Earth Hour - Bright Ideas for a Dark Hour

This lesson is designed to build students’ competencies in the following skills:

• creative thinking
• critical thinking
• collaboration
• communication
• community engagement
• initiative
• social skills

Australian Curriculum (v9.0) content description:

Year 7 and 8, Civics and Citizenship

• explain the methods or strategies related to making decisions about civic participation (AC9HC7S04, AC9HC8S04). 

Relevant parts of Year 7 and 8 achievement standards: Students identify and describe the methods or strategies related to civic participation and action.

NSW Syllabus outcomes:

• explains how interactions and connections between people, places and environments result in change (GE4-3).

General capabilities: Critical and Creative Thinking, Digital Literacy, Literacy, Personal and Social Capability

Cross-curriculum priority: Sustainability 

Level of teacher scaffolding: Medium - assist students when communicating with school leadership and other staff members.

UN SDG 13: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts

• Target 13.3: Improve education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning.

• Device capable of displaying audiovisual material
• Student worksheet (one per student)

Earth Hour is a WWF-Australia initiative and the world’s largest community-driven climate change campaign. At the centre of Earth Hour is switching off lights to show a commitment to action. Thousands of educators use Earth Hour’s education program to enrich their curriculum and provide pathways for young people to create change in their world. For the most up-to-date Earth Hour dates, times, and events, check here.

Using The Cool.org Act Framework In The Classroom - Secondary

Quick Summary: This course will help you empower students to take action on issues that are important to them by offering a variety of strategies and tactics to facilitate meaningful action. 

Using The Cool.org Hope Framework In The Classroom - Secondary

Quick Summary: This course will provide strategies and tactics for adopting a hopeful mindset when exposing students to upsetting issues when exploring real-world topics in the classroom.