Lesson summary
In this lesson, students will be immersed in, and connect with, the documentary film 2040, focusing on the topic of climate change. Students begin by participating in a barometer activity to introduce them to some of the key terms around climate change. Students then work in groups to investigate a few of the key contributing factors to climate change – energy, food, and transport – by formulating a question around their assigned factor that could be explored through research.
These questions are then redistributed among the class for them to find answers to. Again, working collaboratively, students will formulate a question that could be addressed through an experiment or fieldwork, and develop a plan and justification for this experiment/fieldwork idea.
Learning intentions:
Students will...
- understand key terms and processes relating to climate change
- recognise the key contributing factors to climate change
- recognise the role of developing a question to guide scientific research
Success criteria:
Students can...
- work collaboratively and independently
- participate in class and group discussions
- select a science-based communication method suitable for their own work
- formulate questions that can be answered through research and experiments or fieldwork
- create and justify a plan for a scientific investigation
Lesson guides and printables
Lesson details
Curriculum mapping
- Unit of work: 2040 – Science – Years 7 to 10
- Time required: 70 mins.
- Level of teacher scaffolding: Medium to high – oversee activities and facilitate class discussions
To view our Australian Curriculum alignment, click here.
To view our NZ Curriculum alignment, click here.
Resources required
- Student Worksheets – one copy per student
- A device capable of presenting a video to the class
- AGREE/DISAGREE signs
- Generating Questions Factsheet
- Experiment Proposal Template
- Climate Change Factsheet – optional
Additional info
2040 is an innovative feature documentary that looks to the future, but is vitally important NOW! Director Damon Gameau embarks on a journey to explore what the future could look like by the year 2040 if we simply embraced the best solutions already available to us to improve our planet and shifted them rapidly into the mainstream.
In Australia: Order the Schools Version of the 2040 DVD. The Schools Version includes an educational license and is for Australian primary and secondary schools that wish to utilise the film as a learning tool or host free on-site screenings for the school community.
In New Zealand: Order the Schools Version of the 2040 DVD. The Schools Version includes an educational license and is for New Zealand primary and secondary schools that wish to utilise the film as a learning tool or host free on-site screenings for the school community.
If you are teaching in either New Zealand or Australia, you can now organise a virtual screening of the film for your class. To enquire about this option, simply email schools@whatsyour2040.com and the 2040 team will help you set this up! If you have already bought a DVD of the film and you have a ClickView account, you can email the team for permission to upload the film to your account to make it more easily accessible for your teachers and students.
Cool.org, GoodThing Productions and Regen Pictures would like to acknowledge the generous contributions of Good Pitch Australia, Shark Island Institute, Documentary Australia Foundation, The Caledonia Foundation and our philanthropic partners in the development of these teaching resources.
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