Key Resources for exploring Trade and Climate Change at Every Stage of Teaching
All Schools
1. Download a copy of The Climate Challenge pack a free web resource from Royal Mail. They have produced a Primary and a Secondary pack which looks at the causes, the effects and possible solutions around climate change. It aims to stimulate critical thinking around taking action both in our personal lives and through influencing business and governments to act responsibly.
Primary and Secondary packs available to download at www.teacherspost.co.uk
2. PowerDown toolkit enables learners to investigate energy use at home and in their schools, and how this is linked to extreme weather events thousands of miles away. The toolkit includes: teachers’ booklet with lesson ideas, activity sheets and curriculum links, 22 photo cards showing the causes and impacts of climate change, links to energy use and inspiring solutions; DVD-ROM featuring films, slideshows, teacher’s guide and photos. Primary and Secondary toolkits are free to download at http://powerdown.actionaid.org.uk or hard copies are available at a cost of £15, produced by ActionAid.
3. Oxfam have some excellent free resources and activities on Climate Change looking at past, present and future climates, the human impact of climate change, women and poverty and how pupils can take action to help improve conditions for future. http://www.oxfam.org.uk/education/resources/category.htm?20. The activity Buckets http://www.oxfam.org.uk/education/resources/climate_change_buckets/?20 looks shows how Oxfam’s responses can meet people’s urgent needs for water and sanitation; it shows how we listen to what people need, in order to do this; and it asks young people to think about how these needs will be exacerbated by climate change. It asks them to think more deeply about the human impact of climate change (optional), and what they can do to help make a difference. The activity can be used for a wide range of ages.
4. USEFUL TEACHER GUIDES, PLANNING, ACTIVITIES AND IDEAS:
v There are some excellent especially commissioned videos the can be used directly with children and young people for Primary and Seconary use to support learning about weather, energy and climate available at:
http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/weatherandclimatechange/resourcebank/videos/index.asp
v There some excellent, free Climate Change resources available to download including lesson plans, suggestions for activities, background information available at http://globaldimension.org/resources/search/?top=14
v The Down-to-Earth Guide to Global Warming (Factual Guide for Teachers)
This Teacher’s Guide gives essential facts about global warming and the ways it impacts our planet and offers a message of hope as to how we can prevent the full consequences of global warming.
v Climate Change – Local and Global (Teaching Book)
This resource has been developed by teacher groups in the West Midlands
as a framework which enables children’s enquiry into these complex questions.
v The No-Nonsense Guide to Climate Change (Factual Guide for Teachers)
A factual, reliable guide to some of the most important issues surrounding climate change. The book explores the latest findings, explains why carbon emissions trading and nuclear power are not the answer. It calls for measures to clean up our act, cut energy use and improve energy efficiency.
v Climate Change (Factual Guide for Teachers)
This is a clear and simpleaccount of action that needs to be taken in both rich and poor countries. Packedwith information, it’s an ideal resource for anyone who wants a clear introduction to the story of climate change, and the choices we face to ensure the health of ourselves and the health of the planet.
Nursery/ Early Years
1. Weather Climate Change
This website has been developed for practitioners and learners from the early level onwards and contains essential background information about climate change as well as easy access to topical news and resources. It also contains high-quality videos that cone be used directly with children.
http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/weatherandclimatechange/index.asp
Lower / Middle Primary
1. Schools Global Footprint
This website helps you to explore and to reduce the environmental effect your school has on the planet. This resource is aimed primarily at the second and third levels, however many schools have successfully adapted and used this resource at early and first level. The resource is made up of two main teaching tools: an online footprint calculator and a teacher’s handbook. The handbook is the key resource containing practical teaching and learning ideas and materials.
www.ltscotland.org.uk/schoolsglobalfootprint/index.asp
Upper Primary
1. Children Choices Children’s Voices (Aimed at age 9 – 11)
Through this website children can discover that personal action can make a difference. As well as introducing Climate Change, it looks at the impact of food choices can have on climate change and how Climate Change is affecting food supply. A range of resources, including video clips, presentations, games and worksheet based activities are available to download. www.climatechoices.org.uk
2. Sow the Seed is a free resource from exploring the impact of climate change on farmers aimed at 7 – 14 years olds and contains lots of activities and ideas http://www.oxfam.org.uk/education/resources/seeds that encourages active global citizenship and helps pupils to understand more about the issue and inspire them to take action. Teachers select from a range of activities to allow their pupils to complete a Wallchart (available free from Oxfam) to allow pupils to track their progress as they complete their activities. Pupils must begin by planting some seeds of their own!
Transition
1. Climate Change local and global – an inquiry approach
Drawing upon the ideas of teacher groups working with Key Stages 2 and 3 in the West Midlands, this resource offers key challenges about climate change for teachers and learners. Following an enquiry approach, the resource supports learners to engage positively with the complexities of climate change and encourages them to draw their own conclusions and develop critical thinking and questioning skills.
www.tidec.org/Tidetalk/articles/Clim%20ch%20feature/clim%20change.html
2. Make the Link Climate exchange http://www.mtl-cec.org/images/pdfs/mtl-climate-exchange-introduction.pdf This comprises an innovative method of linking 11 – 19 year olds from the UK, the Netherlands, Bulgaria, Senegal, Kenya and
Malawi. It comprises a comprehensive set of free downloadable Learning Resource that has been created to help you deliver the educational programme that makes up the core of the project. All 7 units can be accessed online and support multiple areas of the curriculum and a similar teaching unit is adapted for each country.
· What is climate change?
· Who and what are affected by climate change?
· How and why are people around the world interdependent?
· What are the national and international implications of climate change?
· What are the local implications of climate change?
· Becoming Active Citizens 1 – Developing action plans to combat climate change
· Becoming Active Citizens 2 – Campaigning to influence other people, policy and decision makers
3. Sow the Seed is a free resource from exploring the impact of climate change on farmers aimed at 7 – 14 years olds and contains lots of activities and ideas http://www.oxfam.org.uk/education/resources/seeds that encourages active global citizenship and helps pupils to understand more about the issue and inspire them to take action. Teachers select from a range of activities to allow their pupils to complete a Wallchart (available free from Oxfam) to allow pupils to track their progress as they complete their activities. Pupils must begin by planting some seeds of their own!
Lower – Mid Secondary
1. Exploring Climate Change
This Secondary resource provides quality information on the debates and issues surrounding climate change and can be used by both teachers and learners. It examines the evidence, looks at the responses, presents the controversy and suggests ways to take action. It also looks at how Scotland is dealing with climate change.
www.ltscotland.org.uk/exploringclimatechange/index.asp
2. Stupid or not: Education for a smarter planet (Aimed at age 12+)
This multimedia resource pack for pupils explores the complexities of climate change – from the science, to the possible impacts and solutions – through real, human stories from around the world. Learners are encouraged to investigate, debate and to critically evaluate key questions relating to climate change. The resource pack includes activities, story cards, photos and a DVD ROM. Age 12+, ActionAid, Cost £25.
3. Make the Link Climate exchange http://www.mtl-cec.org/images/pdfs/mtl-climate-exchange-introduction.pdf This comprises an innovative method of linking 11 – 19 year olds from the UK, the Netherlands, Bulgaria, Senegal, Kenya and
Malawi. It comprises a comprehensive set of free downloadable Learning Resource that has been created to help you deliver the educational programme that makes up the core of the project. All 7 units can be accessed online and support multiple areas of the curriculum and a similar teaching unit is adapted for each country.
· What is climate change?
· Who and what are affected by climate change?
· How and why are people around the world interdependent?
· What are the national and international implications of climate change?
· What are the local implications of climate change?
· Becoming Active Citizens 1 – Developing action plans to combat climate change
· Becoming Active Citizens 2 – Campaigning to influence other people, policy and decision makers
4. Sow the Seed is a free resource from exploring the impact of climate change on farmers aimed at 7 – 14 years olds and contains lots of activities and ideas http://www.oxfam.org.uk/education/resources/seeds that encourages active global citizenship and helps pupils to understand more about the issue and inspire them to take action. Teachers select from a range of activities to allow their pupils to complete a Wallchart (available free from Oxfam) to allow pupils to track their progress as they complete their activities. Pupils must begin by planting some seeds of their own!
Mid - Upper Secondary
1. The Heat is up and it’s Raining – the effects of current Climate Change changes across Scotland
This web resource pack contains lesson activities covering a variety of topics and subjects for Standard and Higher grades. Education Pack, Advance Series 7 – Scottish National Heritage
Download this pack at www.snh.org.uk
2. Funny Weather – Everything you didn’t want to know about climate change but probably should find out. This is a comic book and provides an amusing take on a deadly serious issue. The book presents facts on Climate Change in an amusing and accessible way and is suitable for Secondary pupils.
Copies available at www.cartoonmmake.org.uk, Cost £6.99
3. Make the Link Climate exchange http://www.mtl-cec.org/images/pdfs/mtl-climate-exchange-introduction.pdf This comprises an innovative method of linking 11 – 19 year olds from the UK, the Netherlands, Bulgaria, Senegal, Kenya and
Malawi. It comprises a comprehensive set of free downloadable Learning Resource that has been created to help you deliver the educational programme that makes up the core of the project. All 7 units can be accessed online and support multiple areas of the curriculum and a similar teaching unit is adapted for each country.
· What is climate change?
· Who and what are affected by climate change?
· How and why are people around the world interdependent?
· What are the national and international implications of climate change?
· What are the local implications of climate change?
· Becoming Active Citizens 1 – Developing action plans to combat climate change
· Becoming Active Citizens 2 – Campaigning to influence other people, policy and decision makers