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What Do You Know--Climate?

Donnetta Elsasser

In Big History Project we have a fun activity called “What Do You Know? What Do You Ask?”

It’s about looking at an issue from multiple perspectives, using multiple disciplines. It’s not only a super way to examine any event, but it is also a great way to introduce learners to professionals and fields of study they might not be familiar with. I created this activity a while back, patterned after a WDYK.

It’s about serious drought conditions reducing the volume of the Colorado River and how that affects the livelihood of several US states, multiple Tribes, and billions of crops. 

This could be a short lesson inserted into any discussion about climate change. 

Do you think you might try it? How would you use it?

What feedback could you give me for making this lesson better? 

What kind of an introduction would you give it?

CNN video clip to explain the issue: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmeWydWm2MU

Who Knows What? worksheet I designed: https://docs.google.com/document/d/17X4cmC6IxHEBIbT4lHLMy_k8C69lPZ02Gk7ZG4MPmhc/edit

  •  , this is a great idea! I love how it adds different perspectives and allows students to learn about different professions. It reminds me a bit of a project I have used in the past (when I have time! in class) about urban sprawl in San Marcos. Students work together to create plans for the future of the urban area. At the end of the project students are given role cards and they must vote for their favorite plan based on the role they are given and justify their decision. It adds an extra layer of understanding to what students learn. 

  • in reply to Andrea Wong

    I love that example,  !

    If you still have an old lesson plan laying about, I'd love to see it!

    Otherwise, I find that the activity I posted could fit into almost any current event category or any unit where your goals focus on multiple perspectives or different entities involved in policy-making. It also fits historical examples where you want to bring to light what happens when you do or do not invite all the players to the table.

    And it's only one lesson long!

  • I really like the discipline/expertise part of that page you created.  I like the real connection to people in the field. Even if fictitious it's still "real" and this makes great sense to give to students.  My Contemporary World Problems class starts in a week and I'm soaking up the good stuff for some nice climate work. 

  • in reply to Bryan Dibble

     , In the example I built, these are the actual people involved in a real-life environmental event.

    But to make sure I understand, are you saying that as teachers we could make up simulations that mimic real events, and the process would still be valuable?

  • in reply to Donnetta Elsasser

    Sure!  Authentic learning is about the activity or lesson be as equal to an experience found in the work place.  However, it's best if that authentic learning is legit- especially when names and jobs and scenarios can be readily found that fit our purposes.  It might have been 20 years ago that "authentic learning" was the catch phrase of the day.  But that's one priority pushed that has held up well to time.  Can't say that about all the jargon we've seen come and go!  I just didn't know if they were real or not, but they looked authentic to me.