Many students feel hopeless when it comes to taking action on climate change. They are aware of global issues that contribute to climate change such as deforestation or population growth that results in greater energy consumption. However, students can feel overwhelmed by the magnitude of the problem and are often confused about what they can do about it. My goal is to have students realize that they can easily take action in their own homes, school and communities once they are empowered with the knowledge they have learned in class.
A simple activity to begin a series of lessons on climate change is a diagnostic placemat (graffiti) activity that allows students to brainstorm how global warming impacts the four spheres of the Earth.
Diagnostic placement activity:
- Each group of 3-4 students divides a piece of chart paper into four quadrants (hydrosphere, atmosphere, lithosphere and biosphere or for younger students, water, air, soil and life).
- Students use markers to draw pictures that represent the impacts of global warming on each of those spheres.
- They will notice that each quadrant has been filled with some type of impact and they soon realize that global warming does not affect one of the Earth’s spheres without affecting the others: they are all connected.
- This activity also allows educators to address any misconceptions that students may have. For example, students will often draw pictures that represent ozone depletion in the atmosphere, which allows the educator to address the misconception that an increase in atmospheric CO2 also contributes to ozone depletion.
Extending learning beyond the classroom is another way for students to gain a greater understanding of energy consumption. For example, tasks typically assigned to EcoTeams can easily be incorporated into science classes.
This past week, my grade 11 environmental science class conducted an inventory of phantom power and lighting use in the school. Students documented the number of fluorescent light tubes and pot lights in classrooms, hallways, stairwells, offices and washrooms. They also took pictures of devices drawing upon phantom energy and tallied the number of such devices in the school. By analysing this data and ultimately determining the cost required to power such lighting and devices, students will develop a plan of action that will educate staff and students at our school about reducing energy consumption and saving money!
Back in the classroom, my students then used dissolved oxygen probes to determine the relationship between water temperature and oxygen content. By relating this concept back to global warming, the students can now use their data to ask more questions about the impacts of reduced dissolved oxygen content on aquatic ecosystems.
Once students have generated and analysed data from their various investigations, it is time to take action to advocate for energy conservation. Social media campaigns, posters, announcements, hand-drawing ‘lights off’ messages for switches or writing a personal message to a specific subject or department in our school (and reading it to the staff) are all simple actions that students can take to raise awareness within the school.
These immediate, local actions allow students to realize that they can make a significant difference!
Thanks to Tanya Williamson for this guest blog post. Tanya (BSc. B.Ed. M.A) has been working as a science educator in Halton DSB for 17 years. She is passionate about teaching within the context of environmental issues and getting students outside!
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