Climate Change Chain Reaction - Science Lesson Plan by

Main Learning Objective

GeelongBotanicGardens — 2025-01-28 02:12:03 UTC

Students will be able to explain the causes and effects of climate change, identifying key factors in the chain reaction of global warming.

Victorian Curriculum Alignment

GeelongBotanicGardens — 2025-01-28 02:12:03 UTC

Science Understanding (VCSSU096): Scientific understandings, discoveries and inventions are used to inform personal and community decisions and to solve problems that directly affect people's lives.

Level 5 & 6 Science - VCSSU074 & VCSSU075Design and Tech: VCDSCD039Primary

Success Criteria

GeelongBotanicGardens — 2025-01-28 02:12:03 UTC

- Describe how greenhouse gases affect Earth's temperature.
- Identify human activities contributing to climate change.
- Explain the chain reaction of climate change effects.
- Propose solutions to reduce carbon footprint.

Carbon Footprint Calculator Activity

GeelongBotanicGardens — 2025-01-28 02:12:06 UTC

Students calculate their personal carbon footprint using an online calculator and discuss results in small groups.

Climate Change News Analysis

GeelongBotanicGardens — 2025-01-28 02:12:06 UTC

In pairs, students analyse recent climate change news articles and identify cause-and-effect relationships. Make sure to use reputable sources to find your information.

Climate Change Quiz

GeelongBotanicGardens — 2025-01-28 02:12:08 UTC

Short quiz covering greenhouse effect, causes of climate change, and potential solutions.

3-2-1 Reflection

GeelongBotanicGardens — 2025-01-28 02:12:09 UTC

Students write:
3 things they learned.
2 things they found interesting.
1 question they still have.

Class Discussion

GeelongBotanicGardens — 2025-01-28 02:12:09 UTC

What can we do as individuals to help reduce climate change? Share ideas on a collaborative Padlet board.

Weekly Carbon Diary

GeelongBotanicGardens — 2025-01-28 02:12:09 UTC

Students keep a diary of activities that contribute to or reduce their carbon footprint over one week.

Research Project

GeelongBotanicGardens — 2025-01-28 02:12:09 UTC

Choose one effect of climate change (e.g., coral bleaching, deforestation) and create a presentation about its causes and impacts.

Web of Climate Connections

GeelongBotanicGardens — 2025-01-28 03:39:57 UTC

Students stand in a circle, each holding a card representing different elements of climate change (e.g., fossil fuels, deforestation, ocean acidification). Using a ball of yarn, students create a web by passing the yarn to show connections. When one student tugs the string, others feel the impact, demonstrating how changes affect the entire system.

Solution Reverse Chain

GeelongBotanicGardens — 2025-01-28 03:40:15 UTC

Starting with a major climate change problem, students work backwards to identify the chain of events that led to it. We recommend using one in our Information Pack, or select one from the News Article Activity. Students then create a parallel chain of positive actions that could prevent or minimize each step in the problem chain. This helps understand both problems and solutions.

GeelongBotanicGardens — 2025-01-28 03:50:52 UTC

Start here to introduce your students to what is climate change and how does it happen?

GeelongBotanicGardens — 2025-01-28 03:55:59 UTC

Access this video to see a wonderful example of a chain reaction in an ecosystem where, when climate begins to change, the whole ecosystem begins to shift

All About Climate Change

GeelongBotanicGardens — 2025-01-28 05:14:38 UTC

Information to get your lesson started

Cause and Effect Cards

GeelongBotanicGardens — 2025-02-02 22:12:36 UTC

Create sets of cards showing different climate change causes and effects. Students work in pairs to arrange the cards in logical sequences, creating multiple possible chain reactions. They must justify their arrangements and can create branching effects to show how one cause might have multiple consequences.

GeelongBotanicGardens — 2025-02-02 23:21:52 UTC

We hope you enjoy exploring our unit on Climate Change!

We’d be thrilled to welcome you and your class to the Geelong Botanic Gardens for an engaging learning experience outside the classroom.

To complement your lessons, we recommend visiting the Geelong Botanic Garden for our Chain Reaction lesson, or you could take a self-guided tour around the Gardens to deepen the concepts learned in class.

If you’d like to book either an educator-led or self-guided experience, please follow the link below.

Book an education program at the Geelong Botanic Gardens

Geelong Botanic Gardens Education Department