Why Students Are Pushing for Climate Change to Be Taught More in School
Ask students: How might climate change education help create climate change action? Why do you think some people oppose climate change education?
As the planet warms and sea levels rise, 85% of Generation Z is concerned about climate change, according to a January Marist poll. Take a look at how California, Connecticut and New Jersey are teaching students about climate change.
View the transcript of the story.
Discussion Questions
- Who recently signed a bill that deletes most mentions of climate change in Florida law?
- What states are now teaching kids about climate change in the classroom?
- Where will the hurricane season be the most active on record?
- When do New Jersey teachers usually start unpacking the more nuanced mathematical relationships in climate change?
- How many months of record highs around the world have there been?
Focus Questions
- How might climate change education help create climate change action?
- Why do you think some people oppose climate change education?
- What do you think makes a topic important enough to be taught in schools?
- Media literacy: Would you be interested in what students think about specific climate change lessons? How could you go about your search?
Extension Activity
Learn more to stay informed about climate change, such as in this video clip about why the World Meteorological Organization issued a red alert warning in March about climate change. One of the many worries about how the planet is changing, thanks in part to human activity, is the record-shattering warming of the world’s oceans.
Lesson Plans on Climate Change
Explore more resources for educators to find a wide-range of relevant preK-12 lessons on climate change or supporting young people as they continue to lead the conversation around the climate change crisis.
Republished with permission from PBS NewsHour Classroom.
PBS News Hour Classroom helps teachers and students identify the who, what, where and why-it-matters of the major national and international news stories. The site combines the best of News Hour's reliable, trustworthy news program with lesson plans developed specifically for... See More
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