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Description
Exploring Climate Impacts focuses on understanding the difference between weather and climate, the nature of climate change, and the impacts of a changing climate being felt around the world.
Following a guided discussion of weather vs climate, students are provided with information describing the basics of climate change science. From there the students are given a Climate Impact Quiz that resembles a matching activity / puzzle to illustrate the impact of climate change on six different countries and possible solutions. Students then describe in a poem, story or through pictures what life will be like in one of the countries by 2050 due to the the impacts of climate change The lesson is brought to a close with a discussion of how to reduce the impacts of climate change.
General Assessment
What skills does this resource explicitly teach?
The goal of this lesson is to develop an awareness of climate change and how it affects people in different parts of the world. It does not explicitly teach these skills.
Strengths
- well developed and easy to implement lesson plan components
- all materials are included and easy to use
- good quantity of background information for the teacher
Weaknesses
- there is a lack of accommodations for those learners that may have difficulty with the material
- there are no tools for assessment provided
Recommendation of how and where to use it
This resource is best suited for the upper elementary classroom. It addresses curriculum related to climate, weather, and the environment while also incorporating literacy and the visual arts outcomes.
Relevant Curriculum Units
The following tool will allow you to explore the relevant curriculum matches for this resource. To start, select a province listed below.
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- Grade 2
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- Arts
- Step 4Relevant matches
- Arts Education: Creative expression develops our unique identity and voice
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- Science 2: Living things have life cycles adapted to their environment
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- Regional and Global Communities: Local actions have global consequences, and global actions have local consequences.
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- Arts Education: Creative experiences involve an interplay between exploration, inquiry, and purposeful choice.
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- Global Indigenous Peoples:Indigenous societies throughout the world value the well-being of the self, the land, spirits, and ancestors
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- Grade 2
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- Explore Your World: Diversity and Social Responsibility
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- Explore Your World: Diversity and Social Responsibility
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- Our Local Environment : Learning and Living Sustainably
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- Arts General: Creating, Making, and Presenting
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- My Province, Exploration, History of the Atlantic Region: Economics
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- Grade 2
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- Air and Water in the Environment
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- Arts Education 2 : Visual Art
- Arts Education: Creative expression develops our unique identity and voice
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- Earth and Space Systems: Air and Water in the Environment
- Science 2: Plants and animals have life cycles adapted to their environment
- Science 2: Water is essential to all living things and it cycles through the environment
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- Regional and Global Communities: Local actions have global impacts, and global actions have local impacts
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- Arts Education 3: Visual Art
- Arts Education: Creative experiences involve an interplay between exploration, inquiry, and purposeful choice.
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- Earth & Space Systems: Soils in the Environment
- Life Systems: Growth and Changes in Plants
- Science 3:Plants and Animals are diverse, can be grouped, and interact in their ecosystems
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- Communities of the World: Communities of the World
- Global Indigenous Peoples: Indigenous nations throughout the world value the well-being of the self, the land, spirits, and ancestors
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- Arts Education: Engaging in creative expression and experiences expands people’s sense of identity and belonging.
- Nova Scotia
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- Science 2: Air and Water in the Environment
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- Global Connections
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- Grade 5
- Ontario
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- Earth and Space Systems: Conservation of Energy & Resources
- Prince Edward Island
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- Grade 2
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- Visual Arts 1: Creating and Presenting
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- Air & Water in the Environment
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- Change: Environment
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- Arts: Visual Arts: To produce media works in the visual arts
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- Living things
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- Arts: Visual Arts: To produce individual works in the visual arts
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- Living Things
- Saskatchewan
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- Grade 2
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- Arts Education 3 : Creative/Productive
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- Exploring Soils
- Plant Growth and Changes
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- Community Comparisons: Resources and Welath
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- Arts Education 4: Creative/Productive
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- Habitats and Communities
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- Saskatchewan: Resources and Wealth
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- Weather
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- Canada: Resources and Wealth
- Yukon Territory
- Step 2Select a grade level
- Grade 2
- Step 3Select a subject
- Arts
- Step 4Relevant matches
- Arts Education: Creative expression develops our unique identity and voice
- Science
- Step 4Relevant matches
- Science 2: Living things have life cycles adapted to their environment
- Science 2: Water is essential to all living things and it cycles through the environment
- Social Studies
- Step 4Relevant matches
- Regional and Global Communities: Individuals have rights and responsibilities as global citizens
- Grade 3
- Grade 4
- Grade 5
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- Arts
- Step 4Relevant matches
- Arts Education: Engaging in creative expression and experiences expands people’s sense of identity and belonging.
Themes Addressed
Air, Atmosphere & Climate (2)
- Climate Change
- Weather
Ecosystems (1)
- Appreciating the Natural World
Food & Agriculture (2)
- Conventional Farming
- Food Security
Human Health & Environment (1)
- Quality of Life
Land Use & Natural Resources (1)
- Forests
Sustainability Education Principles
| Principle | Rating | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Consideration of Alternative Perspectives | Very Good | In this resource the students explore the concepts of weather and climate and then the effects of climate change on selected countries. The information is presented in a thoughtful and straightforward manner, allowing the students to develop an accurate understanding of the concepts. |
Consideration of Alternative Perspectives:
| ||
| Multiple Dimensions of Problems & Solutions | Good | As the students explore the impacts of climate change on selected countries. All three dimensions are addressed. |
| Multiple Dimensions of Problems & Solutions: Effectively addresses the environmental, economic and social dimensions of the issue(s) being explored.
| ||
| Respects Complexity | Very Good | The impacts of climate change are complex and are presented in a clear and concise manner which the students should be able to easily understand. |
| Respects Complexity: The complexity of the problems/issues being discussed is respected. | ||
| Acting on Learning | Poor/Not considered | The resource provides opportunities for discussion of what can be done to mitigate and to adapt to the impacts of climate change but it does not provide opportunities for the students to act on their learning. |
| 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
| ||
| Values Education | Very Good | Through the opportunities provided for discussions the students can develop and express their own understanding of the issues. |
| Values Education: Students are explicitly provided with opportunities to identify, clarify and express their own beliefs/values. | ||
| Empathy & Respect for Humans | Very Good | The activities allow for the students to appreciate the concerns and challenges that people in different areas of the world will face as climate change impacts their lives. |
| 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 activities included in the resource allow for the students to develop a concern for the impacts of climate change on the natural world. |
| Personal Affinity with Earth: Encourages a personal affinity with -the natural world.
| ||
| Locally-Focused Learning | Satisfactory | |
| Locally-Focused Learning: Includes learning experiences that take advantage of issues/elements within the local community.
| ||
| Past, Present & Future | Very Good | Through material provided for the teacher to present and share with the students, an understanding of the past is addressed. A sense of the present is developed as the students learn about the climate changes that are occurring. A positive vision for the future is promoted through the discussion of mitigating and adapting to the impacts of climate 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 nature of this lesson plan allows for the students to consider a multitude of options for mitigating and adapting to the impacts of climate change. |
| 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 |
|
| Integrated Learning: Learning brings together content and skills from more than one subject area
| ||
| Inquiry Learning | Satisfactory | This lesson focuses on developing an awareness of the impacts of climate change. They are encouraged to come up with solutions. |
| Inquiry Learning: Learning is directed by questions, problems, or challenges that students work to address.
| ||
| Differentiated Instruction | Satisfactory | This lesson in engaging and interesting. There are no strategies provided for students who may have difficulty with the material. |
| Differentiated Instruction: Activities address a range of student learning styles, abilities and readiness.
| ||
| Experiential Learning | Poor/Not considered | The students are provided with information on the impacts of climate change on different countries in the world. It does not include hands-on or 'real-world' experience. |
| Experiential Learning: Authentic learning experiences are provided
| ||
| Cooperative Learning | Satisfactory | |
| Cooperative Learning: Group and cooperative learning strategies are a priority.
| ||
| Assessment & Evaluation | Poor/Not considered | There are no tools or suggestions for the assessment of learning. The final project could be used as a summative assessment. |
| 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: Provides opportunities for students to actively present their knowledge and skills to peers and/or act as teachers and mentors.
| ||
| Case Studies | Very Good | Case studies of six countries are a key component of the lesson design. |
| 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 | Good | The students choose their own format for the final project. |
| 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. | ||