Backgrounder Questions

In a Nutshell:

This lesson provides discussion, reflection and research questions for each of the three intermediate backgrounders developed for the Climate Change North website. Use them for class discussion, small group work, or individual assignments.

Goal:

To gain an understanding of climate change concepts from the printed backgrounders, and apply these concepts to personal reflection and further research.

Background Learning:

This lesson can be used with any of the Intermediate Backgrounders.

To find the list of Intermediate Backgrounders click here.

Learning Outcomes:

This is a lesson that can be used with any of the intermediate backgrounders, so it potentially covers all the climate change learning outcomes. Click on the icon for your territory to review the climate change learning outcomes.

Introduction to Lesson Plan:

These questions have been developed to accompany each of the backgrounders. They can be used in a number of ways. They provide follow-up discussion for each of the backgrounders, and may also be used as small-group or individual assignments. There are three types of questions: content, reflection, and research. You may want to use some or all of the questions. Below are some suggestions on how to use each type.

Activity:

Here are some suggestions on how to use the three types of questions developed for each backgrounder. See the questions in the Teacher Handout: Questions on the Intermediate Backgrounders.

1. Content Questions: These have been developed to test whether students have understood the broad concepts in each of the backgrounders. The questions can be used for individual study, small-group work, or full-class discussion.
2. Reflection: These are questions to encourage the student to reflect on what the backgrounder content means for their lives and for their communities. Use the reflection question as the topic for individual journaling assignments, or else write the question on the board, allow the students five to ten minutes to reflect and write their answers, and then share their thoughts with the rest of the class. Students’ reflections are particularly appropriate for posting on the student exchange.
3. Research: Use the Research question to extend the learning from the backgrounder into more in-depth study. One idea would be to have students choose the backgrounder that interests them most, then give them the research question that accompanies it. Give each student time to share his or her findings with the rest of the class. This can make for an interesting class or two with a broad range of topics and research results!

Handouts:

Click on the icon for the handout that supports this lesson:

Teacher Handout: Questions on the Intermediate Backgrounders.

Student Web-Exchange:

Any of the reflections or research reports could be posted. (Note: The maximum number of words for each posting is 800 words.) Click on the icon for information on how to post material.

Evaluation:

Evaluate the answers to the questions, or the research reports.

Enrichment Ideas:

Sciences, Social Studies, English Language Arts

Individual presentations: Ask students to do a presentation to the rest of the class on their response to one of the content, reflective or research questions.

Group presentations: Divide the class into small groups, each with a different backgrounder and set of questions (see the lesson entitled Getting Into the Backgrounders for ideas on small group work). Have each group use the questions to help them create a presentation on their backgrounder.

About the Author:

The Yukon Conservation Society curriculum team consists of writers, teachers, environmental educators and curriculum specialists. We worked with teachers across the north, helping them to create lesson plans for the website, and gathering input about website features, backgrounders and lesson plans that would be useful in northern classrooms.