These activities can be used as one-time discussions or educational tools in chapter meetings, classroom presentations, meetings with teachers, stakeholders, and more. Teachers can also use them as lesson plans in English Language Arts, Social Studies, Science, Advisory, and more. Select any of the activities, they don’t need to be completed in order. They will help address educational gaps on your campus. They’re designed to take 10-15 minutes but can be adjusted as needed. Anyone can lead these activities, you don’t have to be an expert in the topics!
Activity One: What is Climate Change? (Click to open)
Step 1:
Read/share the following information from the EPA:
The earth’s climate is changing. A lot of evidence shows changes in our weather, oceans, and ecosystems, such as:
- Changing temperature and precipitation patterns
- Increases in ocean temperatures, sea level, and acidity
- Melting of glaciers and sea ice
- Changes in the frequency, intensity, and duration of extreme weather events
- Shifts in ecosystems such as length of growing season, timing of flower blooms, migration of birds.
These changes are due to a buildup of greenhouse gasses in our atmosphere and the warming of the planet due to the greenhouse effect.
Step 2:
Show the short “Three Seconds” video (4:18):
Ask participants to share: What did you notice in this video? What surprised you?
Step 3:
Take Action Options – Invite participants to: (Choose one or more as time allows)
- Write or discuss questions they still have or things they want to learn about climate change
- Write or discuss which human rights are impacted by climate change
- Write their hopes and fears about climate change
- Make a personal climate pledge
- Sign your petition
Additional resources to dive deeper:
Activity Two: What is Causing Climate Change? (Click to open)
Step 1:
Read/share the following information from the EPA:
“Scientists have pieced together a record of the earth’s climate by analyzing a number of indirect measures of climate, such as ice cores, tree rings, glacier lengths, pollen remains, and ocean sediments, and by studying changes in the earth’s orbit around the sun.
This record shows that the climate varies naturally over a wide range of time scales, but this variability does not explain the observed warming since the 1950s. Rather, it is extremely likely (> 95%) that human activities have been the dominant cause of that warming.”
Step 2:
Use the image below to show the difference between naturally occurring global warming and the impact made by humans. Ask: How does this comparison show that humans are contributing to climate change, that it is not just a naturally occurring phenomenon?
Read this quote after giving participants time to discuss what they notice in the image above:
For most of the past 800,000 years—much longer than human civilization has existed—the concentration of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere was between about 200 and 280 parts per million. (In other words, there were 200 to 280 molecules of the gases per million molecules of air.) But in the past century, that concentration has jumped to more than 400 parts per million, driven up by human activities such as burning fossil fuels and deforestation. The higher concentrations of greenhouse gases—and carbon dioxide in particular—is causing extra heat to be trapped and global temperatures to rise. (NRDC)
Step 3:
Take Action Options – Invite participants to: (Choose one or more as time allows)
- Write/discuss their hopes and fears about climate change
- Write/discuss which human rights are impacted by climate change
- Write/discuss personal climate stories
- Sign your petition
- Calculate their carbon footprint
Additional resources to dive deeper:
Activity Three: What are the Impacts of Climate Change? (Click to open)
Step 1:
Read the following information the STF toolkit:
Climate change is no longer a distant threat. We are living with the reality of it, right here and right now. The impacts of climate disruption in the United States and around the world are clear, costly and widespread. Human action can reduce the toll of climate change, but every year of delay means higher costs and impacts. Some of the impacts include:
- Intense wildfires
- Flooded coastlines
- Extreme heat waves
- Growing threats to human health
Step 2:
Use the graph below to show the costs of climate change. Ask: “Which of these costs surprised you the most?” or “Which of these costs captured your attention? Why?” Discuss other costs of climate change that might affect your school and community (consider how people’s lives are affected by climate change).
Now that we’ve explored the global impacts of climate change, let’s zoom in and consider how climate change is affecting us and our local communities.
Step 3:
Take Action – Invite participants to:
- Watch/read one of the STF climate stories and ask participants to write their own climate story.
Other Take Action options:
- Write/discuss or write their hopes and fears about climate change
- Write/discuss which human rights are impacted by climate change
- Sign your petition
- Calculate their carbon footprint
Additional resources to dive deeper:
Activity Four: Myths about Climate Change (Click to open)
Step 1:
Discuss or invite participants to write responses to these questions
- What have you heard at school and/or in your community about climate change?
- If you hear people talking about climate change, what is their tone and attitude about it?
- Examples: Apathetic, not sure how serious it is, very concerned about it, etc.
Step 2:
Invite participants to explore these climate change myths from the STF toolkit. You can do this in discussion form, breakout groups, at a tabling event, in a classroom presentation, etc.
Step 3:
Take Action Options – Invite participants to: (Choose one or more as time allows)
- Write/discuss the dangers of climate change myths and why we need climate change education
- Write/discuss their hopes and fears about how climate change is viewed in their school/community
- Write/discuss which human rights are impacted by climate change
- Make a personal climate pledge
- Sign your petition
Additional resources to dive deeper: