Teaching about Climate Change
Models of Teaching Final
Christina Arnold
The Plan:
• Middle School Science Standards:
• Ask questions to clarify evidence of the factors that have caused the rise in global
temperatures over the past century (MS-ESS3-5: Earth and Human Activity).
• Evaluate competing design solutions using a systematic process to determine how well they
meet the criteria and constraints of the problem (MS-ETS1-2: Engineering Design).
• Also meets all three Sustainability Standards.
• Learning Objectives:
• To better understand the causes of global climate change.
• To come up with solutions that help lessen the impact of global climate change.
• Four Models of Teaching
• Engaging all four parts of the Learning Cycle in each model:
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•
•
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Concrete Experience
Reflection
Abstraction
Active Testing
Problem-Based Instruction:
• Show short video to introduce the causes and impacts of climate change.
• Work with a partner to brainstorm problems and solutions.
• Share problems and solutions with the class.
• Chance to understand student’s initial schema to better plan for instruction.
• Equitable opportunities: Showing the video ensures students who lack prior
content knowledge don’t feel left behind during the activity.
Direct Instruction:
• Use what I learned about the student’s current schema about climate change to
discuss topics such as:
• Causes and affects of climate change.
• Greenhouse gasses.
• Changes in weather patterns.
• Take moments during instruction to reflect on new material…
• And to check in with table partners.
• Introduce group project to end the lesson by inspiring students to make a
difference instead of inspiring hopelessness.
Cooperative Learning:
• Emphasis on engineering design in middle school science standards.
• Assign groups of about four students with varied cultural backgrounds and varied
prior content knowledge for largest possible Zone of Proximal Development.
• Equitable opportunities: Project is completed during class time since not all
students have access to computers for research at home.
• Task: Design a product that would help lessen the affects of climate change by
addressing one of three big causes: fossil fuels, agriculture, or industrialization.
• End Result: Poster advertising their products to present in class.
Discussion:
• Chance to tie it all together through listening to and speaking with peers.
• Set the room up in a circle, and write both discussion prompts on the board:
1. What can we do to lessen the impact of climate change in our daily lives?
Who benefits most from lessening the affects of climate change? Who
benefits most from ignoring climate change?
2. If you were a fossil fuel company or owned a factory, what would you think
about the designs that you made? What can engineers do to make their
designs more likely to be accepted? What would you do differently next
time?
Citations:
Sources:
• Arends, Richard (1997). Classroom Instruction and Management. New York: The McGraw-Hill Companies.
Pictures:
• Slide 1 and 7 Background Picture: http://climate.nasa.gov/solutions/adaptation-mitigation/
• Brain Outline: clipartbest.com
• Slide 2 Background Picture (Melting Glacier): http://thegreentimes.co.za/
• Slide 3 Background Picture (Desert Drought): http://events.ucr.edu/
• Slide 4 Background Picture (Tornado): http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/16/tornado-swarmsstudy_n_5998328.html
• Slide 5 Background Picture (Smoggy City): http://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/top-10-smoggiest-cities-inus/
• Slide 6 Background Picture (Stormy Ocean): http://wallpapercave.com/stormy-ocean-wallpaper