The virtual professional learning series “Our Climate is Changing, Why Aren’t We?” continued this month on November 19th with the second of six sessions focused on climate learning, content integration, advocacy, and hope. The event is presented as a collaborative effort by all the ESD’s east of the Cascades: NEWESD 101 (Spokane), ESD 123 (Tri-Cities), NCESD (Wenatchee), and ESD 171 (Yakima) and serves almost 100 participants from across those regions.
Each installment in the workshop gives participants an opportunity to engage in discourse around two different climate-focused books. Although the conversations could be adaptable to any grade level, the intention is to provide scaffolds for teachers K-5 to begin to teach about climate science with our youngest learners in ways that are hopeful, engaging, and grounded in science principles.
A Cause and Effect Discussion
The second text for this session, Old Enough to Save the Planet, portrays real-life youth activists from around the world solving problems in their own communities. The text provides opportunities for students to make connections and to see themselves as able contributors. Teachers discussed ways to engage their own students and considered how even the age of the role models and the diversity of these young scientists and engineers can help build their students’ STEM identities and inspire them to action. In keeping with the series theme of hopefulness and action, the book ends with strategies to support the adults supporting their students as well as a quote from youth activist Greta Thunberg who said, “You are never too small to make a difference!”
After session 2, teachers are saying:
Session 2 Books
This evening’s session built upon the foundation of the prior session with connections to social emotional learning and the NGSS Science and Engineering Practices. Additional attention was directed toward the NGSS Crosscutting Concepts (and specifically “Cause and Effect”) as a natural overlap between the NGSS and the CCSS ELA standards. Using literacy strategies and citing text-based evidence, educators engaged in a conversation around the cause and effect of sea ice melting in the text If Polar Bears Disappeared, modeling a strategy they might use with students. This book also provides teachers with an opportunity to build student vocabulary around ecosystems and ends with a focus on hope and advocacy as strategies in addressing climate change.
“I love how this is making a scary topic not so scary – the lens of hope is beautifully illustrated.”
“I am growing as a learner about the climate and I have more growing to do!”
“After reading, “Old Enough to Save the Planet,” I have hope that the world will get back on track and good things are ahead for the future because of ‘real life children taking action against climate change.’”
