Subject - English

Class demographic: English Classes / Mixed Classes

Confidence raises with this pedagogy of bringing the topic into students' lives naturally as a jumping off point for learning.

Making personal connections with the students and their own stories can help them relate to climate change as a current issue that they can make an impact in.

In their teaching pack, they also lay out three teaching principles regarding climate change:

Principle 1: Be ready to listen and adapt…

Principle 2: Resist starting with facts and figures…

Principle 3: Explore and respond imaginatively and creatively to already existing green spaces.

Acting on Climate Website: Acting On Climate

Phase 2 - Student Experiences / Local Community / Student Impact on the wider world.

Phase 3 - Debates with a competition at the end.

Debate Q: Who is responsible for climate change?

Reflection at end of the Week

Accessible for all ability groups, and could work well mixed classes too as most of the activities are group work.

This learning sequence is also designed to link with the local community as well (local councils or other relevant organisations) so the learning outcomes will be able to help link any school with their community.

• Phase 1: Using critical pedagogy to engage with non-fiction and fiction texts

• Phase 2: Social-constructivism - students are empowered to construct and develop their understandings of climate change through sharing their own experiences and linking to the community

• Phase 3: Dialogic teaching- students engage in a structured debate informed by their critical understanding and shared experiences

• Encouraging metacognition through reflection on practices that can be enacted on individual and systemic levels

• Developing the city’s first “net zero neighbourhood”

• Boosting household recycling rates through campaigns and behavioural change projects

• Trialling a community food growing project

• Using more land in the city for nature conservation

• Creating a re-use hub for construction waste

• Installing more electric vehicle and bike charging points

Other schemes are already happening or have previously been announced and are being developed. These include:

• Planting 360,000 trees across the city by 2032

• Delivering the city’s first Very Light Rail route

• Using more energy efficient street lighting

• Retrofitting social homes and improving uptake of this in private housing

• Decarbonising projects through a partnership with E.ON

• Boosting battery-making and recycling at ‘Greenpower Park’

• Building sustainable urban drainage systems

• Fiction and non-fiction texts and excerpts

• Laptops for students to research

• Eco-friendly stationary that is recyclable or bio-degradable

Who you are, what you do, and your general influence on climate change.

B. Arguments For Your Responsibility

Why others blame you. Include statistics or quotes.

C. Arguments Against Your Responsibility

Why you believe someone else is more to blame, or what you’ve already done to help.

D. Word Bank:

• Emissions

• Policy

• Responsibility

• Accountability

• Sustainable

• Carbon footprint

Purpose:

To persuade the group you believe is most responsible for climate change to take action.

Audience:

One of the groups from the debate who YOU think is the most responsible

1. Address and Greeting

Dear (name of organisation)...

2. Introduction

State your purpose and briefly explain your view.

Example sentence starters:

"I am writing to express my concern about the role your group has played in causing climate change."

"After participating in a class debate, I believe that your group holds the greatest responsibility because..."

3. Main Argument

State your first reason clearly and back it up with an example or evidence.

Example sentence starters:

"One of the main reasons your group is responsible is..."

4. Supporting Argument

Give a second point to strengthen your case.

Example sentence starter:

"In addition to this..."

5. Counterargument

Recognise what they might say in their defence – and respond.

Example sentence starters:

"Some people may argue that..."

6. Conclusion

Sum up your position and ask for specific change.

Example sentence starters:

"In conclusion, I urge you to..."

"It is time your group took more responsibility by..."

"Future generations are depending on your actions."

• Identify and summarise key facts and viewpoints from a range of fiction and non-fiction texts relating to climate change.

• Analyse how language and structure are used to present different perspectives on environmental issues.

Phase 2:

• Reflect on personal and local experiences related to climate and environmental change.

• Create an informative and persuasive poster, using visual and written techniques to effectively raise awareness.

Phase 3:

• Understand different perspectives on responsibility for climate change, including governments, corporations, and individuals.

• Develop and present arguments, using evidence to support viewpoints in a debate.