Read the article, simplified from the BBC about the Paris Climate Agreement and answer the questions.
How indigenous knowledge is used by local communities to inform climate change technologies, preserving biodiversity.
A. Read the article “How Indigenous knowledge plays a critical role in tackling climate change.”
B. Highlight key terms, any things or vocabulary you do not understand, and interesting information.
C. Answer the comprehension questions based on the text:
Indigenous Knowledge worksheet
Indigenous Knowledge worksheet – reduced text
Students complete a graphic organiser using videos and information sheets. This could be done as a marketplace activity, where students rotate around stations in the room gathering information.
Adaptation/ mitigation worksheet
Adaptation and Mitigation – information sheets for the activity
Example of climate change adaptation and mitigation – Sheffield and flooding along the River Don
Adaptation Top Trumps – introduction
Adaptation Top Trumps – file for printing
External link: strategies to adapt to inland flooding in Sheffield from Earth Learning Ideas
The Pakistan floods of 2022 – causes -ppt
The physical causes of the Monsoon worksheet
Pakistan Floods are a climate catastrophe video tasks worksheet
The Pakistan floods of 2022 – impacts – ppt
Flooding in Sheffield, causes and attribution to climate change
Cambridge temperature data worksheet
2022 heatwave – consequences for people and place worksheet
Heat waves and climate change worksheet
Knowledge Organiser: 2022 Heatwave in Cambridge Case Study
In this lesson we deal with what hazardous weather is and why our weather is becoming more hazardous.
1.How do we define ‘extreme weather’ and why can it be difficult?
2.What events qualify as “extreme weather”?
3.What has happened to the frequency of extreme weather events globally?
4.What has happened to the distribution of extreme weather events?
Image copyright biodiversitystripes.info and LPI 2024 (www.livingplanetindex.org)
positive and negative human interactions with ecosystems.
Slide 2: The learning objectives for this lesson.
Slide 3: Introduce the scenario and the Earthshot Prize by clicking on the link to watch a short video (see weblinks below).
Slide 4: Ask students to discuss in pairs what the diagram shows and ask for feedback. You might like to ask students if they think this is a good way of showing climate data and why. You can visit https://showyourstripes.info/ where there are other options for showing the same data e.g. as a bar chart.
Slide 6: Give each student a copy of Student sheet 1 – the application form for the Earthshot idea. Tell them that they will be filling it in throughout the lesson and ask them to quickly read it so they know what information they will need. Tell them that they are going to fill in the first two sections using scientific diagrams.
Student pairs/groups will study beakers of algal balls in hydrogencarbonate indicator, use a colour chart and work out what the results show.
The beakers need to be set up by the technician beforehand (see technician notes below) as it takes a minimum of 40 minutes to see a change.
They will set up 4 vials of hydrogencarbonate indicator – one containing no algal balls, one with 5 balls, one with 10 balls and one with 15 balls and leave exposed to a bright light so the algae can photosynthesise and use the dissolved carbon dioxide.
If you are unable to run the experiment, show the film of it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fI3x68CkKW0
Ask students to use the results to fill in section 3 of Student sheet 1.
Slides 10-11: Show the students the chart and ask them to discuss in pairs what it shows. Listen to feedback from pairs.
Slide 12: Reveal that the chart shows that the number of different species on Earth – its biodiversity is decreasing because many species have gone extinct. Ask the students to use the information on Student sheet 4 to decide how planting more kelp can help increase biodiversity in the oceans and fill in section 4 of Student sheet 1.
Check student understanding by asking individuals for one sentence answers on:
• How planting more kelp can help reduce global warming.
• How planting more kelp can increase biodiversity.
They should be encouraged to not repeat a point made by another student.
Ask students’ opinions on whether they think their Earthshot idea has a chance of winning the prize and why.
YouTube video that shows a diver exploring a UK kelp forest:
Climate stripes https://showyourstripes.info/
Biodiversity stripes https://biodiversitystripes.info/global
NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration): https://www.climate.gov/news-features/understanding-climate/understanding-blue-carbon
BBC: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gmTAG-rose
The National Geographic: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/seaweed-fastest-least-expensive-tool-climate-change
NCBE-SAPS photosynthesis kit https://www.ncbe.reading.ac.uk/photosynthesis-kit/
To prepare the algal balls see: www.saps.org.uk/teaching-resources/resources/235/algal-balls-photosynthesis-using-algae-wrapped-in-jelly-balls/
Bubble air through the hydrogencarbonate indicator with atmospheric carbon dioxide. The solution is ready to use when it’s a deep red colour.
For each group set up 4 small bottles of prepared hydrogencarbonate indicator – one containing no algal balls, one with no balls (control), 5 balls, one with 10 balls and one with 15 balls and leave exposed to a bright light at least one hour before the lesson so there is a distinct colour change in each bottle.
Carbon Dioxide – Seasonal Cycles
Exploring the link between photosynthesis and seasonal cycles in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration
Climate Change and Biodiversity
Exploring the links between biodiversity and climate change.
COP29 will take place in Azerbaijan in November 2024.
Adapt these ideas to support your teaching in the weeks leading up to and during the conference to engage your students with the negotiations and where they are taking place:
Priorities for COP29 include:
Data sources: Google Earth, https://weatherandclimate.com/ and https://en.climate-data.org/ November mean temperatures (°C)
Explore the Global Carbon Atlas (some sample screenshots are below)
Graphical/ Numerical skills:
Source: Global Carbon Atlas
Source: Global Carbon Atlas
Use https://showyourstripes.info/ or the IPCC’s Interactive Atlas to see how the climate of Azerbaijan is changing relative to the whole world or to the UK.
Source: Showyourstripes.info Ed Hawkins/ University of Reading
Explore https://climateknowledgeportal.worldbank.org/country/azerbaijan/heat-risk and https://drmkc.jrc.ec.europa.eu/inform-index/INFORM-Climate-Change/INFORM-Climate-Change-Tool
https://drmkc.jrc.ec.europa.eu/inform-index/INFORM-Climate-Change/Results-and-data
Also
https://drmkc.jrc.ec.europa.eu/inform-index/INFORM-Risk/Country-Risk-Profile
https://drmkc.jrc.ec.europa.eu/inform-index/INFORM-Risk/Risk-Facts-Figures
How vulnerable is Azerbaijan to climate change? What impact of climate change (sea level change, river flooding, drought, disease or conflict) poses the greatest risk to Azerbaijan?
Source EU/ Inform Climate Change Tool
Climate justice recognises the fact that the people and countries most vulnerable to climate change are often not the ones who have done the most to cause it.
Thinking about Azerbaijan’s greenhouse gas emissions, GDP and vulnerability to climate change, write a paragraph to justify this definition of climate justice.
Possible extension – Azerbaijan’s climate mitigation action is rated ‘critically insufficient’ by the Climate Action Tracker. How does this relate to the concept of climate justice?
Other useful sources of information:
https://www.adb.org/publications/climate-risk-country-profile-azerbaijan
https://unfccc.int/sites/default/files/NDC/2023-10/Second%20NDC_Azerbaijan_ENG_Final%20%281%29.pdf
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