Here you will find a range of activities that can be used to support climate change learning. .
Early Years Energy Scavenger hunt This is a useful activity to introduce young learners to the ways in which we use, and how we can save energy. Suitable for early and first level learners.
Climate-change-Diamond 9 This is a critical thinking activity that asks learners to consider which human behaviours have the greatest impact on greenhouse gas emissions. The template can also be used to run the same activity focussing on positive behaviours to tackle climate change. Suitable for second and third level learners.
School Waste Audit and Action Plan This waste audit plan from West Lothian Council supports students to identify sources of waste in their school and develop an action plan to reduce waste. Suitable for second and third level learners.
Trocaire Climate Justice Resource This is a climate justice based resource. It contains critical thinking activities and exercises to demonstrate the inequalities between different countries. Not all hyperlinks in this resource are still active. Suitable for second and third level learners.
SAICA recycling presentation SAICA is a council waste collection partner. They have created this resource to show how we can reduce waste and the journey or recycled paper. It also contains useful statistics on the economic benefits of recycling. Suitable for second and third level learners.
Stories of Climate Change This Oxfam resource details how climate change is affecting people in different parts of the world. It highlights climate justice issues and contains a range of critical thinking activities for pupils related to climate change and global citizenship. Suitable for second and third level learners.
OXFAM Youth Climate Action Guide This guide is a handy resource to support young people to plan their own campaign for climate action. Suitable for second and third level learners.
IDEAS_CLIMATE+JUSTICE+RESOURCE_2021 This is a climate justice based resource. It contains critical thinking activities and exercises to demonstrate the inequalities between different countries. Suitable for second and third level learners.
Fumes or Future board game This is a board game and accompanying learning activities that investigate the sources and impacts of greenhouse gases. Suitable for second and third level learners.
Sustainable threads This is a series of 8 lessons that investigates the sustainability of the fashion industry. Suitable for third level learners.
Shaping our future This engaging climate change resource includes three climate themed lessons which can be taught either as standalone sessions or as a series of cross-curricular linked lessons to help pupils understand what climate change is and what they can do to help tackle it. Level specific lessons for second and third level learners.
Climate based STEM Challenges
The Practical Action website has a range of STEM challenges that are linked to climate change and global citizenship.
Floating Garden Challenge Pupils are challenge to design a floating garden that be used to farm in areas that are prone to flooding.
Beat the Flood Working as a team pupils design and make a model of a home able to withstand the effects of flooding…then test it by standing it in water and blasting it with a hose pipe!
Wind Power Challenge A renewable energy STEM challenge where pupils learn about life without electricity before designing and making a simple wind turbine suitable for pupils aged 7-19
Moja Island – Students can spend 1-2 hours on this activity, considering the variety of different energy options available to communities living on Moja Island and selecting the most appropriate technology. Renewable energy fact cards, a map of the island, and information on the different communities and their needs are all resources designed to help them.
Useful videos
Climate Change explained 2min 54sec. This is a video that explains the causes of climate change. Suitable for early and first level learners.
Why do we need ice? 2min 53sec. The importance of polar ice and the impact of melting ice caps due to Global warming. Suitable for second and third level learners. Suitable for second and third level learners.
Climate change – The causes. 13min 41sec. This is an old video however, the climate science is still accurate. Explains the causes of global warming. Suitable for second and third level learners.
Climate change – The impacts 13min 49sec. This is an old video however, the climate science still accurate. Explores impacts of global warming to people in Chad (drought), Bangladesh (flooding) and to the coral of the Great Barrier Reef and Arctic food chains. Suitable for second and third level learners.
Returned to the Sea – The village that could be lost to climate change. 5min 55sec. Shows examples of impacts of climate change and severe weather on Britain. Suitable for second and third level learners.
Kiribati – A climate change reality 6min 30sec/ Kiribati – Battling for survival (rising sea levels) 4min 03sec.These videos show the impact that rising sea levels are having on the pacific nation of Kiribati. This provides context for climate justice discussions. This nation is severely at risk from the impacts of climate change even though their own CO2 production is very small. Suitable for second and third level learners.
Climate & Biodiversity reports
Biodiversity – Climate Change Impacts. A summary of the impacts that climate change is having on land-based and freshwater species, habitats and ecosystems in the UK. Suitable for senior phase pupils or as CLPL for teaching and support staff.
A short guide to climate science – This is a short summary of climate change science. It contains 20 frequently asked questions about climate change and provides short, 1 to 2 paragraph answers. Suitable for third level pupils through to the senior phase, or as CLPL for teaching and support staff.
Scotland’s Changing Climate – This information is provided by environment.gov.scot and gives specific examples of how Scotland’s future climate will be affected by increasing global temperatures. Suitable as research task information for second level and older learners.
Climate Change in Scotland – This information from NatureScot details how climate change is, and will effect Scottish habitats, species, landscapes, and people.
Climate.nasa.gov – a collection of climate change resources, including videos and pictures that show measurable impacts of climate change in recent years.
