Grade 7 - Climate Stewards

Overview: Life on Earth is sustained by massive currents of air, moisture and heat in the atmosphere and oceans. These currents create weather patterns and over a period of time, the weather patterns create a climate. In recent history, human extraction and consumption of fossil fuels is causing the atmosphere to trap too much heat causing the climate to change. In the Bow Valley, this means an increase in annual seasonal temperatures, wildfires, extreme flooding and a decrease in glacier depth and coverage. Together, we can do better! Humans have coexisted with Earth since time immemorial and it is time we remember our role as stewards. Through a series of games, activities and a Walking School Bus campaign, students will become Climate Stewards. 

This lesson plan is based on the longstanding Alberta Science Curriculum.

The Future Leaders program is pleased to provide the relevant course materials and instruction. 

We encourage  teachers to recreate these sessions. 

Subject: Science - Interactions & Ecosystems

Learning Outcomes: 

• Identify examples of positive and negative human impacts on ecosystems and analyse link between human wants and needs that give rise to them

• Create and trial a solution for negative human impacts on ecosystems

Key terms: 

• Greenhouse gases

• Energy 

• Climate change

• Weather 

• Climate adaptation 

• Ecoanxiety

Session 1 (1hr) 

Game [10mins]: The Great Golden Eagle Migration 

What birds do you know that live in the area? There is one gold and mighty bird who migrates right over the Canadian Rocky Mountains en route to Alaska. Have you heard of the Great Golden Eagle migration? Each spring, Golden Eagles travel north and return south in the fall - right above where we are! But the thing is, way up high where the Golden Eagles fly? There are many winds at battle that affect their travel. If Eagles face an arctic cold front (a mass of cold air) - what do you think happens? Yes! They must land and wait it out. What about a warm chinook wind? Yes, this creates good travelling conditions. In a moment, each of you will transform into mighty Golden Eagles on migration. I will choose 1-2 people to be the Arctic Front and 1-2 to be the Chinook Wind. If you are tagged by the arctic front, you freeze your migration and must wait until the chinook wind tags you to and frees you to migrate again. 

This iteration of Freeze Tag leads into a discussion about how climate change is affecting local ecosystems and wildlife. With shrinking habitat range due to expanding developments and increasing frequency of drought, Golden Eagle populations are projected to decrease 41% of its breeding range and 16% of non-breeding range by 2080 (audubon.org). Ask students: how do they see climate change affecting their backyards? 

Activity [10mins]: Gratitude Circle 

We are all connected. We inhale what plants exhale; we eat the converted energy of the sun; the paper we use in our notebooks was once a tree growing in the forest; the calcium that helps us build healthy teeth and bones may have once been a mineral inside the limestone mountains made of calcium carbonate.

Reflect on what you’ve done and where you’ve been on the last day. What did you eat? What did you drink? Where did you sleep? Did you see any plants or animals? Did the sunset bring a smile to your face? Let’s share and celebrate together one way that the natural world helps.

Gathered in a standing circle, we will express gratitude for the natural world that makes life possible. Pass an item around the circle or ‘flying style’ at random, to provide space for each student to share gratitude for how the natural world helps them. 

[Move inside]

Activity [10mins]: Rank Your Response 

On a classroom wall or whiteboard, attach sticky notes to the wall or write on a whiteboard along an axis outlining “Amazing, OK and the world is ending” (see photo). Give each student one sticky note. Ask them to stand up and find a partner to tap elbows with; this is their elbow partner. Ask students to write down one word about how they feel in response to a term. Explain that they will need to fit a few words onto one sticky note. For example, if you say “ice cream” they might write, “excited!” or “hungry!”. Ask them to record their responses to: garbage, wildfires, drought, melting glaciers, climate emergency. After each word, ask them to share their word with their elbow partner. 

Then, ask them to rate their responses to the following statements: 

“Scientists with the International Panel on Climate Change predict that, unless drastic government and industry action is taken, there will be no more glaciers in the Rocky Mountains by 2100 due to an increased global temperature. How does this make you feel?”

“You are a part of nature. The air in your lungs may have once been inside of a tree, the calcium in your bones may have once been a mineral in a mountain and the food in your belly is transformed energy from the sun. You belong on Earth!” 

Activity [10mins]: Explore Online Climate Portal through CPAWS 

If possible, have this linked webpage setup for classroom viewing. Spend a few minutes exploring the distinction between climate and weather and reviewing the causes of climate change. 

Activity [20mins, 3x6min scenes]: Climate Solution Charades 

Following the attached narratives, assign various students to the roles outlined. Each scene requires a narrator and silent actors. The students will work their way through the scenes. Be sure to ‘pause the scene’ at appropriate times to encourage students to apply their own solutions to the problem. 

Scene 1: Plant-based Diet (Cast: Narrator, Child 1, Child 2 and Parent)

Narrator: It is a beautiful day in the Bow Valley. There is blue sky above and nothing but easy living. It is hard to imagine the glaciers are melting or the world is in crisis. Both children are jumping, playing and skipping through the field - lalalalallalalalala! Then, Parent yells out, “dinner time!” and both children keep playing…. Parent yells out again, “dinner time!” and the children STILL don’t listen. “If you aren’t here in 10 seconds, we will only ever eat vegetables for the rest of your life!” The children froze in place. They hated vegetables and went running back into the house for dinner. At the dinner table, one child yelled, “give me my burger!” the other child yelled, “and give me mine with cheese!” 

[Pause scene] Is there a climate friendly way to eat this meal? [Resume scene after discussion] 

Narrator: The children banged their fists on the table. Meanwhile, Parent has had enough. They prep the burgers and slam them down on the table. But Parent has a big grin on their face. “Here,” they say, “enjoy your cheeseburger”. “YUMMMMMMM!!!” say the children. Without telling anyone, Parent bites into their burger too, munches away and has a big grin knowing that they’re all enjoying black bean burgers with cheddar soy cheese on top. The children will never know they are in for a lifetime of eating vegetables. 

Background Information: See attached slideshow

Scene 2: Classroom Energy Efficiency (Cast: Narrator, Student 1, Student 2, 2 students as a swinging door and Teacher)

Narrator: “RRRRIIIIINNNNGGGGG” the school bell buzzes at the start of the day.  It’s the middle of winter. The students and teacher walk into the classroom, flinging open the Doors. One door doesn’t get closed properly. As a result, the school furnace kicks in to compensate for the loss of heat. In the classroom, the teacher says, “Good morning! I’m glad to see you all ready to learn!” But the students were still half asleep. Their bodies moved slowly and their eyelids barely opened. They sit down at their desks and one student almost falls fast asleep. The furnace is making it so warm in the classroom, that the students start to drift to sleep. (Students make snoring noises). 

[Pause scene] Is there a climate friendly solution here? [Resume scene after discussion]

The teacher continues with their lesson. And the students continue to sleep (students make snoring sounds). In a squeaky voice, the teacher says “now class! This is why we MUST always double check our work to avoid mistakes! Do you have any questions?” The only sound the teacher hears is the sound of the students snoring. “That’s it!” says the teacher, “everybody outside!” The students run out the doors and remember to close them properly this time. The teacher flips off the furnace in the classroom and leads the rest of the lesson in the cold outside! From that day on, students needed to wear ugly Christmas sweaters in the classroom when they were cold, someone was assigned to window and door patrol and the class’ Mathematics marks went up because their brains were fresh!

Background Information: Building efficiency accounts for ~35% of the Bow Valley’s greenhouse gas emissions (up to 60% in Canmore). This is the largest source of greenhouse gases in the Bow Valley. If we make buildings more efficient, we greatly reduce our reliance on fossil fuels thus reducing greenhouse gas emissions. 

Scene 3: Human-powered Transit (Actors: two friends and a Bald Eagle)

One friend picks up their phone. They call their friend. The friend picks up their phone. The first friend says “hello, do you want to play today?” The other friend replies, “umm…YES!!” The first human says, “want to come to my house?” The second human replies, “ummm… YES!! 

But wait…….. “My mom is not here to drive me”. 

PAUSE SCENE: What could the actors do here to solve the problem?

RESUME SCENE: Then, their friend says, “no problem, let’s meet in the middle and we can walk to my house together”. Each friend leaves their house at the same time and walks until they see one another. “Hello!” they say to one another as they meet in the middle. 

On the walk back, they see a soaring bald eagle high above. The eagle thanks them for not putting any more harmful greenhouse gases into the air that are causing the temperatures to rise and the fish to swim deeper to cooler water in the rivers that then make it harder for her to catch food for her young. 

Activity [5mins]: Closing Circle

We started by listening to one another about how the environment helps us. We also learned about humans’ health being connected with the environment. If my health is connected to the environment, when I improve my health by getting enough rest and fresh air by walking to school, what happens to the environment? How do you help the natural world?

Session 2

Game 

Opening Circle of Gratitude 

https://climategamechangers.ca/student/climate-change-101/classroom/

https://www.carbonmap.org/#intro 

Activity [20mins]: Classroom Transportation Survey

How did you get to school today? How did your parents go to work? Do you have a bike? Do you use a bike?

Activity [30mins]: Sustainable Transportation Campaign

Find a partner, pick a mode of transportation and plan a day to get to school together using your human power.

Session 3 - Walking School Bus Day

Game

Activity: Green Field Trip (Walking Field Trip, take ROAM or ride a bike)