Week 3 and 4 – Climate Change

Over the past two weeks we have looked at the theme climate change and I think that as a future teacher it is essential that I have sufficient knowledge on the detrimental effects of climate change so that I am able to successfully convey the urgent need for change to children.

During the lecture, we looked at both causes and effects of climate change and this highlighted to me the significant impact that human activity is having on the climate. We also looked at graphs which showed that the five warmest years on record have been since 2010 which again reinforced to me the urgent need for change (NASA).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8unGCTWUWI

https://climatekids.nasa.gov/climate-tales/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YsvABLmrpX4

https://climatekids.nasa.gov/menu/make/

I calculated my own carbon footprint and was shocked at my result (16.7 tonnes). This made me realise that there is more that I must do to cut my carbon emissions. I intend to significantly reduce the amount of money I spend on both clothes and food as these factors had a considerable impact on my carbon footprint. This task allowed me to develop critical thinking skills as I was able to look at the results of my carbon footprint and evaluate what positive choices I am making and what further action I need to take. I think that carrying out this activity with older children would be effective as it would allow the children to feel empowered by how they could have the ability to make a difference.

During the politics and global warming workshop I gained knowledge on the influence that politicians have when it comes to climate change as they are responsible for coming up with policies to try and reduce the impact we are having on the climate. I learned that although there are policies in place more action is still required to try and combat climate change. The Climate Change Scotland Act (2009) have come up with a ‘2050’ target with the aim to have reduced Scottish emissions by at least 80% below the baseline. I think that this is a very ambitious target which will only be met if drastic measures are implemented. I also learned about the huge influence that governments can have on climate change for example the Paris Agreement (2015) is a treaty which was put in place to cut emissions contributing to climate change. However, both China and the United States did not agree to this and this has a negative impact on the rest of the world as these are two of the largest populated areas contributing a large percentage of global emissions. This highlighted to me that not all governments are taking accountability for their actions and are choosing to ignore the impact they are having on the world. I think that it is important to look at policies with children so that they understand what society as a whole is doing to cut emissions in order to motivate and encourage them to do their part.

In the science lab, we focused on weather and how our climate system determines the weather. In groups, we completed survival tasks which were based in areas with varying weather conditions. During this activity, we had to research our area and decide what items we thought would be a necessity to be able to survive. I believe that during this task we all further developed in both research and problem-solving skills. We also made snowflakes and our own animals which could survive in particular conditions and this allowed us to be creative. As a teacher, I intend to carry out similar tasks to help children further develop in these specific skills.

I have developed a variety of skills which I believe will help me on this course and in the future as a primary teacher.

Critical Thinking – As a primary teacher I must be able to look at a situation from a range of perspectives and consider everyone’s point of view. I think that this course is allowing me to think deeply and look at situations from different angles. During other inputs such as inter-professional working and integrated arts I am also putting this skill into practice.

Research Skills and Problem Solving –  As a teacher, I must be able to look into situations, analyse them and consider the best options.

I have enjoyed learning more about climate change and it has allowed me to gain a deeper insight into the responsibility I will have as a teacher to ensure that children are educated about what climate change is and what they can do to help reduce climate change.

References

Climate Change Scotland Act (2009)

NASA

Paris Agreement (2015)