I am delighted to announced that a comprehensive and in-depth set of resources linked to the Geography syllabus about climate change is now available via the Geographical Assoication. They come complete with teachers notes, student worksheets, glossaries and links to further reading/resources.
Climate change – Causes and effects
Learning objectives & skills used
- What is the evidence for climate change during the Quaternary period?
- To what extent is current-day climate change due to natural causes and human causes?
- What are the social, economic, and environmental impacts of climate change?
activities
The following activities are designed to take place over three lessons (or two lessons including a homework). How you deploy these activities is entirely up to you to suit the structure of your lessons and timetable.
Activity 1 – What is the ‘Quaternary Period’ (min time: 15 minutes)
Activity 2 – How do we know about the climate of the past? (25 minutes)
Activity 3 – The natural causes of climate change – are they to blame? (20 minutes)
Activity 4 – Living graph: causes of climate change (25 minutes) – click below for sample
Activity 5 – Al Gore TED Talk (30 minutes)
Activity 6 – The socioeconomic and environmental impacts of climate change (30 minutes)
Specification requirements
UK DfE subject content for GCSE Geography: Section 16 (Changing weather and climate). Direct links: AQA 3.1.1.4, Edexcel-A 2.2 & 2.3, Edexcel-B 1.2 & 1.3, Educas-A 5.1.1 & 5.1.2, Educas-B 2.4.1-2.4.3, OCR-A 2.3.1-2.3.3, OCR-B 2.1.
Key Stage 3 – Human and Physical Geography: “the change in climate from the Ice Age to the present”; and “understand how human and physical processes interact to influence, and change landscapes, environments and the climate”
Climate change – Mitigation and Adaptation
Learning objectives & skills used
- To define what is meant by the terms climate change ‘mitigation’ and ‘adaptation’
- To analyse the extent renewable energy can be an effective mitigation strategy
- To describe and explain some ways places and people are adapting to the impacts of a changing climate
- To explore the differing attitudes towards responding to the changing climate
activities
All the activities together should suit 6 lessons or perhaps 4 lessons and 2 homework. Minimum times are given for each activity. How you deploy these activities is entirely up to you to suit the structure of your lessons and timetable, they are not prescriptive nor exhaustive, so do feel free to take a ‘pick-n-mix’ approach!
Activity 1 – What do we mean by ‘mitigation’ and ‘adaption’? (min time: 45 minutes)
Activity 2 – The energy mix: towards renewables (30 minutes)
Activity 3 – Is the answer blowing in the wind and shining down on us? (30 minutes)
Activity 4 – GIS decision making exercise: building a solar farm (45 minutes)
Activity 5 – How much time do we have? The Paris Agreement (25 minutes)
Activity 6 – Who is to blame? (35 minutes)
Activity 7 – What can I do? (20 minutes) – click below for sample
Specification requirements
UK DfE subject content for GCSE Geography: Section 18 (Resources and their management). Direct links: AQA 3.1.1.4, Edexcel-A 6.3a&c, Edexcel-B 9.1, Educas-A 8.1.2, Educas-B 2.4.4 & 2.4.5, OCR-A 1.3.4 & 1.3.5, OCR-B 2.1c
Key Stage 3 – Human Geography: “international development”; “economic activity in the primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary sectors”; and “the use of natural resources”.
In the run up to COP-26 later this year, there are plans to go over everything with a fine tooth-comb and update these resources. So if you have any feedback, please do let me know!
Other climate change learning resources
I have always encouraged others (including myself!) to look at and evaluate a range of resources when building their own programmes of study. It is understandable that we want quick ‘off-the-shelf’ solutions but one size rarely fits all. So I encourage you to check out these fabulous resources and see how they can work in tandem or how components of them may be better than some of mine, helping you to put together a scheme of work that is best for you and your students.
Teach Climate Breakdown Radical Geographer Paul
KS1 to KS4 Climate Curriculum Leeds DEC
Project Change
University of East Anglia
These are only a drop in the (rising) ocean. If you come across any others worth a shout-out, let me know!
Thank you! All my education work via the Geogramblings’ “Life Geographic” blog is done all in my spare time, at my own cost but is free for you to access and enjoy. If you can spare a few pence, I’d be delighted if you could show your thanks by ‘buying me a coffee‘.
Geogramblings 
Well done Kit ! A timely welcome quality resource !
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