Students learn about the causes and consequences of climate change, the difference between human and naturally induced greenhouse gases, the relative amounts of greenhouse gases produced in different regions of the world, and the solutions available to address human GHG emissions.
Many of the activities in the lesson focus on data analysis, identifying perspectives, understanding the links between cause and effect and imagining strategies that might help mitigate climate change.
The lesson is another contribution to that body of resources designed to have students explore what is perhaps the greatest challenge of the day. The lesson is well structured and succeeds in having students better understand the causes of climate change and something of the difficulties in achieving a common response among nations.
Each activity is tightly structured and includes the necessary resources to engage students and enhance their understanding.
Climate change is a topic that has relevance for a number of curriculum areas. This particular resource is especially helpful in introducing the causes of climate change and in identifying the relative responsibility among nations for the current crisis.
The following tool will allow you to explore the relevant curriculum matches for this resource. To start, select a province listed below.
Principle | Rating | Explanation |
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Consideration of Alternative Perspectives | Good | Although there is still some debate around climate change, the scientific community is largely agreed on a number of issues. The aim of the lesson is to provide data that students may examine in answering a number of key questions.
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Consideration of Alternative Perspectives:
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Multiple Dimensions of Problems & Solutions | Good | The lesson explores the causes (mining fossil fuels, deforestation, etc.) and consequences ( ocean levels, drought, etc.) of climate change; the social and economic inequalities as they relate to the degree of responsibility for the release of GHG and their resulting impact. |
Multiple Dimensions of Problems & Solutions: Effectively addresses the environmental, economic and social dimensions of the issue(s) being explored.
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Respects Complexity | Good | The lesson includes hard data in the form of charts that will enlarge the students' understanding of the climate change discussions as it relates to the causes of climate change, the chronology of energy use, the economic sectors and regions largely responsible for climate change and the debate over who should "pay" for meeting the challenges posed by climate change. |
Respects Complexity: The complexity of the problems/issues being discussed is respected. | ||
Acting on Learning | Good | The final segment of the lesson, Activate local action right now, has students consider how everyone can help reduce GHG emissions and includes suggestions for a project in which each student examines their carbon footprint. |
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
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Values Education | Good | Students are asked to consider the ethical implications whereby those who are least responsible for climate change may have to bear much of the negative consequences. They are also asked to consider their individual responsibility in contributing to and in meeting the challenges of climate change. |
Values Education: Students are explicitly provided with opportunities to identify, clarify and express their own beliefs/values. | ||
Empathy & Respect for Humans | Good | The data provided by the lesson underscores something of the inequities attached to climate change - those people who are least responsible for the buildup of greenhouse gases are often the ones that lack the resources to adapt and may be expected to suffer disproportionately. |
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 | Satisfactory | In examining the consequences of climate change, the lesson identifies the impact a warming earth will have on the natural world. |
Personal Affinity with Earth: Encourages a personal affinity with -the natural world.
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Locally-Focused Learning | Good | In examining the data surrounding climate change, students will come to appreciate that it is a global issue requiring a global response and attention is given to the United nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the difficulties of arriving at a response acceptable to all nations but recognition is also given to a bottoms up approach where individuals and local communities can be part of the solution. |
Locally-Focused Learning: Includes learning experiences that take advantage of issues/elements within the local community.
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Past, Present & Future | Very Good | The charts included with the lesson plan help students to understand how the Industrial Revolution and the resulting demand for energy has created the greenhouse effect that is the current challenge. The lesson concludes with a consideration of positive and forward-thinking approaches to combat climate change. |
Past, Present & Future: Promotes an understanding of the past, a sense of the present, and a positive vision for the future. |
Principle | Rating | Explanation |
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Open-Ended Instruction | Good | The lesson acknowledges the complexity of the climate change debate, particularly with respect to the question of determining the relative burden in responding to the challenges of climate change and the principle of "a common but differentiated" approach. |
Open-Ended Instruction
: Lessons are structured so that multiple/complex answers are possible; students are not steered toward one 'right' answer. | ||
Integrated Learning | Very Good | The issue of climate change involves a number of subject areas;
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Integrated Learning: Learning brings together content and skills from more than one subject area
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Inquiry Learning | Good | Students analyze and discuss data provided by the lesson in order to respond to questions outlined in the ativities. |
Inquiry Learning: Learning is directed by questions, problems, or challenges that students work to address.
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Differentiated Instruction | Good | Students are provided with a variety of resources - videos, charts, documents - to address the questions raised by the lesson and discuss their findings in small and large group settings. |
Differentiated Instruction: Activities address a range of student learning styles, abilities and readiness.
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Experiential Learning | Satisfactory | Students learn about the causes of climate change and the degree of responsibility for the current situation by analysis of data provided by the lesson. |
Experiential Learning: Authentic learning experiences are provided
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Cooperative Learning | Good | Students work in groups to analyze and report on data and to respond to the perspectives that are part of the video resources included in the lesson. |
Cooperative Learning: Group and cooperative learning strategies are a priority.
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Assessment & Evaluation | Satisfactory | The lesson does not include any provisions for summative evaluation and formative evaluation is largely dependent on the student class discussion and student presentation. |
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 | Satisfactory | Peer teaching opportunities are limited to the discussion that arises from student analysis of data and their response to selected videos. |
Peer Teaching: Provides opportunities for students to actively present their knowledge and skills to peers and/or act as teachers and mentors.
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Case Studies | Good | The lesson requires students to examine data that contributes to their understanding of the factors that contribute to climate change and the degree of responsibility nations must assume for climate change. |
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 | Satisfactory | The lesson consists of a number of structured activities that guide student investigation into the causes of and the possible responses to climate change. |
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. |