As an environmental educator, my expertise is ecology, biodiversity and natural history NOT climate science. But as an educator and human being, I realized I need to step up my game and learn more about climate change and help educate about it, to promote change. I became a Climate Reality leader in fall of 2015. I was one of hundreds who were trained by Al Gore, and his team of professionals and scientists. It was incredibly eye opening, inspiring and helped me find the space I was comfortable with to teach about why, how and solutions about climate change to all age and social groups. I found my main audiences were Grades 3-6, High school and all ages through community groups. I felt it fell flat. I still didn't feel I the right program for this topic to help create change and awareness. I'm returning in March to attend another Climate Reality conference with specific directives in mind. How do we teach climate change to our youth and other basic audiences? Thank you for you post on Do we need to teach Climate Solutions. It has helped me formulate ideas in my mind to become a better climate educator. I'd love to hear classroom activities or presentations that have been done. I would also be happy to share what I have and what I have learned. Thank you!
Best practices to educate
Hi Melissa. My students and I started a website last year, Kids Against Climate Change. It provides an authentic audience for students from around the world to communicate the information they're learning about climate change. We'd love to hear from your students! In addition, there are lesson plans for the teacher and worksheets for the students to launch a climate science unit. My contact information is there as well, if you want additional hands-on activities for the classroom.