Teaching global climate change, what should we believe?

How to write a well-balanced report?

The goals we will be working on here are;

• Discuss a number of international and global challenges and reflect on how cultural differences, dissimilar value systems can affect communication 
• Use digital tools in an independent, critical and creative manner in the gathering of information, and in the communication and presentation of his or her own material

The last weeks Greta Thunberg has been in the media constantly. And everyone seems to want to comment on her actions. How can we get a well informed and balanced view on issues that matter to us? When writing a balanced argument you need to think of reasons for and reasons against your topic. You then need some useful ‘for and against’ words to link the arguments together. When an issue is genuinely controversial, the burden of proof is shared between opposing views. What can be asserted without evidence can also be dismissed without evidence. Source: The conversation

Lesson plan

Your school is presenting your country’s view on the global climate change and your group has been asked to put together a well-balanced report/presentation where the following is included:

1. How can you explain global climate change? Look here for info. NASA for kids. Or NASA for media.
2. This is goal 13 for the United Nations Sustainable development goals. Look here if you can find some valid information.
3. Watch the video below, is this a good way to get people engaged? Has anything changed in the last 5 years? And who is Bill Nye?
4. Greta made a surprise visit to Iowa. Write about this visit and what the goal is for the students in Iowa.
5. Look for similar events in Norway.
6. Putin, Trump, and Erna Solberg have cautioned the effect Greta has and her message. What is your reply to this? Should young people wait until they are older to protest?
7. Write your report and make a presentation to use for your class.

Top leaders comments;

“I’m sure Greta is a kind girl and very sincere,” Putin said, and “the modern world is developing quickly“, he lamented.  Trump mocked her tone on Twitter, saying she “seems like a very happy young girl looking forward to a bright and wonderful future“. Erna Solberg, Norwegian Prime Minister said she could still go to school and protest, no need to cut classes.

See more

She seems like a very happy young girl looking forward to a bright and wonderful future. So nice to see! https://t.co/1tQG6QcVKO

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 24, 2019

See more

Love this! We can do this, people(s). https://t.co/aNWQhZ0nPy

— Bill Nye (@BillNye) September 20, 2019

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js