ohio, Maine, New Jersey, Maryland, and Chile.
