From plots to theory: young students build their good practice on climate changes

Energy and climate changes are complex issues with rapidly developing science and the potential for controversy. The amount of time teachers are spending on these topics is going up significantly, but how can educators effectively bring these important subjects into their classrooms? My response applied to 11-14 year-old students is to start from plots nearly without any discussion before. Simple plots that show the most important indicators of climate change (i.e., time-behaviour of concentration of CO₂, surface temperature, sea level, arctic sea ice extent, etc.).

Time plots do not end in the present time but are extrapolated to the next 20-30-40 years using models from qualified scientific literature, that show how the choices of decision-makers and also our behaviour can affect the climate changes. This becomes a powerful starting point for a discussion that will arise from students as soon as they realize on how the situation is rapidly changing. The discussion will naturally end-up with students that focus that a combination of strategies is needed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The most immediate strategy is conservation of oil, gas, and coal, which we rely on as fuels for most of our transportation, heating, cooling, etc. In students life that means to modify some habits in order to save energy and limit gas emissions. Student achieve this conclusion by their selves, while the teacher has only the role to coordinate the work.

Some strategies to keep this subject interesting and stimulating are used: plots are done by students not in their notebooks during desk-work but in high dimensions in the school-gym, using when possible the lines of basket of volleyball pitches and completing them with paper tape. This involves the students usually less interested in the activities in traditional classroom work and allows team work in groups of 3-4 students. This also reinforces math abilities and demonstrates how math theory merges with reality, a link that is not always caught by young students.