Globalization: Climate Change, Who Should Take Action?

CANADIAN NORTH – LIFE AND LAND NORTHWEST TERRITORIES – SECONDARY

Globalization: Climate Change, Who Should Take Action?

Lesson Overview:

In this lesson, students will critically consider the causes and impacts of climate change in Canada’s North. Students will debate what action should be taken in light of the global nature of the causes. The key critical question is: To what extent should action be taken on climate change without global support?

Grade Levels: 10 to 12

Time Required: Two 60 minute classes

Curriculum Connection:

Northwest Territories Social Studies 10-1 and 10-2

Links to Canadian National Standards for Geography:

Essential Element #5: Environment and Society

§ Global effects on the human environment by changes in the physical environment

§ Environmental issues: Climate change

Geographic Skill #4: Analyzing Geographic Information

§ Make inferences and draw conclusions from maps and other geographic representations.

Link to the Canadian Atlas Online (CAOL)

Climate change:

http://www.canadiangeographic.ca/atlas/themes.aspx?id=climate&lang=En

Additional Resources, Materials, and Equipment Required:

Student Handout: Climate Change Statements

Student Internet Access

Climate Change Predictions

http://atlas.nrcan.gc.ca/site/english/maps/climatechange

Printed signs to post in each of the four corners of classroom: “Strongly Agree”, “Agree”, “Disagree”, and “Strongly Disagree”

Climate Change Information:

http://www.ec.gc.ca/climate/overview_affect-e.html

http://www.climatechangenorth.ca/

http://www.davidsuzuki.org/Climate_Change/

http://climate.pembina.org/

Kyoto Protocol Information:

http://unfccc.int/kyoto_protocol/items/2830.php

http://www.ec.gc.ca/climate/kyoto-e.html

http://www.davidsuzuki.org/Climate_Change/Kyoto/

http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/kyoto/

Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Country:

http://www.thestar.com/News/article/208824

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/3143798.stm

Main Objective:

Students will consider who should take action and what action should be taken to address climate change given that it is a global issue.

Learning Outcomes: By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:

§ Describe the possible impacts of climate change on northern communities.

§ Identify the cause of climate change.

§ Make inferences of impacts of climate change using maps of climate change predictions.

§ Analyze the impacts of actions and policies with globalization on the environment.

The Lesson:

Teacher Activity / Student Activity
Introduction / Have students brainstorm ideas to answer: “What is climate change?” (e.g. changes in the world’s temperature, and weather patterns) “What are the causes?” (e.g. release of human-made greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide) and “What are the impacts of climate change on the Arctic?” (e.g. melting of sea ice, melting of permafrost, impacts on wildlife and vegetation).
As a class or individually, have students read and view the Canadian Atlas Online: Explore Themes: The Issues: Climate Change at: http://www.canadiangeographic.ca/atlas/themes.aspx?id=climate&sub=climate_basics_introduction&lang=En
Encourage students to pay particular attention to information related to the north.
Have students add to the earlier ideas listed through the brainstorming activity regarding climate change.
Inform the students that they will be considering the predicted changes due to climate change and the global effort to reduce the effects. / Students to share their current knowledge regarding climate change.
Students are to work through Canadian Atlas Online Climate Change presentation.
Students will share more information regarding climate change.
Climate change will affect the regions of Canada and the rest of the world differently. Consider the predictions of changes in temperature and precipitation that are shown on the maps at: http://atlas.nrcan.gc.ca/site/english/maps/climatechange.
Ask the students to look at the maps and determine which regions of the country and world seem to be most impacted by climate change according to the information provided in the predictions. As well, have students make predictions about other areas, like areas of drought and areas of flooding.
Discuss how these change effects could impact the arctic. Consider affects on the ice, land, wildlife and peoples. Discuss the importance of permafrost in respect to roads, airstrips and providing a solid foundation to buildings and pipelines in the north. (Consider discussing how most buildings are built off the ground in order to preserve the permafrost.) / Students will examine maps of predictions of changing climate over the next one hundred years.
Students will make predictions of how climate change can affect the north.
Lesson Development / In groups, have students make a T-chart describing the negative and positive impacts of climate change on the north. (Examples: Negatives: shorter ice road seasons, dangerous ice conditions, landslides, building shifting, deteriorating airstrips, decrease of wildlife such as polar bears. Positive: longer periods of open water for boating and transportation, warmer winters, etc.)
Have students share and discuss their T-charts with the rest of the class. Discuss the similarities and differences in the student lists. Have the students decide if the total impact of climate change is negative or a positive.
Remind the class that climate change is due to the release of greenhouse gases as a result of human action. It does not matter if the greenhouse gases were produced in Northwest Territories, United States, or China. Any and all gases produced impact the entire globe.
Provide an overview of the Kyoto Protocol. The 1997 Kyoto Protocol was an international agreement signed by about 180 countries. The intent of the agreement is to mandate a significant reduction in the emission of greenhouse gases, the cause of climate change.
Provide the students with Student Handout: Climate Change Statements. Allow the students time to consider each statement. They need to decide if they strongly agree, agree, disagree or strongly disagree with each statement. Provide in-class time or assign out-of-class time for students to do additional research to find additional information to support their position.
“Four Corners Activity”
After students have had time individually to consider the statements, have the class complete the following activity for each statement.
1. Place a sign in each of the four corners of the room. Either “Strongly Agree”, “Agree”, “Disagree”, and “Strongly Disagree”.
2. Read the statement and have students stand in the corner that represents their opinion. This is called “Voting With Your Feet”. / Students will work in a group to produce a T-chart on the negative and positive impacts of climate change.
Students will share and discuss their T-charts.
Students will reflect on global nature of greenhouse gas emissions being a global issue.
Students are to appreciate that an agreement to reduce greenhouse gases has been reached by many countries.
Students will review and research the statements on the Student Handout: Climate Change Statements and make a decision on how they feel on regarding each statement.
Students will participate in the Four Corners activity. Students will:
§ Take a position and support the position with evidence.
§ Work cooperatively to create a position statement.
3. Give the corner groups about 3 minutes to discuss how they made their decision. The group should also discuss ways to persuade others of the correctness of their opinion. Have each group choose a representative from the corner group to act as a commissioner. This commissioner will travel to another corner group with the intent to persuade these members to move to their corner.
4. Give the class about 5 minutes to have the commissioner to go to other groups to persuade them to change their minds and move groups.
5. At the end of 5 minutes, take a recount to determine if any members have changed groups.
6. Have each group present to the whole class their position and related justification for this position.
7. Repeat the “Vote with Your Feet” activity for each of the Climate Change Statements. Encourage different students to act commissioners for each statement.
Note: It may be important to reinforce to the class that there is no right or wrong response to each statement, however they should be able to justify their choice.
Conclusion / Discuss actions that can be taken in the students’ everyday lives that would reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Proceed to one of the Extension Activities (optional). / Students will identify actions that can be taken in their everyday lives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions

Lesson Extension:

Have students write letters to local, territorial or federal leaders to state their opinion regarding the issue of climate change.

Have students write an argumentative paper on what action Canada should take in the global community with regards to climate change.

Assessment of Student Learning:

Observe students participation in class and group discussions. Encourage all students to share opinions in four corner’s activity.

Have students write a response supporting their position on at least one of the statements from the activity.

Student Handout

Climate Change Statements

For each of the statements, decide what level you agree or disagree with each statement.

Statement/ Notes / Strongly Agree / Agree / Disagree / Strongly Disagree /
Canada must reduce its greenhouse gas emissions at any cost.
Notes:
The NWT should work towards reducing its greenhouse gas emissions regardless of what other regions of the country are doing.
Notes:
Canada should only reduce greenhouse gas emissions if the majority of the world’s country does the same.
Notes:
Our community should reduce its greenhouse gas emissions regardless of the NWT’s position.
Notes:
Greenhouse gas emissions should only be reduced if it does not hurt Canada’s economy.
Notes:
Since the United States is the largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world, there is no reason to take action until the US starts to reduce their outputs.
Notes:

Research suggestions: