Teacher Preparation

Overarching learning goal: By participating in this activity students will understand the causes and potential impacts of rising sea levels. They will also recognise that rising sea levels will affect the whole world, and that there will be significant environmental, social and economic impacts.

Teacher content information:

VIDEO - ABC Catalyst - Sea Level Rise - https://youtu.be/wZXbpBEfojU

For more reliable information about climate change in Australia, visit the Climate Council.

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).

Psychological safety. The IPCC Report sets a hard challenge. While this real-world issue is essential for students to understand, there is no doubt it can make them feel sad or anxious about the future is becoming darker and scarier by the day.

So, reassure students that we can have a hopeful and optimistic outlook on this report, rather than one of doom and gloom. Explain that optimism involves looking objectively at a situation and making a conscious decision to focus on the good (more info), and that hope is the belief that you can make an impact (more info). Explain to students that you are going to look ahead, identify what needs to be improved, and then work on the skills and confidence so that they can go out and do it.

If you're interested in learning more about how to approach challenging topics around climate change and sustainability in your classroom through a Hope and Optimism lens, consider our PD course.

Hot tips: Before conducting this activity, ask students to watch the ABC Catalyst clip (above) on rising sea levels at home (clip also available here) and respond to the associated questions on the student worksheet.

Student and classroom organisation

Preparation: Before conducting this activity, ask students to watch the ABC Catalyst clip (above) on rising sea levels at home (clip also available here) and respond to the associated questions on the student worksheet.

Step 1.

Back in the classroom, engage students in a discussion around their responses to the clip on rising sea levels. Consider some of the following questions:

What were the most interesting things about this clip?
What questions did this clip leave you with?

Record student discussion on the board, or use one of the following online tools to record discussion: Popplet or Padlet.

Step 2.

Ask students to read the quotes from We Are the Weather Makers on the Student Worksheet and to respond to the associated questions. Younger or weaker students can work in pairs or small groups; older students should work independently. Students are asked to think of a coastal town close to them and to make some predictions about what would happen to that town and its population in the event of a sea level rise of seven metres.

Once complete, ask students to log onto the ABS Census website and find the population of the town they have chosen. They are then asked to log onto the Flood Maps website and simulate a sea level rise of 7 metres. They are asked to roughly calculate the percentage of town that will be affected by the rising sea levels and how this will affect the population of this town.

Students are then asked to repeat this activity using a simulated sea level rise of 60 metres. Students are then asked to compare their initial predictions with their results and to consider why there might be variation in their predictions and actual results. Consider engaging students in a discussion around these differences and the reasons for these differences. You could use the following points in your discussion:

How might population density affect estimations? If large areas of the town appear to be less densely populated how might this affect estimations?
What about population size?
What about geography? For example, is the town on a cliff, or are large areas of the town used for farming?

Assessment/Reflection

Ask students to pick one of the following topics around rising sea levels to investigate in depth (alternatively they can create their own topic - they should check with the teacher to check that it is suitable):

How are rising sea levels already affecting communities in the Pacific?
Beach houses - are they a good investment?
Where are rising sea levels already being felt?
What actions are countries around the world already taking to adapt to rising sea levels?
What might be some of the environmental impacts of rising sea levels?
What might be some of the social impacts of rising sea levels?
What might be some of the economic impacts of rising sea levels?

Students should undertake research into their topic and create an infographic (e.g. Piktochart - DIY background infographic information) or animation (e.g. Wideo or Animoto) that describes your research and answers your question.

Weather Makers - Sink or swim?

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