Oxfam Educatin www.xfam.rg.uk/educatin Sessin 6: taking actin against climate change Age range: 7-11 years Outline Learners will explre and discuss different actins which culd be taken against climate change. Learners will then identify pssible actins which they culd take as a schl and rank these accrding t their relative ease and impact. Finally, learners will wrk in a grup t plan their actin against climate change. Learning bjectives T identify a range f pssible actins that culd be taken against climate change. T understand that actins will vary accrding t bth the ease with which they can be carried ut and the impact they will have. Key questins What actins can be taken against climate change? What actin can we take? Hw easy will this actin be t d? What impact will this actin have? Learning utcmes Learners will list sme pssible actins that culd be taken against climate change. Learners will cnsider and rank different actins accrding t their relative ease and impact. Resurces Climate challenge B slideshw: slides 26 35. Resurce sheet: Taking actin against climate change Case studies 1 and 2. Activity sheets: Srting actins. Ranking actins against climate change. Impact matrix. Actin planning grid. England KS2 English: Spken language - Pupils shuld be taught t listen and respnd apprpriately t adults and their peers. - Pupils shuld be taught t maintain attentin and participate actively in cllabrative cnversatins, staying n tpic and initiating and respnding t cmments. - Pupils shuld be taught t cnsider and evaluate different viewpints, attending t and building n the cntributins f thers. Curriculum links Wales Gegraphy Pupils shuld be given the pprtunity t study: - Tmrrw s citizens: issues in Wales and the wider wrld f living sustainably and the respnsibilities f being a glbal citizen. Literacy: Oracy - Express issues and ideas clearly, using specialist vcabulary and examples. - Listen t thers, asking questins and respnding t bth the cntent and the speakers viewpints. ESDGC: Climate Change, Chices and Decisins. Sctland Scial Studies - I can discuss the rights and respnsibilities f citizens in Sctland. SOC 2-17a Learning fr Sustainability - As part f this entitlement, learners shuld have pprtunities within their curricular experiences t engage with demcratic prcesses and t cnnect and cntribute t their cmmunities, lcally, natinally and internatinally, as active glbal citizens.
Activity 6.1: What des taking actin against climate change mean? (30 min) Oxfam Educatin www.xfam.rg.uk/educatin Shw slide 27 and ask learners what taking actin means. Explain that in this cntext we can think f taking actin as ding smething t help stp a situatin (usually bad) frm develping r cntinuing. Explain that in this sessin learners are ging t be thinking abut and planning pssible actins they culd take against climate change. Shw slide 28 and label the fur crners f the classrm r learning space in the same way: Myself, Other peple, My friends and Peple in pwer. Ask learners t mve t a crner f the rm depending n their view f wh they think mst needs t take actin n climate change. If they are split between ptins, they can stand mid-way between crners (r in the middle f all fur). Invite learners in different places t justify their chices. Nw ask learners hw they think we can and shuld take actin against climate change. What types f actin are there? Wh shuld take these actins? Shw slide 29 and explain that there are fur general categries fr taking actin: Raise awareness: sharing yur learning abut the human impact f climate change with thers. Campaigning: putting pressure n decisin makers and businesses t d what they can t reduce greenhuse gas emissins and supprt cmmunities t adapt t climate change. Ging green: individuals, schls and cmmunities taking actin t reduce their wn carbn ftprints. Fundraising: raising mney fr charities wrking against climate change. Tackling climate change is a vital part f Oxfam's wrk. Oxfam wrks with lcal cmmunities, linking peple t the supprt and skills they need t adapt t climate change Shw slides 30 t 33 with examples f different ways in which sme yung peple have taken actin against climate change. Fr each example, discuss which categry the actin falls int. Sme examples may fall int mre than ne f the categries. Nte that these examples are als prvided in Taking actin against climate change. Organise learners int pairs r grups f three. Give each grup a cpy f Srting actins. Fr each pssible climate change actin, learners shuld discuss which f the actin categries it falls int. Learners might want t highlight the actins in different clurs. Activity 6.2: Ranking actins against climate change (25 min) Organise learners int grups f three r fur. Each grup will need table space t mve arund nine actin cards. Give each grup a cpy f Ranking actins against climate change. In their grups, learners shuld identify up t nine pssible actins that they culd take against climate change. They shuld write each actin n a separate sticky nte (r piece f paper).
Oxfam Educatin www.xfam.rg.uk/educatin Learners shuld then rank these pssible actins in a diamnd frmatin, in rder f hw gd they think the actin is. The best actin shuld be placed at the tp, fllwed by a rw f the next tw, then a rw f three and s n. An example is prvided n slide 34. Emphasise that there are n right r wrng answers there will be advantages and disadvantages t every actin, and they shuld rank them as they think best. Learners culd use the Impact Matrix t help them t rank their actins. Print ff an A3 cpy f the sheet fr each grup. Learners shuld place each actin in the apprximate bx in the table accrding t hw easy the actin is t d and the impact it will have. Allw time at the end f the activity fr learners t share their ideas as a whle grup. Explre the chices that learners have made and their reasns fr them. Finally, discuss the criteria they used t make their decisins, fr example, feasibility, apprpriateness, effectiveness r cst. Differentiatin Make it easier: Learners culd use sme f the ideas fr taking actin prvided in Srting actins. Activity 6.3: Picking an actin against climate change (10 20 min) Learners can either d an actin per grup, r d an actin as a whle class. It is up t the teacher and learners t decide this. Encurage learners t use a demcratic technique within each grup r class t determine this. This culd invlve vting within the class r grup fr their chsen ptin. If yu have mre time yu culd extend this activity: give each grup ne minute t present their best idea t the class, and then at the end the whle class can vte fr their favurite ptin. Activity 6.4: Planning actin against climate change (25 min) When the mst ppular idea has been identified, give each grup a cpy f the Actin planning grid t cmplete. Alternatively this culd be cmpleted as a whle class activity. This template is als prvided n slide 35. Encurage learners t think abut and discuss: What d yu want t d? Why d yu want t d this? What different activities (r tasks) are required t cmplete this? Fr example, finding infrmatin, making a pster, printing it and distributing it. What resurces will yu need? Wh will be respnsible fr what? What supprt will yu need? When must it be dne by? What evidence f success will yu use?
Oxfam Educatin www.xfam.rg.uk/educatin Learners shuld write their actin and the reasns fr chsing this actin at the tp f the sheet. The activities (r tasks) required t cmplete this actin shuld be written in the left-hand clumn f the table. The remaining clumns shuld then be cmpleted fr each f the activities. At the end f this activity, make sure learners knw what their next steps are and wh is ding what. Further ideas Learners culd create an issue tree t evaluate their learning abut the causes and effects f climate change, as well as pssible slutins. Organise learners int small grups f three r fur. Each grup shuld draw a tree utline n a large piece f plain paper. Learners shuld write Climate change in the trunk. They shuld then label the rts with the causes f climate change, the branches with the effects f climate change and the fruit with pssible actins that they culd take. Oxfam Educatin wuld lve t hear abut any climate change activities yu carry ut. Please send in any pictures, reprts r stries t educatin@xfam.rg.uk. If sending in phtgraphs, please make sure that yu have permissin t use them. Terms f use Cpyright Oxfam GB Yu may use these phtgraphs and assciated infrmatin fr the educatinal purpses at yur educatinal institutin. With each use, yu must credit the phtgrapher named fr that image and Oxfam. Yu may nt use images and assciated infrmatin fr cmmercial purpses r utside yur educatinal institutin. All infrmatin assciated with these images relates t the date and time that prject wrk tk place.
Oxfam Educatin www.xfam.rg.uk/educatin Taking actin against climate change Case studies 1 Taking the message t Dwning Street Year 10 students frm Abraham Mss Schl in Manchester went t Dwning Street t hand in their messages abut climate change t the Prime Minister. The students presented a scrapbk full f their messages and artwrk n climate change, and evidence f 5000 yuth actins. Ifra (secnd frm right), helped t hand in the scrapbk, and sent the Prime Minister this message: Image inf: Students frm Abraham Mss schl utside 10 Dwning Street. Credit: Crispin Hughes/Oxfam Everyne has a carbn ftprint, even yu d! We all need t try and cut dwn n it! The students carried ut numerus assemblies in their schl and made a vide fr their lcal MP. They als entered and wn a climate change pster cmpetitin. As part f their pster presentatin they wrte We are the future, the tmrrw. But ur tmrrw is being cut shrt by the actins f ur elders tday. Chelfrd Climate Champins Pupils frm Chelfrd Primary Schl in Cheshire were passinate abut ding smething fr peple affected by disasters and climate change. S they wrte their wn Harvest Festival assembly, and challenged staff and students t a climate change quiz. Each year, the schl cllects mney fr the Harvest Festival and the pupils decided that this year s mney wuld g t Oxfam. The children als decided they wanted t dnate secnd hand bks t the lcal Oxfam shp t help peple affected by disasters and climate change. This then sparked anther idea- why nt write messages in each bk, explaining t whever bught it hw climate change was affecting peple? Pupils culdn t wait t get started n their letters describing what they had learned abut climate change, and what they wanted adults t d abut it.
Oxfam Educatin www.xfam.rg.uk/educatin Taking actin against climate change Case studies 2 Inspiring change Year 10 students frm Fairfield High Schl in Bristl cllected ver 1000 signatures f pupils, teachers and parents n a 50ft petitin. They displayed it in schl, befre sending it t Dwning Street. Pupils tk part in lessns abut climate change and wrte messages fr the Prime Minister n an utline f their hands. They als rganised a mini Oxjam music festival. Students wre blue, had their faces painted, and raised 360 fr Oxfam. Lcal band, Twenty Twenty, at the schl s Blue day. The schl s Ec Team was delighted t be featured in the lcal newspaper and n lcal radi. Their future plans and ideas include a technlgy-free Earth Afternn, wrking with Bristl University t cmplete a carbn audit f the schl, and ptentially getting a pig t reduce their fd waste. Reducing their carbn ftprint Lewis Schl Pengam s Ec prject has really gathered pace since they started in 2007. The wrldly wise pupils have been busy reducing their carbn ftprint thrugh a variety f activities including tree planting, litter picks in the lcal area and wrking with the lcal cmmunity t develp an alltment site. They als helped rganise and run an Ec 10:10 event t encurage ther schls t make a pledge t reduce their carbn emissins by 10% t help reduce their impact n climate change. The bys and girls in the Ec-Schl s grup have really shwed their cmmitment t the schl and the lcal cmmunity by spending their time t help reduce envirnmental impacts. It s really refreshing t see this type f pr-active learning in actin and nt just a curriculum assessed subject, said Lrraine Barnes, Ec-Schls C-rdinatr at Lewis Schl Pengam, Caerphilly Cunty. I really enjy helping ut with the Ec-Schls wrk. It has made me take pride in my schl and think abut the wrld and peple arund me, explains ne pupil.
Oxfam Educatin www.xfam.rg.uk/educatin Srting actins Read thrugh the list f pssible actins. Fr each actin think abut which categry f actin it best falls int. Yu might like t highlight the actins in fur different clurs. Raising awareness: sharing learning abut the human impact f climate change with thers. Campaigning: asking decisin makers t d what they can t reduce greenhuse gas emissins and supprt cmmunities t adapt t climate change. Ging green: individuals, schls and cmmunities taking actin t reduce their wn carbn ftprints. Fundraising: raising mney fr charities wrking against climate change. a) Give a climate change assembly t let thers knw abut the human impact f climate change. b) Organise a climate change quiz night in the lcal cmmunity. c) Invite yur lcal MP r lcal business leaders int schl and rganise a questin time event r debate n climate change. d) Carry ut a waste audit in yur schl and use the results t help plan ways t reduce, reuse and recycle the schl s waste. e) Organise a Climate X Factr where all the sng lyrics are abut climate change. f) Design psters and leaflets t share what yu have learned abut climate change and display them in yur schl r in yur lcal cmmunity. g) Ask the lcal cuncil t imprve public transprt and cycle paths s that peple use cars less. h) Set up an Ec club and plan actins t reduce the schl s impact n the envirnment i) Write an article fr the lcal newspaper r speak n lcal radi t raise awareness f climate change. j) Organise a Climate Bake Off and dnate the mney raised t a charity wrking against climate change. k) Perfrm a play abut climate change in yur lcal cmmunity. l) Write t yur lcal MP t ask the gvernment t d mre t cmbat climate change. m) Display psters arund the schl t encurage peple t turn ff lights and whitebards when they are nt in use. n) Set up a schl garden and grw vegetables fr use in schl dinners. Nw try t think f yur wn examples f actins fr each f the categries.
Oxfam Educatin www.xfam.rg.uk/educatin Ranking actins against climate change What actin d yu think yu shuld take against climate change? Wrk in grups f three t think f nine pssible actins. Write each actin n a separate sticky nte. Nw rank yur ideas in a diamnd frmatin, in rder f hw gd yu think the actin is. Place the best actin at the tp, fllwed by a rw f the next tw, then a rw f three and s n. Remember that there are n right r wrng answers there will be advantages and disadvantages t every actin, and yu shuld rank them as yu think best. Share yur ideas as a whle grup. Explre the chices yu have made and the reasns fr them. Raise mney and dnate it t a charity wrking against climate change. Make a leaflet r pster abut climate change and display it in schl and in the lcal cmmunity. Mst effective Write t ur MP t ask the gvernment t d mre t cmbat climate change. Least effective
Oxfam Educatin www.xfam.rg.uk/educatin Impact matrix Easy t d High impact Medium impact Lw impact Mderate t d Hard t d
Actin planning grid Oxfam Educatin www.xfam.rg.uk/educatin What we are ging t d: Why we are ging t d this: Activity Resurces needed Wh is respnsible? Supprt needed Deadline Evidence f success