Download Seeing is believing activity

Seeing is believing activity
Summary information
Age range:
Curriculum Links:
Time needed:
Group size:
Setting:
Learning Cycle:
Key vocabulary:
11 - 16
English, ICT
Two sessions of 40 minutes
Pairs
Indoors
Motivating
Fossil fuels, greenhouse gases,
CO2, carbon dioxide, emissions,
greenhouse effect, global warming,
climate change, precautionary
principle.
Sustainable learning outcomes:
•
•
•
be able to describe some of the evidence for climate change;
know and understand why some people deny that climate change is the result of human
activity;
be able to describe some of the obstacles to tackling climate change.
Resources needed
•
•
Computers
PowerPoint presentation software.
Procedure
•
Present pupils with the following statement:
“Global warming isn’t really happening. Climate changes are natural and will be
so gradual that we won’t really notice any difference in our lifetime. Any change
that does happen is likely to improve the climate and make life more pleasant.”
WWF-UK, Panda House, Weyside Park. Godalming, Surrey, GU7 1XR. Tel: 01483 426444. Fax: 01483 426409. Web: wwf.org.uk/oneplanetschools
WWF-UK charity registered in England number 1081247 and in Scotland number SC039593 and a company limited by guarantee registered in England number
4016725. VAT number 733 761821
•
Hold a class discussion based around the following questions:
o “Could this statement be correct?”
o “What sorts of evidence would scientists need to collect in order to prove that
climate change is really happening?” [Think about the causes of global warming
and climate change.]
o “Would it be in the interests of any particular group to deny that climate change is
really happening?”
•
Invite pupils to use the following resources to create a Powerpoint Presentation that
addresses some of the claims in the statement about global warming and climate change:
•
Photographic evidence:
o news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/picture_gallery/05/sci_nat_your_changing_world/
html/1.stm
o www.worldviewofglobalwarming.org/pages/alaska.html
o news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/picture_gallery/04/sci_nat_staying_afloat_in_bang
ladesh/html/1.stm
•
Video evidence:
o www.bbc.co.uk/broadband/mediawrapper/consoles/bbcfour/nb_rm_console.shtml
?nbram=1&bbram=1&clip=pack3-northernmelt_16x9#
•
Climate evidence graphs:
o news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/sci_tech/2004/climate_change/default.stm
•
Action:
o www.panda.org/about_wwf/what_we_do/climate_change/what_you_can_do/inde
x.cfm
•
•
•
•
As a whole class, look at the presentations.
Ask pupils:
o “Does the evidence prove that climate change is happening?”
o “Does the evidence prove that global warming is causing climate
change?”
Explain to pupils that the precautionary principle holds that any action where the
consequences are uncertain but potentially dangerous or irreversible should be
avoided.
Ask pupils:
o “Do you think that we need further evidence or conclusive proof of a
link between fossil fuels, global warming and climate change, or
should we adopt the precautionary principle?”
WWF-UK, Panda House, Weyside Park. Godalming, Surrey, GU7 1XR. Tel: 01483 426444. Fax: 01483 426409. Web: wwf.org.uk/oneplanetschools
WWF-UK charity registered in England number 1081247 and in Scotland number SC039593 and a company limited by guarantee registered in England number
4016725. VAT number 733 761821
Extension
•
Invite pupils to write a press release based on the following news report:
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4661830.stm
Evaluation
•
Pupils draw a cartoon that uses parts of the statement about global warming. The cartoon
should be designed as part of a campaign to persuade people of the need to take action
against climate change.
WWF-UK, Panda House, Weyside Park. Godalming, Surrey, GU7 1XR. Tel: 01483 426444. Fax: 01483 426409. Web: wwf.org.uk/oneplanetschools
WWF-UK charity registered in England number 1081247 and in Scotland number SC039593 and a company limited by guarantee registered in England number
4016725. VAT number 733 761821