5. What are your initial thoughts on teaching climate change?

Initial thoughts on teaching climate change

Initial thoughts on teaching climate change

by Martha Peller -
Number of replies: 1

1. What are some ways you could connect Earth systems and climate change topics into your current curriculum?

In teaching Earth and Environmental Science there are already several climate change topics embedded into the curriculum: 

  • Infer human activities that impact the quality of atmospheric composition (aerosols, CFCs, burning, industrial byproducts, over farming, etc.)
  • Summarize natural processes that can and have affected global climate (El Nino/La Nina, volcanic eruptions, sunspots, carbon dioxide fluctuations)
  • Explain the concept of the greenhouse effect, and why carbon dioxide is most often the focus of public discussion
  • Outline how deforestation and the burning of fossil fuels contribute to global climate change
  • explain how large-scale development contributes to regional changes in climate 
  • Analyze actions that can be taken by humans on a local level, as well as on a larger scale, to mitigate global climate change
  • Analyze how changes in global temperatures affect the biosphere
  • Explain how changes in atmospheric composition contribute to ocean acidification - analyse the effects and its connection to global climate change

 

I am so glad that North Carolina has these global climate change strands represented in the standards. My issue with teaching this in the past is that based on the way the curriculum is set up, these are the last topics in the school year that I get to teach, so I normally have to rush through them, they are also weighted the least on the end of year assessments so there is all around little emphasis placed on them. 

 

One of the biggest things I was hoping to get out of this professional development are scientifically valid resources that I can take back to my students...and this module has provided MANY resources for me. 

 

2. What examples of climate change evidence do you think your students would respond to or be witness to in their own communities?

The county my students live in is primarily agricultural based (chickens, cows, pigs, produce). I would be interested in talking to farms that have been around for generations and see if they have noticed any long-term temperature and precipitation differences, and if so - how they have responded to them. This would be a great activity for my students to do! 

In reply to Martha Peller

Re: Initial thoughts on teaching climate change

by Elise Trelegan -

So glad that you're finding the resources helpful, Martha!! If there are other specific resources that we can help you find in the future don't hesitate to ask. We'll be introducing more during the in-person component as well as modeling how to use some of them too. 

I think combining historical data with qualitative data like interviews is a great way to make this stuff relevant to our students. Do you have any connections with local farmers in your area that could speak to this? Perhaps there are organizations that can also help you make the connection if you don't already have some.