Secondary School Lesson Plans and Ideas (KS 3/4)
Our suggested morning has three periods: an information based 'academic' period, a 'practical' period involving poster design, scientific experiments, debates etc, and an 'action' period when pupils can look at their own energy use and pledge to cut it. Obviously you may prefer to do something totally different. Whatever the format of the day, we hope you will find some useful lesson plans below.
Academic Period
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Introduction to climate change
Age: this can be adapted for primary (7-11) and secondary classes (11-18)
Time: 1 - 2 hours in total, divided into short sections
Format - there is a powerpoint presentation and teacher notes to accompany the presentation. All charts / images can be downloaded individually. This is not a lesson plan. It is however a useful collection of background notes, pictures and charts which can be used as a basis for structuring a lesson plan. For more specific lesson plans with images and videos, see below.
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Lessons from Generation Green
Keystage: 3
Understanding Global warming and climate change, forms of energy, renewable and non-renewable energy, exploring energy sources, greenhouse gases.
Follow this link: http://www.generationgreen.co.uk/StaffRoom/KS3/
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Climate change and ozone depletion - Teaching Pack for Key Stages 3 and 4
Keystage: 4
5 lessons (you can just teach one or two) as follows: Lesson 1: The Greenhouse Effect; Lesson 2: Carbon Dioxide; Lesson 3: Ozone; Lesson 4: The Effects of Climate Change; Lesson 5: Slowing Down Global Warming
View the Teaching and Activity Resources at: http://www.ace.mmu.ac.uk/resources.html
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Global Warming Lessons and Activities
Age 9-13
Keystage: 3
Otherwise view the Teaching and Activity Resources: http://www.ace.mmu.ac.uk/resources.html
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An overview of renewable energy
Keystage: 3/4
Useful summary background information on all forms of renewable energy including bio, geothermal, solar, wind, hydrogen fuel cells, wave energy, tidal power, hydro-electric.
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Organise a climate change talk
For £65 for a half-day, £130 for a full-day, someone from Action Aid will come and do a climate change talk in your school.
Click here for more information: Click here for more information
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PowerDown from Action Aid
PowerDown is a set of primary and secondary resources that explore the causes and impacts of climate change. Use our lesson ideas, images and videos to get your pupils learning about climate change, investigating energy use and taking action to be part of the solution.
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Stupid or not: Education for a smarter planet
Action Aid, together with The Age of Stupid director Franny Armstrong, have developed a resource pack Stupid or not: Education for a smarter planet. A new multimedia resource on climate change for learners aged 12+ supporting geography, science, citizenship and film studies. Explore the complexities of climate – from the science, to the possible impacts and solutions – through real, human stories from around the world.
Follow this link: http://www.actionaid.org.uk/101751/age_of_stupid.html
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Videos from Teachers TV
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The climate change film pack for teachers
This film pack for secondary schools includes Al Gore's film, 'An Inconvenient Truth' to aid in teaching about climate change. The pack also contains a Defra multimedia DVD containing two short climate change films, an animation about the carbon cycle, a film about the work of the climate change champions, and a guidance document for science, geography and citizenship teaching staff.
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Birchfield Interactive
Fragile Environments Global Warming Lesson Kit.
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Renewable energy - a collection of lesson plans
Ages: Various lessons
Keystage: 1/2/3/4
There is an excellent website with lessons about Climate Change, Solar Power, Solar Hot Water and Wind Energy.
Search by Key Stage, Topic and Subject (D&T, Geography, Science). Lots of lessons for KS1, KS2, not so many for KS3, KS4. -
Green Day: A FREE climate change activity pack for schools
Keystage: 1/2/3
Green Day is a one-day event for schools about climate change, sustainability and the built environment. It is a fun and flexible way to integrate these themes into lessons and whole-school activities.
CABE (the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment) have run Green Day for three years. It is aimed at primary and secondary schools (particularly KS1-3). CABE publishes a free activity kit which contains over 100 different curriculum linked lesson ideas, and further web based resources for teachers to use to help planning. CABE also delivers training for schools in the form of face to face workshops.Follow this link for more information: http://www.cabe.org.uk/publications/green-day
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Unicef: Geography and Citizenship Lesson plans
Keystage: 4
Lesson plans in geography and citizenship. Also a useful flowchart of how climate change affects the world's vulnerable children.
Practical Period
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Design a climate change poster - Cutting your carbon footprint
Time 1 hour to 1½ hours.
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Practical science - investigating the properties of
Keystage: 3
Time 1 hour to 1½ hours.
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Practical science - Simulating geological sequestration of in an oil well
Age 11-14
Time 45 minutes - 1 hour
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Practical science - exploring the potential to store in the ocean.
Age 11-14
45 minutes - 1 hour
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Not in my back yard? A debate on Nuclear Power
Age 14 plus
Time 30 minutes individual research, 1 hour team preparation, 1 hour debate
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Nobel scientist says paint your roof white to combat global warming. Why? An advanced understanding of the earth's radiation balance (physics)
Age 16 plus
Time 1 hour
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Evaluating the economics of Solar Hot Water (maths, physics)
Age 16 plus
Time 45 minutes
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Talk about climate change in French or Spanish
Keystage: 3
A series of six lesson plans enabling pupils to talk about countries affected by climate change in French or Spanish, and to understand the impact of climate change on the life of young people in other countries
Follow this link: http://www.plan-ed.org/learningcentre/mfl/climatechange/
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Lots and lots of lesson plans from the Prince of Wales's rainforest project
From age 3 to age 16
Follow this link: http://www.plan-ed.org/learningcentre/mfl/climatechange/
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Demonstrating Solar Photovoltaic energy (from BP)
Keystage: 2/3/4
Inexpensive Solar PV demonstration kit from BP (£14 per kit, £16 including teachers notes, £40 for three kits). You can also download the informative teachers notes free of charge from the above site (as long as you register which takes two minutes). These include a discussion of solar energy and the photovoltaic effect. Activities for both primary and secondary level.
Follow this link: http://www.bp.com/genericResource.do?categoryId=8043&contentId=7037460
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Carbon Footprint Toolkit (from BP)
Keystage: 3/4
Free downloadable interactive CD-Rom from BP designed to teach students about carbon emissions and their impacts, choices for carbon reduction and alternative energy supplies. Order as many CDs as you need.
Follow this link: http://www.bp.com/genericResource.do?categoryId=8043&contentId=7037374&Page=new
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FREE climate change resource pack from BP
Keystage: 2/3/4
The new, free Climate Change resource pack includes an A1 colour classroom poster, 15 copies of an eight-page colour student booklet, and teacher's notes. Limited to three packs per school.
Follow this link: http://www.bp.com/genericResource.do?categoryId=8043&contentId=7037470&Page=new
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Stuck for creative ideas? There are lots of great ideas for practical and creative projects about climate change on Cool it Schools.
There are projects in every creative area you can think of, from art and music to poetry, fashion design and gardening.
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Lots and lots of lesson plans from the Prince of Wales's rainforest project
From age 3 to age 16.
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Make the Link, Be the Change
Keystage: 3/4
Make the Link, Be the Change is an international Key Stage 3 / 4 climate change project run by Plan-Ed, looking at how environmental changes are affecting children all over the world. The aim is to link schools in this country with schools in the Netherlands, Bulgaria, Malawi, Kenya and Senegal.
A highly interactive web platform is available to connect students via messaging and video conferencing to exchange their ideas and experiences of climate change and collaborate on projects locally nationally and internationally. By discussing climate change with their peers abroad, students will gain an insight into cultural differences, personal similarities and what they can do to make positive changes for the future of the planet.
Resource available include lesson plans and worksheet, as well as dedicated support from a member of the Plan staff.Click here: http://www.plan-ed.org/learningcentre/bethechange/
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People and Planet: Go Green Action Guide for Schools and Colleges - Cut your school's emissions
Keystage: 3/4
Schools and colleges play a significant role in climate change - schools alone account for 15% of carbon emissions from the UK public sector. The Go Green campaign aims to cut the carbon in your school or college and make a real impact on its contribution to climate change.
The Go Green campaign is about helping young people take control of that footprint. As students, you can push your school or college to reduce carbon emissions by targeting the four areas which impact most on climate change (food, waste, energy and transport). The Go Green campaign offers support and creative ideas for fun, practical projects that will put your school or college on the path to a low-carbon future.Click here to read more: http://peopleandplanet.org/gogreen/6ffe
Action Period
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What can children do to cut their energy use?
Keystage: 1/2/3
30 minutes part 1 Electricity use; 30 minutes part 2 Simple kids carbon calculator (requires internet access).
What is their carbon footprint, how can they cut it? What would it be like if they lived in Africa? Optional - Kids Carbon Calculator.
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Calculate your family's carbon footprint.
Requires some home preparation.
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Climate Cops from npower (KS1,2,3)
All mapped to the Curriculum for England, Wales and Scotland, our fun and engaging resources provide you with the learning tools you need to help you deliver fun and engaging lessons on energy, energy efficiency and climate change for 4-7, 7-11 and 11-14 year olds.
Suggested outline of the morning
Academic Period (1 or more). For example:
- Introduction to climate change (cause/impact)
- Renewable energy
- Greenhouse gases View lesson plans
Practical Period (1 or more). For example:
- Poster design
- Experiments
- Debates View lesson plans
Action Period (1 or more):
- Focus on individual child's energy use
- Carbon calculator
- Pledge to do something View lesson plans
Suggested Morning - Key Stage 3
Academic Period – 60 minutes
Discussion of climate change
Either
- What is climate change? Recent climate history and future projections. Click here
- The greenhouse effect. Click here
- Human activities causing climate change. Click here
- Why does climate change matter? Click here
Or
- Lesson plan from Generation Green: Understanding climate change – discussion including images and National Geographic Video (click here)
Practical Period – 60 minutes
Choose one of:
- Design a climate change poster – cutting your carbon footprint. Click here
- Practical science – simulating geological sequestration of CO2 in an oil well. Click here
- Demonstrating Solar Photovoltaic energy (from BP) .Click here
- Talk about climate change in French or Spanish. Click here
Action Period
Calculate a simple carbon footprint using our kids calculator (click here).
Do this individually or as a class activity based on a 'typical' child. Make some changes in their behaviour and calculate the footprint again to see what difference the changes make.
Ask everyone to pledge to do something to cut their footprint and / or their family's footprint.
Alternatively use our more comprehensive 'Adult calculator' – either use the online version or do all the calculators by hand (print off our 'paper version').
Suggested Morning - Key Stage 4
Academic Period – 60 minutes
Discussion of climate change
Either
- What is climate change? Recent climate history and future projections. Click here
- The greenhouse effect. Click here
- Human activities causing climate change. Click here
- Why does climate change matter? Click here
Or
Choose one or two in-depth lessons from:
- Lesson 1: The Greenhouse Effect
- Lesson 2: Carbon Dioxide
- Lesson 3: Ozone
- Lesson 4: The Effects of Climate Change
- Lesson 5: Slowing Down Global Warming
- For all lessons follow this link
Practical Period – 60 minutes
Choose one of:
- Not in my back yard? A debate on nuclear power (requires 1 ½ hours prior preparation). Click here
- Design a climate change poster – cutting your carbon footprint. Click here
- Demonstrating Solar Photovoltaic energy (from BP) .
Links to Inexpensive Solar PV demonstration kit from BP (£14 per kit, £16 including teachers notes, £40 for three kits).
- Advanced physics: Evaluating the performance / economics of solar panels for hot water Click here
- Advanced physics: Nobel scientist says paint your roof white to combat global warming. Why? Click here
Action Period – 40 minutes
Calculate a simple carbon footprint using our kids calculator (click here).
Do this individually or as a class activity based on a 'typical' child. Make some changes in their behaviour and calculate the footprint again to see what difference the changes make.
Ask everyone to pledge to do something to cut their footprint and / or their family's footprint.
Alternatively use our more comprehensive 'Adult calculator' – either use the online version or do all the calculators by hand (print off our 'paper version').