Classroom connections: climate education in every classroom!

A huge thank you to everyone who joined the event on Tuesday! I was so inspired by the energy and interest in bringing climate resources into the classroom. One theme that really stood out was the curiosity around how we can help students examine their own perceptions and foster a sense of agency.

A great place to start Lesson 1.3 The Case for Climate Optimism , which gives students a chance to reflect on their perceptions and consider whether optimism is justified in the face of such a big challenge. From there, the lessons in Unit 5 offers powerful ways to show students that they can make a difference—both right now and in the future.

Aligning Climate Change to the Florida High School Classroom Standards

I had asked this in the WH AP forum, and would love to get some ideas here about how they incorporate climate education/topics into their World History course.

community.oerproject.com/.../incorporating-climate-topics-within-ap-world-course

Angela, I'm a science teacher but when I talk about Climate Change, I often start with a brief description of the Industrial Revolution. Students have learned about it by the time they get to me so it's easy to incorporate.  There's lots of data about the parallels between industrialization, CO2 rise and the subsequent effects on ecosystems and climate. Here's a resource from the Teaching Tools section for Unit 1 of the Climate Project - https://www.oerproject.com/OER-Materials/OER-Media/PDFs/Teacher-Resources/OER-Data-Literacy-Guide.

I also bring up legislation and often refer to the example to the auto industry's resistance to safety features like seat belts in the early days of automobiles and the parallels to that and the fossil fuel industry's resistance to pollution control measures. The difference is that now we have the fossil fuel industry peddling misinformation and being quite intertwined with the government who would regulate them if the industry weren't such important campaign donors or even members of the government (Dick Cheney, Rick Perry, Rex Tillerson). 

I would poke around, especially in Unit 1 for useful materials in the Climate Project! They are useful! https://www.oerproject.com/Climate/Unit-1 

Yes to what christine shared here! I was thinking the similarly:

Hi Angela, 

My initial thoughts are also about the significant connection between Climate Change and the Pre and Post Industrial Revolution. There is a great infographic in our OER Climate Project_Unit 1:Introduction to Climate Change. Lesson 1.1 Step 5 includes a great biographical infographic too on Eunice Foote, a pioneering climate scientist who studied greenhouse gases, with student questions about her contributions.

Lesson 1. 4 explores international policies on climate goals for more current events

You could apply this Simulation I use with a notecatcher on carbon in the atmosphere pre and post I.R. as well! 

I appreciate your response christine guarino 

For something like the Climate Project, it's very interdisciplinary, so it's helpful to hear from a science teacher's perspective.  I definitely highlight the Industrial Revolution and it's a major unit in my course.  I'm still looking for more materials for world history - focusing on the shift to the use of fossil fuels is a great suggestion and I can probably tie it in with the world wars and how the land that had oil became a huge target of control and conquest too. 

Thanks for your response Alexandre Scott !

I really love that infographic, though I didn't use it last year.  It's a great way to have the students connect back to and review the context that they have learned already.  I didn't use Lesson 1.4 last year, but I'm going to look at it more closely when we get to that in our course. 

Hello everyone:

I am pleased to share reflections from our recent (OER) project on Climate Change, in which my students actively engaged with the environmental challenges we face in our daily lives. Throughout the project, students investigated various aspects of climate change, from the carbon footprint of their household activities on greenhouse gas emissions. They documented their findings and reflected on how simple changes, like reducing single-use plastics or opting for local produce, can contribute to a healthier planet. This experiential learning not only deepened their understanding of climate issues but also empowered them to be proactive stewards of the environment, fostering a sense of responsibility and community engagement. They were tasked to produce artwork based on their reflections.

 Angela Lee , I love your idea about incorporating the shift to fossil fuels with the world wars and land conquest. It reminded me of Bryan Dibble 's post on Going to War with Climate Change Issues.