This resource tells the history of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in the form of a graphic novel.
The graphic novel reviews how the IPCC formed, how it works, and what kind of topics it assesses.
The novel also explains concepts such as the scientific method and the peer-review process and examines why taking action against climate change is important.
Teaching Tips
Positives
This graphic novel helps students answer the question: "How can we be so sure about what we know about climate change?"
It provides a detailed summary of the work of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in a student-friendly format.
The graphic novel refers readers to the Because IPCC website, where the graphic novel is available in several languages.
Additional Prerequisites
Students should be familiar with climate change and its impacts.
This graphic novel is in the form of a pdf. Students need access to technology to read it; otherwise, it needs to be printed.
Differentiation
Some students in middle school may need more scaffolded support with reading this text. Consider having students read out loud as a group or showing this video read-aloud instead.
Civics or government classes could discuss the diplomatic issues in the graphic novel.
Science teachers could pair this graphic novel with the 2018 IPCC report and analyze the data with their students.
Scientist Notes
This novel indicates the contributions of the IPCC in providing up-to-date climate science reports. It also elaborates on the latest knowledge, findings, and ways that the IPCC produces high-confidence climate information for governments to avoid climate crises and potential climate risks. This is recommended for teaching.
Standards
Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)
ESS3: Earth and Human Activity
MS-ESS3-5 Ask questions to clarify evidence of the factors that have caused the rise in global temperatures over the past century.
HS-ESS3-3 Create a computational simulation to illustrate the relationships among management of natural resources, the sustainability of human populations, and biodiversity.
LS2: Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics
HS-LS2-6 Evaluate the claims, evidence, and reasoning that the complex interactions in ecosystems maintain relatively consistent numbers and types of organisms in stable conditions, but changing conditions may result in a new ecosystem.
LS4: Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity
HS-LS4-5 Evaluate the evidence supporting claims that changes in environmental conditions may result in: (1) increases in the number of individuals of some species, (2) the emergence of new species over time, and (3) the extinction of other species.
College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Standards
Dimension 2: Civics
D2.Civ.10.6-8 Explain the relevance of personal interests and perspectives, civic virtues, and democratic principles when people address issues and problems in government and civil society.
D2.Civ.14.6-8 Compare historical and contemporary means of changing societies, and promoting the common good.
D2.Civ.1.9-12 Distinguish the powers and responsibilities of local, state, tribal, national, and international civic and political institutions.
D2.Civ.11.9-12 Evaluate multiple procedures for making governmental decisions at the local, state, national, and international levels in terms of the civic purposes achieved.
Dimension 2: History
D2.His.15.6-8 Evaluate the relative influence of various causes of events and developments in the past.
Dimension 3: Gathering and Evaluating Sources
D3.1.9-12 Gather relevant information from multiple sources representing a wide range of views while using the origin, authority, structure, context, and corroborative value of the sources to guide the selection.
Dimension 4: Taking Informed Action
D4.6.9-12 Use disciplinary and interdisciplinary lenses to understand the characteristics and causes of local, regional, and global problems; instances of such problems in multiple contexts; and challenges and opportunities faced by those trying to address these problems over time and place.
