In this five-lesson unit, students will learn about the causes and effects of climate change, relate it to their their local environment, and optionally share their findings with someone from a different culture or background to learn about empathy and respectful communication.
Students will go on a nature walk, interview a community member, research climate change's causes and effects, learn about inspirational youth activists, and create their own climate stories.
Students will look at images of locations in Arizona, Niger, and Jakarta to see the effects of human activities on the land, read short bios about youth activists in Argentina, Uganda, and Sweden to give students hope, and read a Los Angeles teen's story to inspire students' own climate stories.
Teaching Tips
Positives
These lessons will help students connect to and find common ground with people with different perspectives and backgrounds.
The internet research portion provides a set of reputable websites, allowing students to get relevant and accurate information.
The youth climate activists highlighted in Lesson 3 are inspirational students who show students what a difference young people can make.
Each lesson ends with a positive news story to leave students with a sense of hope.
Additional Prerequisites
Each lesson's activities will take multiple days to complete.
The blue words in some of the documents appear to be links, but the words aren't hyperlinked. Most of the referenced materials are in the Google Drive folder.
To participate in the Empatico cross-cultural exchange, teachers must sign up for an account and complete additional steps.
Differentiation
Some students may not have an adult in their life they feel comfortable interviewing. These students will benefit from having teachers available to interview.
If participating in the cross-cultural exchange, teachers can make geography connections by learning and researching more about the culture and region of the partner class.
Consider using resources about Indigenous communities from our site as a substitute for interviews, if needed.
Students in language arts classes can practice writing letters by writing to the students in the partner class or by writing a thank-you letter to their interviewee.
Scientist Notes
This lesson resources doesn't have specific science to review but it emphasizes the value of empathy and climate storytelling in addressing climate change. This is recommended for teaching.
Standards
Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)
ESS3.D: Global Climate Change
MS-ESS3-D. Human activities, such as the release of greenhouse gases from burning fossil fuels, are major factors in the current rise in Earth’s mean surface temperature (global warming). Reducing the level of climate change and reducing human vulnerability to whatever climate changes do occur depend on the understanding of climate science, engineering capabilities, and other kinds of knowledge, such as understanding of human behavior and on applying that knowledge wisely in decisions and activities. (MS-ESS3-5)
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.
College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Standards
Dimension 2: Civics
D2.Civ.1.6-8 Distinguish the powers and responsibilities of citizens, political parties, interest groups, and the media in a variety of governmental and nongovernmental contexts.
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.
Dimension 2: Geography
D2.Geo.6.6-8 Explain how the physical and human characteristics of places and regions are connected to human identities and cultures.
D2.Geo.10.6-8 Analyze the ways in which cultural and environmental characteristics vary among various regions of the world.
Common Core English Language Arts Standards (CCSS.ELA)
Reading: Informational Text (K-12)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.8 Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, distinguishing claims that are supported by reasons and evidence from claims that are not.
Speaking & Listening (K-12)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.6.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 6 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.7.2 Analyze the main ideas and supporting details presented in diverse media and formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) and explain how the ideas clarify a topic, text, or issue under study.
Writing (K-12)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.8.7 Conduct short research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question), drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions that allow for multiple avenues of exploration.
