Shorts in January?
Is Climate Change Good for Us?

In a Nutshell:

Students are introduced to the science of climate change and the idea that it brings a number of uncertainties about how regions will be affected, particularly in the north. Students will discuss the advantages and disadvantages that climate change may have for them.

Goal:

To encourage students to consider how changes in climate could affect them personally as well as their community.

Background Learning:

Teachers and students should be familiar with the basic science of climate change as reviewed in:

• Intermediate Backgrounder #1: Climate Change Basics: What’s the Big Deal?

Teachers should also be familiar with the potential impacts of climate change as reviewed in:

• Intermediate Backgrounder #2: Climate Change Impacts: A Changing World?
• High School Backgrounder #6: A Changing Land
• High School Backgrounder #7: The Changing World of Water and Ice
• High School Backgrounder #8: Impacts on Northern Wildlife
• High School Backgrounder #9: Impacts on Fish and Fowl
• High School Backgrounder #10: Impacts on Northern Marine Life

Learning Outcomes:

Click on the icon for your territory to review the learning outcomes that are addressed by this lesson:

Introduction to Lesson Plan:

This is an introductory lesson for intermediate students. In this lesson, students will learn about some of the potential impacts of climate change, particularly how it will affect their own lives. They will:

• Review what they know about climate and how it affects us.
• Learn / review the basic science of climate change and relevant vocabulary.
• Brainstorm potential impacts of climate change.
• Complete a chart that requires them to consider how climate change could affect them as well as the environment around them.
• Give group presentations.

For the brainstorming sessions, use the board, overhead, or a computer brainstorming application such as Inspiration.

Download and make copies of Intermediate Backgrounder #1: Climate Change Basics: What’s the Big Deal? and the student handout attached to this lesson. For your own reference, have a look at Intermediate Backgrounder #2: Climate Change Impacts: A Changing World? and the High School Backgrounders #6–10 (impacts).

Activity:

1. As a whole class, review what students know about climate and how it affects us. Elicit as much as possible from the students for an interactive discussion. Lead students to the conclusion that regardless of where we live in the north, our communities have adapted to seasonal cycles and climatic conditions that we have come to depend on. Examples of this may be hunting cycles, tourism, outdoor recreation, mining, logging, geological fieldwork, playing outside, camping, etc.
   
   Possible discussion questions:
   
   
   1. How does where we live affect us (interior/coast)?
   2. How does the weather affect the way we live, what we do each day?
   3. What can you do in May? August? December?
   4. How does the weather affect hunting and fishing?
   5. How does the weather affect the types of work people do and when they can do it?
   6. What else is affected by weather?
2. Introduce the concept of climate change. Ask students what they know about The Greenhouse Effect. If the students are not familiar with the basic science of climate change, have them read Intermediate Backgrounder #1 or demonstrate using a board diagram or visual aids such as a globe and a blanket. Consider introducing the ideas from “Life Under a Big Blanket” (the first section of Intermediate Backgrounder #1) to the whole class and then dividing the students into three groups, each responsible for reading one of the three sections on gases. Groups can get creative and act out how greenhouse gases end up in the atmosphere.
3. Introduce the idea of potential impacts. “What would happen if our climate changed dramatically?” Elicit as many ideas as possible from the students using key words and phrases such as: precipitation, ice, permafrost, animals, birds, fish, ocean, land, and plants.
4. Distribute the Student Handout: Effects of Climate Change. Students can complete the chart individually but would benefit from discussing the ideas in groups.
   
   Example of student product:
   
   Season: Winter
   Type of Change: Less snow
   How would this affect me (answers will vary by region and community)
   I wouldn’t be able to snowmobile or dogsled; I couldn’t go hunting; we might have to ration our water use; I couldn’t ski; I would be able to play outside more; I would wear less clothing; I would be able to boat more.
   How would this affect my environment and community?
   Our village may not have enough meat; our area may not have as many winter visitors; we wouldn’t have our winter celebration.
5. After completing the chart, have students give presentations. Individual or in groups with an elected speaker and the others acting out the changes and their feelings about them.
6. Follow up discussion:
   
   
   1. Are there any positive effects? Longer-term effects?
   2. Are there any possible effects of climate change that might be positive for some people but negative for others?
   3. What changes could we make to reduce the negative effects of climate change?
7. Have students write a letter to their families, editor of their student newsletter, a local paper, or local politician recommending changes community members could make to reduce the potential impacts of climate change that they are personally concerned about.

Handouts:

Click on the icon to get the Student Handout: Effects of Climate Change.

Student Web-Exchange:

Students can post copies of their letters visual demonstrations of climate change causes and impacts and photos to the Student Web-Exchange. Click on the icon to learn how to do that.

Evaluation:

Students can be evaluated on their comprehension of the basic science of climate change and its potential impacts on them and on their communities. Evaluate their contributions to brainstorming sessions, discussions, presentations, and the written assignment.

Enrichment Ideas:

English, Social Studies, Art

Community Research: Have students research the effects of climate change on their area by interviewing locals for first hand information about changes. Then, students can create a booklet with stories and information. Include photos and/or drawings and consider displaying it at your local museum or library.

Science and Social Studies

Wildlife: How would climate change affect wildlife? Choose two or three key species and consider how they may be affected. Since all organisms depend on other things in their habitat, have students look at requirements for food, shelter, and water as well as interdependence. What might happen?

Crazy Weather: What extreme weather events have occurred locally? Children are very curious about “disaster stories.” Research events in your region – media may have information in archives, locals may recall stories.

Global Impacts: Have students select a different region of the world (Rain Forest, Desert, etc.) and do a comparison of climate and adaptation: architecture, dress, diet, and culture. Consider contacting a class in another area to ask if climate change is having an impact there.

About the Author:

My name is Kristin Taylor. I live in Whitehorse, Yukon, and have lived in the north my whole life. My father came here in 1921. A great deal of my time has been spent outdoors. I have two degrees from the University of Alaska in Fairbanks and a teaching degree from UBC. I have taught for the last 10 years and find working with young northern children a wonderful experience. I try to impart my love of the north to my students through all the lessons I teach whether they are science or language arts based or any other related subject. In all areas, my love of the north is directed toward how to best maintain a truly unique and extraordinary environment.