Saturday, March 7, 2009

Teaching Climate Solutions

Teaching Climate Solutions

Global warming is the greatest challenge of our generation. Preparing our kids to be responsible global citizens is our greatest obligation.

Explore our list of resources for teaching climate solutions:

Powerful Choices is a Puget Sound Energy program that’s designed to show middle school-aged kids how their choices affect the environment and how to reduce waste. PSE is also working on a high school curriculum that engages students in ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions called “Kids for Climate Protection”. Available to schools in PSE’s service areas in King, Pierce and Thurston Counties.

Cool School Challenge — The Cool School Challenge aims to motivate students, teachers, and school districts to reduce carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions schoolwide. At the heart of the Cool School Challenge is the philosophy that big changes start with small steps, and that taken together, simple individual actions create a world of difference.

Teaching About Climate Change is intended to help grades K-12 teachers and students to tackle the challenging topic of climate change. Drawing on the expertise of educators from across the United States and Canada, the books offer a framework for teaching fundamental concepts and a variety of activities that can be undertaken in school, at home or in the community.

The Climate Classroom helps educate children about global climate change in accurate, developmentally appropriate, and hopeful ways. Sections designed for parents and K-12 educators provide talking points, attractive visuals, instructional guidelines, and helpful resource links for investigating the topic with children.

Global Warming: Changing CO2URSE: A four-week discussion guide for the workplace, faith center or home. The goals of the course include:

—Exploring personal values and habits as they relate to climate change
—Understanding the history and science of global warming
—Empowering individuals to take action to curb global warming

Contact the Northwest Earth Institute for details on organizing a discussion group for your neighbours or colleagues.

The Low Carb(on) Diet is a fun, accessible, easy to use guide that will show you, step by step, how to dramatically reduce your CO2 output in just a month’s time. Designed for use in community and school groups. Order The Low Carbon Diet guide book via this link, and Climate Solutions will benefit with a portion of proceeds from the sale.

One World’s web site for kids, Tiki’s World, includes easy to understand explanations on how global warming works, answers to commonly asked questions and things kids can do to be part of the solution.

The IGLIO (International Action on Global Warming) Toolkit is collection of educational tools and resources is offered to raise public awareness and understanding of Earth’s polar regions and the myriad connections that exist between the Poles and the places where we all live.

More web sites to explore:

Eco Kids Energy Quiz

Energy Patrol

Discover Solar Energy

Academy of Energy

UK Kids Korner of Energy FunThink Energy