Teacher preparation:

Overarching learning goal: In this activity students will understand that climate change is a challenging and complex issue and that there are many different ways of thinking about climate change. Students will recognise that art can be used to interrogate how we think about and respond to issues like climate change.

Teacher content information: For the most part, the news we hear about climate change is bad: it's bad for the environment; it's bad for the plants and animals that live in the environment; it's bad for oceans and deserts; it's bad for coral reefs and alpine ecosystems, and it's bad for us humans. In fact, sometimes it can seem so bad that it's very easy to just want to either sink into despair or go into denial. The aim of this activity is to give students an opportunity to express how they feel about the news on climate change. There will obviously be no right or wrong way for students to communicate these feelings, but students should be encouraged to reflect on how THEY feel. This could include despair, denial, apathy, or a desire to be proactive.

To help your students explore and communicate their climate change word and mind map, pick your own climate change word and create a mind map to share with your students in this activity.

The IPCC:

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is the United Nations body for assessing the science related to climate change. It was created to:

provide policymakers (governments) with regular scientific updates about climate change;
highlight the impact climate change will have on the planet in the future; and,
offer some ideas about how to tackle the challenges of climate change's potential effects on the planet.

In 2021-22, the IPCC released their sixth assessment report. This is the most up-to-date physical understanding of the climate system and climate change.

The report makes a number of important points:

It is unequivocal that human influence has warmed the atmosphere, ocean and land.
Global surface temperature will continue to increase until at least mid-century under all emissions scenarios considered. Global warming of 1.5°C and 2°C will be exceeded during the 21st century unless deep reductions in CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions occur in the coming decades (B1). The report describes five possible climate futures, where #1 is not great and #5 is extremely bad. If we want to keep global warming at less than two degrees, which the IPCC says is the best-case scenario, we need to reduce our CO2 and greenhouse gas emissions significantly and start right away.

'Net zero' or 'carbon neutral' are terms that refer to achieving an overall balance between greenhouse gas emissions produced and greenhouse gas emissions taken out of the atmosphere. Getting to net zero means we can still produce some emissions, so long as we're doing something else to reduce the greenhouse gases already in the atmosphere at the same time, kind of like balancing a set of scales (more info).

Student and classroom organisation:

Step 1.

Begin this activity by asking students to each think of one word that sums up climate change for them. The word could be a descriptive word such as ‘storm’ or ‘drought’ or could be an emotive word such as ‘unknown’ or ‘scary’. Using these words ask students to create a mind-map (students can use bubbl.us or mindmeister) to explore this word and their understanding, impressions and responses to this word in more details. Use the following questions to guide the creation of the mind map:

Why is this word important to you?
How does this word relate to how you think about climate change?
What do you think are the negative associations with this word?
What do you think are the positive associations with this word?
What solutions exist for the problems associated with this word?

Step 2.

Are there any students in the class who would like to share their mind maps? If you have any willing volunteers ask them to talk about their mind map and answer the questions above. Alternatively, you can share your mind map with the students, explaining why you chose the word you did and how it relates to how you think about climate change.

Step 3.

In the next stage of the activity, students will create an artwork around their word and their mind map. If students have a concept for their artwork already in mind, they can be encouraged to go for it.

However, if they need some help in developing a concept for their artwork, use the following suggestions.

1. Students can choose to either create an artwork around an actual scenario, for example:
- Climate change in Australia
- Climate change in our oceans
- Climate change and extreme weather

2. Students can create an artwork around their emotional response to climate change, for example:
- An unknown/uncertain future
- Whose problem is it?
- Too much/too hard to think about

3. Students can create an artwork around a message they would like to communicate about climate change, for example:
- Talking clearly about climate change
- Positive action on climate change
- Spread the word

Students should be encouraged to experiment with various mediums. Encourage pupils to be as creative as possible. Consider the following mediums:

Photography/photo montage
Movie/animation - Computer program (e.g. iMovie) or online e.g. Zimmer Twins
Music - Computer program (e.g. GarageBand) or online e.g. UJAM or Audacity
Painting/drawing
Graffiti
Textiles
Sculpture
Comic strips - Hand drawn, computer generated or online e.g. Comic master or Canva
Story - Writing or online e.g. Storybird
Mood board - create by hand, on computer or online e.g. Glogster

Students should also prepare an artists statement in support of their work. This statement should provide the context and justification for their work. For example:

TITLE: WALKING THE TALK - This animation has been created around a theme of sharing the news on climate change. It is based upon my frustration at mainstream media outlets at presenting what I believe is climate change misinformation. Communicating climate science is a personal commitment of mine. The aim of this animation is to emphasise the role of media in communicating the science of climate change, how I believe they are failing, and what I believe a better use of mainstream media would look like.

Explain to your students that it's easy to become depressed or feel overwhelmed about the bigness and seriousness of climate change: if your students feel this is the best way for them to express how they feel about climate change then they should be encouraged to explore that. If however, your students are keen on finding a more positive way of exploring climate change then you may want to suggest that they focus on solutions, such as personal actions they can take and things they can personally influence and address.

Step 4.

Hold an exhibition/presentation of student artworks in the classroom, asking each student to present their artwork, explaining what they have chosen to do, what the main message is, and why they chose the medium they did.

Assessment/Reflection

1. Ask students to reflect on the exhibition using the questions on the student worksheet.

2. Ask students to complete the PMI chart (available on the student worksheet).

Artist's impression

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