Activity: Explaining Climate Change – Upper Primary

Quick summary: Students are introduced to climate change by examining and analysing graphical data about climate change and greenhouse gas emissions. They critically examine the evidence for climate change. Students use this evidence to resolve whether humans are influencing our climate and design a pamphlet to explain climate change to a wider audience.

Learning intentions: 

• Students understand how the climate is changing
• Students recognise some of the causes of climate change.

21st century skills:

Australian Curriculum Mapping

Year 5 Mathematics:  

• Describe and interpret different data sets in context (ACMSP120)

Year 5 Geography: 

• The influence of people, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, on the environmental characteristics of Australian places (ACHASSK112)
• Interpret data and information displayed in a range of formats to identify, describe and compare distributions, patterns and trends, and to infer relationships (ACHASSI100)
• Present ideas, findings, viewpoints and conclusions in a range of texts and modes that incorporate source materials, digital and non-digital representations and discipline-specific terms and conventions (ACHASSI105)

Year 6 Mathematics: 

• Interpret secondary data presented in digital media and elsewhere (ACMSP148)

Year 6 Geography:  

• Interpret data and information displayed in a range of formats to identify, describe and compare distributions, patterns and trends, and to infer relationships (ACHASSI128)
• Present ideas, findings, viewpoints and conclusions in a range of texts and modes that incorporate source materials, digital and non-digital representations and discipline-specific terms and conventions (ACHASSI133)

Year 6 Science:

• Sudden geological changes or extreme weather conditions can affect Earth’s surface (ACSSU096)

Syllabus outcomes: GE3-2, GE3-3, GE3-1, GE3-4, ST2-7PW, ST3-9ES, MA3-18SP, MA3‑1WM, MA3‑3WM. 

General capabilities: Critical and Creative Thinking.

Cross-curriculum priority: Sustainability OI.1.

Relevant parts of Year 5 Mathematics achievement standards: Students interpret different data sets.

Relevant parts of Year 5 Geography achievement standards: Students interpret maps, geographical data and other information to identify and describe spatial distributions, simple patterns and trends, and suggest conclusions. They present findings and ideas using geographical terminology in a range of communication forms.

Relevant parts of Year 6 Mathematics achievement standards: Students interpret and compare a variety of data displays including those displays for two categorical variables.

Relevant parts of Year 6 Geography achievement standards: Students interpret maps, data and other information to identify, describe and compare spatial distributions, patterns and trends, to infer relationships and to draw conclusions. They present findings and ideas using geographical terminology and digital technologies in a range of communication forms.

Relevant parts of Year 6 Science achievement standards: Students explain how natural events cause rapid change to Earth’s surface.

Topic: Cool Burning, Indigenous Education.

Unit of work: Cool Burning – Primary.

Time required: 90 mins.

Level of teacher scaffolding: High – review students’ knowledge and identify their misconceptions, assist students with simple chemistry concepts, assess student outcomes.

Resources required: 

• Device capable of presenting a website to the class
• Climate Change Factsheet
• Student Worksheet – one copy per student.

Related professional development: 

• Teach Indigenous Land Management Using Fire
• Teach Caring for Country Using Fire

Keywords: Climate, greenhouse, gas, graphs, charts, pamphlet.

Special thanks to:

Fish River Station, John Daly, Dr Jeremy Russell-Smith, Peter Jacklyn, Peter McConchie, Dr Tommy George, David Claudie, Dale Musgrave, Carolyn George and Victor Steffensen.

Cool Australia would like to acknowledge the support of the Bennelong Foundation in updating these lessons.

Cool Australia’s curriculum team continually reviews and refines our resources to be in line with changes to the Australian Curriculum. There is great diversity in histories and cultures among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples throughout Australia. This resource includes investigations into and information about some of them. It has an emphasis, but not an exclusive one, on the histories and cultural practices of the Aboriginal peoples of the Northern Territory. It is underpinned by consultation with Aboriginal communities in various parts of Australia.