Climate Change\|Climate Change Primary

Climate change

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Climate change offers an ideal context for learning within Curriculum for Excellence, providing many opportunities to develop children and young people as global citizens and deliver experiences and outcomes across many curriculum areas.

Since the start of the Industrial Revolution in the late 1800s, enormous quantities of manmade greenhouse gases have been pumped into the atmosphere. Experts believe that the carbon dioxide released when fossil fuels burn has caused our world to heat up and has caused our climate to change.

Impact

Now, in the 21st century, many believe that climate change is one of the biggest challenges facing the global community. In some parts of the world, we can already see changes taking place. Glaciers and polar ice are melting rapidly and experts say there will be more flooding in low-lying areas as sea levels rise. Other parts of the world are being hit by droughts and heat waves which may also be linked to changes in the climate.

Experts believe that the things that are happening are just a sign of bigger changes to come should the Earth’s average temperature rise further.

Reflective questions

  • How can we build upon the existing knowledge and awareness of learners relating to climate change?
  • How can we use climate change to develop in learners a curiosity about and an understanding of the environment and their place in the living, material and physical world?
  • How can we use climate change to embed global citizenship and sustainable development education themes within learning and teaching?

Photograph credits

The images used above are licensed under Creative Commons on Flickr by the following photographers: Faramarz, moonstruck, Mrs Magic and net_efekt.

The other image (glacier) is courtesy of Tracy Dixon.

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