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Celebrating People and Planet

Middle, Secondary

Description

Celebrating People and Planet helps students explore their relationship with the natural world through art and geography. Students investigate how people are connected to and influence their environment, while developing their ability to observe, interpret and respond creatively to environmental issues. This review is for the first section of the compilation entitled Climate Justice, hope and action.

Section One of the compilation Celebrating People and Planet provides two lesson plans:

  1. Inspired by the World Around Us – students explore how artists draw inspiration from the world around them. They examine and discuss creative works, considering how artists represent their surroundings and communicate ideas through art. Students then choose an artist and an element of nature that inspires them to create their own piece of art.
  2. People of Earth – Students explore social and global inequalities, examining their causes and effects, particularly in relation to climate change. They consider the tensions and connections between social, economic, and environmental needs. Students read a message by Meles Zenawi and rewrite it in their own words to demonstrate their understanding.

The lesson plans are supported by videos and PowerPoints presentations that reinforce key concepts, provide visual context, and enhance student understanding of the topics explored.

General Assessment

Strengths

  • The lesson has a strong, engaging climate justice focus, but its complex content and short timing requires teacher guidance

Weaknesses

  • Many activities in one hour may limit the depth of discussion needed for topics such as colonialism, the slave trade and climate justice
  • Assessment tools to ensure the learning objective has been met are needed
  • The learning is global and classroom based, no case study or community voice by people affected by climate change

Recommendation of how and where to use it

The compilation was developed in the UK, but the activities can be adapted to Canadian contexts, allowing students to explore similar issues through local examples and perspectives. Designed for UK Key Stage 3 students (ages 11–14), approximately equivalent to Canadian Grades 6–9.

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        • Global Issues and Governance: Complex global problems require international cooperation to make difficult choices for the future.
        • Global Issues and Governance: Economic self-interest can be a significant cause of conflict among peoples and governments.
    • Grade 7
      • Step 3Select a subject
      • Science
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • Science 7: Earth and its climate have changed over geological time
      • Social Studies
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • The Ancient World to the 7th Century: Economic specialization and trade networks can lead to conflict and cooperation between societies.
    • Grade 8
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      • Social Studies
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • 7th Century to 1750: Exploration, expansion, and colonization had varying consequences for different groups
    • Grade 9
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      • Science
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • Science 9: The biosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere are interconnected, as matter cycles and energy flows through them.
      • Social Studies
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • 1750 to 1919: Emerging ideas and ideologies profoundly influence societies and events

Themes Addressed

Air, Atmosphere & Climate (1)

  • Climate Change

Ecosystems (1)

  • Appreciating the Natural World

Human Rights (2)

  • Environmental Racism/Justice
  • Social Justice

Sustainability Education Principles

Principle Rating Explanation
Consideration of Alternative Perspectives Good

Students examine how different artists represent the world around them and communicate ideas through art, exploring diverse perspectives on the natural world. In the second lesson, students explore the diversity of Earth’s population, examine social inequalities, and consider their causes and possible solutions.

Consideration of Alternative Perspectives:
  • Satisfactory: absence of bias towards any one point of view
  • Good: students consider different points of view regarding issues, problems discussed
  • Very good: based on the consideration of different views, students form opinions and  take an informed position
Multiple Dimensions of Problems & Solutions Very Good

The lesson provides a strong climate-justice lens by showing how social inequality, economic development and environmental change are interconnected.

Multiple Dimensions of Problems & Solutions:

Effectively addresses the environmental, economic and social dimensions of the issue(s) being explored.

  • Satisfactory: resource supports the examination of  these dimensions
  • Good:  resource explicitly examines the interplay of these dimensions
  • Very Good:  a systems-thinking approach is encouraged to examine these three dimensions
Respects Complexity Good

The lesson recognizes that issues are complex by exploring interconnected causes, unequal impacts and different viewpoints, but students need teacher guidance to clearly understand the connection to climate change.

Respects Complexity:

The complexity of the problems/issues being discussed is respected.

Acting on Learning Very Good

Section 5 Be the change in the compilation Climate Justice, hope and action has students work in groups to choose a climate change or climate justice issue, design a campaign, create a placard, and plan a realistic action intended to have an impact.

Acting on Learning:

Learning moves from understanding  issues  to working towards positive change — in personal lifestyle, in school, in the community,  or for the planet

  • Satisfactory: action opportunities are included as extensions 
  • Good: action opportunities are core components of the resource
  • Very Good: action opportunities for students are well supported and intended to result in observable, positive change
Values Education Good

Each lesson ends with reflection questions that encourage students to think about and share what they have learned.

Values Education:

Students are explicitly provided with opportunities to identify, clarify and express their own beliefs/values.

Empathy & Respect for Humans Good

The geography lesson promotes empathy and respect by asking students to consider how inequality affects people across different historical and social circumstances.

Empathy & Respect for Humans: Empathy and respect are fostered for diverse groups of humans (including different genders, ethnic groups, sexual preferences, etc.).
Personal Affinity with Earth Good

The lessons help students explore their relationship with the natural world through art and geography. They investigate how people are connected to and influence their environment. 

Personal Affinity with Earth:

Encourages a personal affinity with -the natural world.  

  • Satisfactory: connection is made to the natural world
  • Good: fosters appreciation/concern for the natural world
  • Very Good: fosters stewardship though practical and respectful experiences out-of-doors 
Locally-Focused Learning Satisfactory

Learning is made relevant through discussion of global inequality, historical change and climate justice, but the lesson does not include local, outdoor learning.

Locally-Focused Learning:

Includes learning experiences that take advantage of issues/elements within the local community. 

  • Satisfactory: learning is made relevant to the lives of the learners
  • Good: learning is made relevant and has a local focus
  • Very Good: learning is made relevant, local and takes place ‘outside’ , in the community 
Past, Present & Future Good

The lesson addresses the past, present and future, with its positive future vision centred on the possibility of change.

Past, Present & Future: Promotes an understanding of the past, a sense of the present, and a positive vision for the future.

Pedagogical Approaches

Principle Rating Explanation
Open-Ended Instruction Very Good

The lesson is designed for open-ended responses rather than one correct answer. Students make personal choices throughout: they identify what makes them feel wow, suggest ways art can celebrate Earth, interpret several artists’ techniques, choose a natural subject, and select an artist as inspiration for their own work. The main task explicitly asks for an individual piece based on something from nature they feel inspired by

Open-Ended Instruction :

Lessons are structured so that multiple/complex answers are possible; students are not steered toward one 'right' answer.

Integrated Learning Good
  • Visual Arts
  • Geography
  • Science
Integrated Learning:

Learning brings together content and skills  from more than one  subject area

  • Satisfactory: content from a number of different  subject areas is readily identifiable
  • Good:  resource is appropriate for use in more than one subject area
  • Very Good:  the lines between subjects are blurred 
Inquiry Learning Good

The lesson follows a guided inquiry approach. Students do not independently formulate research questions or gather information; instead, they develop inquiry skills through discussion, interpretation, and reasoning.

Inquiry Learning:

Learning is directed by questions, problems, or challenges that students work to address.   

  • Satisfactory: Students are provided with questions/problems to solve and some direction on how to arrive at solutions.
  • Good: students, assisted by the teacher clarify the question(s) to ask and the process to follow to arrive at solutions.  Sometimes referred to as Guided Inquiry
  • Very Good:  students generate the questions and assume much of the responsibility for how to solve them.  . Sometimes referred to as self-directed learning.

 

Differentiated Instruction Good

The two lesson plans provide activities which address the needs of visual, auditory and kinesthetic learners.

Differentiated Instruction:

Activities address a range of student learning styles, abilities and readiness.

  • Satisfactory:  includes a variety of instructional approaches
  • Good: addresses  the needs of visual, auditory &  kinesthetic learners
  • Very Good: also includes strategies for learners with difficulties
Experiential Learning Good

The learning remains classroom-based and simulated. The persona cards, videos and discussions provide a realistic context, but there is no outdoor experience, contact with affected communities, or local case study beyond the lesson.

Experiential Learning:

Authentic learning experiences are provided

  • Satisfactory: learning takes place through ‘hands-on’ experience or simulation
  • Good: learning involves direct experience in a ‘real world context’
  • Very good: learning involves ‘real world experiences’ taking place’ beyond the school walls.
Cooperative Learning Satisfactory

The lesson plans provide many discussion opportunities.

Cooperative Learning:

Group and cooperative learning strategies are a priority.

  • Satisfactory:  students work in groups
  • Good: cooperative learning skills are explicitly taught and practiced
  • Very Good: cooperative learning skills are explicitly taught, practiced and assessed
Assessment & Evaluation Satisfactory

Each lesson ends with reflection questions that encourage students to think about and share what they have learned. No checklists, evaluations tools or rubrics are provided.

Assessment & Evaluation: Tools are provided that help students and teachers to capture formative and summative information about students' learning and performance. These tools may include reflection questions, checklists, rubrics, etc.
Peer Teaching Good

For both lessons, there are no students explicit teaching roles, such as expert groups, peer presentations, peer feedback or students teaching a concept to another group. Most peer learning happens through discussion and joint decision-making, with the teacher still directing the activity.

Peer Teaching:

Provides opportunities for students to actively present their knowledge and skills to peers and/or act as teachers and mentors.

  • Satisfactory: incidental teaching that arises from cooperative learning, presentations, etc.
  • Good or Very Good: an opportunity is intentionally created to empower students to teach other students/community members. The audience is somehow reliant on the students' teaching (students are not simply ‘presenting')
Case Studies Poor/Not considered

No case studies are provided in these two lesson plans.

Case Studies:

Relevant case studies are included.  Case studies are thorough descriptions of real events from real situations that students use to explore  concepts in an authentic context.

Locus of Control Poor/Not considered

There are no opportunities to extend the learning in these two lesson plans.

Locus of Control: Meaningful opportunities are provided for students to choose elements of program content, the medium in which they wish to work, and/or to go deeper into a chosen issue.

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