How can you inspire climate optimism in your students?

So often what we hear about climate change are messages of doom and hopelessness. While there are certainly real reasons for concern, an optimistic outlook that we can solve hard problems is critical to motivating action. In your classroom, how do you talk about climate change in a way that’s both realistic and inspires students to believe there’s actually something they can do about it?

Mike Skomba Adam Esrig ,Steven Hamilton

Bryan Dibble over 1 year ago

Not sure how "optimistic" it seems to the kids, but I put climate change in the category of war. Every human conflict is pretty bad, simply put, but wars always bring innovations to help us live better when it's all over. New technologies, techniques in medicine, new social structures, you name it. So the battle to fix our climate isn't going to be easy, and we'll lose a few skirmishes (more cat 5 hurricanes) but humans will win the war eventually. Our species will eventually figure out the solutions and we'll invent some new tools and change some human systems to better the world until the next crisis we create comes along.
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Janet Mann over 1 year ago

Molly Sinnott Mike Skomba Adam Esrig Steven Hamilton Julianne Horowitz Saw this article this morning! Makes ME optimistic!
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Julianne Horowitz over 1 year ago in reply to Janet Mann

Great find! What a cool POV to bring into the conversation with kids.
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Janet Mann over 1 year ago

Hi Molly Sinnott I decided to try something new this year and found a children's picture book to use. I will read it to the students and then I made a Scavenger Hunt as a fun SEL-ish activity. I wanted to start with a positive attitude and build on it with the students that we all have the power to make a change!
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