Teacher preparation:

Overarching learning goal: Students will understand that scepticism is an important part of all scientific debates, including climate change. Students will learn that there is already a lively debate around the causes and effects of climate change but that when evaluating statements about scientific topics - including climate change - we must be aware of the motivations behind these positions.

Teacher content information: Scepticism in science is healthy and is an important part of creating rigour in science. Scientists should always challenge themselves and be challenged to improve their understanding of the issue they are studying. Scepticism in science is a good thing.

However, in some cases, personal and commercial interests and opinions enter the scientific debate and lead to a situation where the science can be overlooked or simply denied. These cases remain contentious and require considerable effort on behalf of the scientific community to communicate the scientific evidence.

For example, scientific studies linked smoking with multiple human health risks. These risks - and the science behind them - were initially denied by the pro-smoking lobby and tobacco companies, and questions around the validity of this science were raised. More studies proved the link to be certain and action has since been taken to make this link clear to the public. This example demonstrates the nature of denial in the scientific debate: where scepticism calls for further studies, denial simply declares the claims to be untrue.

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.

Student and classroom organisation:

Step 1.

Begin this activity by asking students what they know about climate change, denial and scepticism. Consider using the following questions to engage your students:

What is scepticism? What does it mean to be sceptical? (Suggested answer: doubting - given to doubt, e.g. to have a sceptical attitude.)
What is denial? (Suggested answer: the action of declaring something to be untrue, or the refusal of something requested or desired.)
What is the difference between denial and scepticism? (Suggested answer: denial is an absolute declaration of something while scepticism reflects an doubt but a willingness to debate or discuss the issue.)
Why is scepticism important to science and scientific debate? (Suggested answer: scepticism asks demanding questions of science and requiring all the evidence, and as such encourages scientific rigour.)
How have denial and scepticism been used in debates around climate change and global warming? (Suggested answer: there are many examples of scepticism and denial in debates around climate change; you don't have to dig very deep in media or politics to find these arguments.)
Can you think of any other scientific debates where denial and scepticism have been used? (Suggested answers: the health risks of smoking, evolution.)

Step 2.

Ask students to read the statements on the student worksheet and to determine what position the authors of these statements have taken with regards to climate change and global warming: are they a sceptic, a denier or do they accept the current scientific conclusions?

Students should also look at what organisations these authors represent and how this might influence their opinions.

Students can work independently or in groups.

Step 3.

Once complete ask students to share their conclusions with the rest of the class. Engage your students in a class discussion around their answers. Consider using the following questions to guide your discussion:

Which statement or statements did you find the easiest to analyse and why?
Which ones did you find the most difficult and why?
Have a look at what agencies and organisations the authors of these statements are representing: what sort of statements would you expect from them?
Do they sound like agencies that would accept the climate science or be sceptical of the science? Why?
Why do you think they accept the science or are sceptical of the science?
Which ones are the most convincing and why? Which ones are the least convincing?

Our opinions of the answers are as follows:

Sceptic
Accepter
Accepter
Denier
Accepter
Denier
Accepter
Sceptic
Denier
Sceptic

Step 4.

Either working in groups or independently, ask students to undertake research on the Internet (including in the mainstream media) to find their own examples of:

A statement or argument that represents an organisation or someone who accepts the climate science; and
A statement or argument that represents an organisation or someone who is sceptical of the climate science.

Ask students to analyse their examples and:

Summarise their argument
Explain what supporting evidence or information is used; and
Explain who the author is and what organisation or agency they represent? How might this affect their position?

Ask students to create a presentation that shares their analysis of the two examples they found.

Step 5.

Ask students to share their presentations with the class. Use the Presentation Rubric to assess the presentations.

Engage students in a brief discussion around the statements they found. Consider using the following questions:

Was it easy to find statements for both positions? Why or why not?
Where did you find your statements?
Which ones do you believe were the most convincing and why?
Which ones were the least convincing?

Assessment/Reflection

Working individually, ask students to create their own statement that would support their own personal view on climate change. Students should use scientific information and evidence to support their statement.

Extension/Homework

Ask students to create opposing statements (one questioning the scientific evidence the other supporting the scientific evidence) for one or all of the following scientific controversies:

Alien life (e.g. UFO's)
Animal cognition (i.e. can animals learn human language?)

Statements should refer to real life scientific research and should include references for this research.

Who is a climate sceptic?

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