People who spend more time in school are more aware of climate change. This was shown in a global observational study in 2015. And it's not just a correlation – a recent causal study uses a natural experiment (changes in compulsory schooling laws) – to show that people who drop out of school a year later have four percentage points higher probability. to vote for the Green Party and at the same time be more concerned about climate change and more likely to try to reduce their own energy consumption.

So we know that the how long people spend in school affects attitudes towards climate change. But how else can education play a role in solving the climate crisis? What about what's on the syllabus? One of the (many) UN Sustainable Development Goals is to ensure that “ all students acquired the knowledge and skills needed to support sustainable development ". In order to monitor progress towards this goal, the UN asks countries to report on whether sustainable development is included in education policies and curricula. A questionnaire is sent to every country in the world with the question: "Is education for global citizenship and education for sustainable development part of the formal curriculum?". (Lee Crawfurd, Radhika Nagesh, more at cgdev.org)

This topic draws inspiration from the document "Greening curriculum guidance Teaching and learning for climate action" and provides a framework for incorporating the principles of green education and climate awareness into the teaching of pupils in the 1st to 5th grade of primary schools.

This thematic unit serves to discover the diversity of nature and its importance for life on Earth. Pupils will get to know different types of ecosystems, we will show them food chains in a simplified way and emphasize the importance of protecting endangered species.

Getting to know different types of ecosystems (forest, meadow, water environment)

• Forest:
  • Discussion: What do you imagine when you hear the word "forest"? What plants and animals live there? What does the forest look like in different seasons?
  • Visual aids: Pictures of the forest, trees (coniferous, deciduous), forest animals (deer, squirrel, owl), natural objects from the forest (cones, leaves, branches).
  • Games and activities: Creating a model of the forest in the classroom, playing the roles of forest animals, creating sounds typical of the forest.
• Meadow:
  • Discussion: What grows in the meadow? What colors can we see there? What animals live there?
  • Visual aids: Pictures of a meadow, flowers (dandelion, bluebell, clover), insects (butterfly, grasshopper, bee).
  • Games and activities: Drawing a meadow and its inhabitants, looking for differences between the pictures of a forest and a meadow, making kiliniki from a meadow flower.
• Water environment (pond, stream):
  • Discussion: What lives in water? How do fish breathe?
  • Visual aids: Pictures of a pond, stream, aquatic plants and animals (water lily, frog, duck).
  • Games and activities: Creating a model of the aquatic environment in a container, observing aquatic animals (if possible), drawing the aquatic world.

Food chains in nature - simple examples

• Explanation of the term: Animals need each other. Some animals feed on plants and other animals feed on these animals. This is how the food chain is created.
• Simple examples:
  • Carrot - hare - fox (The hare feeds on carrots, the fox feeds on hares).
  • Leaf - caterpillar - bird (A caterpillar feeds on leaves, a bird feeds on caterpillars).
• Games and activities: Creating food chains using pictures of animals, dramatizing food chains in the classroom.

Endangered species of plants and animals and their protection

• Discussion: What does it mean when a plant or animal is endangered? Why is it important to protect endangered species?
• Examples of endangered species: Use pictures and brief information about several endangered species of plants and animals typical of your area (e.g. spring snowdrop, High Tatras chamois).
• How we can help:
  • We do not catch or disturb animals in nature.
  • We do not venture outside the marked trails in protected areas.
  • We protect nature from pollution.
• Games and activities: Drawing pictures of endangered species, creating informational posters about nature conservation.

Creative activities:

• Drawing pictures of animals and plants:
  • Children can draw and paint the animals and plants they have learned about under the theme "Diversity of Nature".
• Dramatization of fairy tales with an environmental theme:
  • Choose stories that feature animals and plants and that have an environmental message (e.g., "The Rabbit and the Hedgehog," "How the Trees Made Friends").

Note:

For a deeper connection with environmental education, it is advisable to include walks in different types of ecosystems around the school and home, to observe plants and animals in their natural environment and to lead children to think about their meaning and protection.

This theme was prepared by our AI. (CO2AI)

CO2AI can sometimes give inaccurate answers, so we recommend that you check all the facts yourself.

Carbon (climate) literacy education syllabus for 1st to 5th grade elementary school students

The game is suitable for the general public as well as for individuals who are already interested in climate issues, and is therefore particularly attractive to young users who are looking for engagement and inspiration.

The aim of the game is to engage users by simulating climate crisis scenarios and motivate them to think about climate action and societal resilience. It raises awareness of climate legislation and community action efforts and offers scenarios of different climate risks up to the year 2100. This could help users understand their relevance to real-world climate responses.

The game offers an innovative approach to learning about climate crises through interactive scenarios that provide a unique perspective compared to traditional educational formats. It adds significant value to those looking for an engaging, alternative learning experience. (More on climate-pact.europa.eu)

This topic draws inspiration from the document "Greening curriculum guidance Teaching and learning for climate action" and provides a framework for incorporating the principles of green education and climate awareness into the teaching of pupils in the 1st to 5th grade of primary schools.

The aim of this topic is to familiarize students with the Earth as the planet they live on and with its important aspects such as water and air. It is important to present information in an understandable and engaging form, suitable for children of this age.

Basic knowledge of the Earth as a planet (shape, division into continents and oceans)

• Shape of the Earth:
  • Discussion: What shape is the earth? (It is round like a ball). Is it the same everywhere?
  • Visual aids: Globe, images of Earth from space.
  • Games and activities: Finding Earth in space pictures, drawing Earth in different colors.
• Continents and Oceans:
  • Narration: The earth consists of land (continents) and water (oceans). There are 7 continents and 5 oceans on Earth.
  • Visual aids: World map, pictures of animals and plants living on different continents.
  • Games and activities: Finding continents and oceans on the map, coloring the map, matching animals to their homes.

The importance of water for life on Earth (water cycle in nature)

• Discussion:
  • Why is water important for life? What would happen if there was no water?
• Water cycle in nature:
  • Simple explanation: Water evaporates from the land and seas, forming clouds, from which rain, snow or hail fall. The water flows into rivers and seas and the whole cycle repeats itself.
  • Visual aids: Pictures of the water cycle, a simple experiment with the evaporation of water (e.g. observing the water level in a glass over several days).
• Games and activities: Drawing pictures of the water cycle, imitating individual phases of the water cycle.

Air and its importance for life

• Discussion:
  • What is air? Is it all around us? How do we know it's there? (breathing, wind). Do we need air to live?
• Visual aids: Balloon (inflating and deflating), pinwheel, experiments with air (for example, observing the immersion and emergence of objects in water).
• Games and activities: Blowing games (eg blowing paper balls), imitating the wind.

Creative activities:

• Production of the earth model:
  • Using a polystyrene sphere, tempera paints and other materials to create a simple model of the Earth. Children can stick pictures of animals and plants typical of individual continents on the model.
• Simple experiments with water and air:
  • Evaporation of water: Observation of the water level in the glass over several days, experiment with evaporation of water in the sun and in the shade.
  • Air has a mass of: We hang two balloons (one inflated and the other empty) on the ends of the scale and observe what happens.
  • Air takes up space: Try immersing the glass in a container of water (we observe how the air in the glass prevents the water from entering).

Note: When developing the theme "Earth - our planet" for the 1st year of elementary school, it is important to use games, practical activities and visual aids so that children can easily learn basic information and at the same time create a positive relationship with nature and its protection.

This theme was prepared by our AI. (CO2AI)

CO2AI can sometimes give inaccurate answers, so we recommend that you check all the facts yourself.

Carbon (climate) literacy education syllabus for 1st to 5th grade elementary school students

Blue carbon is a term that refers to carbon captured and stored in the ocean through vegetation ecosystems such as mangroves, salt marshes and sea grasses. This organic carbon se (more…)

This topic draws inspiration from the document "Greening curriculum guidance Teaching and learning for climate action" and provides a framework for incorporating the principles of green education and climate awareness into the teaching of pupils in the 1st to 5th grade of primary schools.

This part of the curriculum is very important for building ecological awareness in even the smallest children. The goal is to introduce them in an understandable and playful way to simple steps by which they too can contribute to the protection of the environment.

Waste sorting - basics (paper, plastic, glass)

• Basic sorting:
  • Sorting containers: Common identification and naming of sorting containers for paper, plastic and glass (color, marking).
  • Practical games: Sorting pictures, objects and actual waste into the correct containers.
  • Discussion: Why do we sort waste? What happens to him after he is fired? Where does the sorted waste go?
• Production of recycled paper (if possible):
  • Practical activity: A simple process for making recycled paper from newsprint.
  • Discussion: What have we learned about recycling?

Saving water and energy in the classroom and at home (turning off lights, closing water taps)

• Discussion:
  • Where does the water we drink come from? Why is it important to save water? What happens if we waste electricity?
• Practical activities:
  • In the classroom: Turning off the lights when leaving the classroom, checking that the water taps are closed.
  • At home: Talking about the topic in the family, looking for opportunities to save water and energy (showering instead of bathing, turning off appliances).
• Illustration and games:
  • Drawing pictures about saving water and energy, playing roles (e.g. energy saver).

The importance of cleanliness and order in the classroom and surroundings

• Discussion:
  • Why is it important to keep the classroom clean and tidy? How do we feel in a clean and tidy classroom? How does the cleanliness of our surroundings affect plants and animals?
• Practical activities:
  • In the classroom: Cleaning the classroom together, keeping the desks tidy.
  • Around the school: Garbage collection in the school grounds, care of the school garden.
• Creative activities:
  • Making posters and pictures with the theme of cleanliness and order, singing songs about cleaning.

Note:

This theme was prepared by our AI. (CO2AI)

CO2AI can sometimes give inaccurate answers, so we recommend that you check all the facts yourself.

Carbon (climate) literacy education syllabus for 1st to 5th grade elementary school students

In the last period, the EU emphasized the effort to become climate neutral by 2050 through the European Green Deal. This policy package improves sustainability in environmental, (more…)

This topic draws inspiration from the document "Greening curriculum guidance Teaching and learning for climate action" and provides a framework for incorporating the principles of green education and climate awareness into the teaching of pupils in the 1st to 5th grade of primary schools.

This part of the syllabus focuses on building a positive relationship with nature a developing responsibility for its protection. The goal is for students to get to know the common types of plants and animals in their surroundings, understand their basic needs and learn to care for them.

Observation and naming of common types of plants and animals around school and home

• Nature walks:
  • School surroundings: Observing and naming trees (e.g. linden, maple, birch), flowers (e.g. dandelion, daisy, daisy), insects (e.g. ladybug, ant, butterfly), birds (e.g. sparrow, pigeon, tit).
  • Park, garden, forest: Extension of the observation to other species of plants and animals typical for the given location.
• Use of pictures and books:
  • Practice naming plants and animals using picture books, encyclopedias and worksheets.
• Games:
  • Pexas with pictures of plants and animals, riddles, quizzes.

Basic needs of plants and animals for life (water, light, heat, food)

• Discussion:
  • What do plants and animals need to live?
• Practical activities:
  • Plants: Observing what happens to the plant when we don't water it or when we put it in a dark place.
  • Animals: Observing what pets eat, what we feed them in winter, where they seek shelter from bad weather.

Caring for plants (e.g. growing a flower in the classroom)

• Practical activity:
  • Joint planting of a flower (e.g. bean seeds) in a flower pot and its subsequent observation and care (watering, placing in a bright place).
• Discussion:
  • What did we observe about the growth of our plant? What did she need to live?

Animal protection (e.g. production of bird feeders)

• Practical activity:
  • Production of a simple bird feeder from materials such as PET bottle, skewer, grain.
• Discussion:
  • How can we help animals in winter? Why is it important to protect birds?

Note: These activities are only suggestions and can be changed and supplemented according to the current season, the interest of the students and the possibilities of the school. It is important connect learning with real experiences, encourage children's curiosity a to build in them respect for all living creatures.

This theme was prepared by our AI. (CO2AI)

CO2AI can sometimes give inaccurate answers, so we recommend that you check all the facts yourself.

Carbon (climate) literacy education syllabus for 1st to 5th grade elementary school students

This topic draws inspiration from the document "Greening curriculum guidance Teaching and learning for climate action" and provides a framework for incorporating the principles of green education and climate awareness into the teaching of pupils in the 1st to 5th grade of primary schools.

This part of the curriculum focuses on experiential learning and building basic knowledge about weather. The goal is for students to be able to observe, name and describe basic weather phenomena and their impact on the surrounding world.

Knowledge of basic weather phenomena (rain, sun, snow, wind)

• Rain:
  • Observation: Watching the rain from the classroom window, observing the drops on the glass, measuring the amount of precipitation using a rain gauge.
  • Discussion: Where does the rain come from? What happens to water after it rains? Do plants need rain? How do we protect ourselves from the rain?
• the sun:
  • Observation: Watching the movement of the sun across the sky during the day, feeling the heat from the sun's rays.
  • Discussion: Is the sun important to life? How do we protect ourselves from the strong sun? How does the shadow change during the day?
• Snow:
  • Observation: If possible, observing snowflakes, making a snowman, playing in the snow.
  • Discussion: How does snow form? What winter sports do we know?
• Wind:
  • Observation: Watching the movement of trees and leaves in the wind, flying a kite.
  • Discussion: Where is the wind blowing from? What is the name of a strong wind? How does the wind help us (eg drying clothes)?

Observation of changes in nature during the seasons

• Autumn:
  • A walk in nature: Observing the changes in the color of leaves, collecting autumn fruits, building mounds of stones.
  • Discussion: Why do leaves change color and fall? How do animals prepare for winter?
• Winter:
  • Observation: If possible, observing animal tracks in the snow, observing trees without leaves.
  • Discussion: How does the weather change in winter? Why is it cold in winter?
• Spring:
  • Observation: Watching the budding of trees and flowers, looking for the first spring flowers.
  • Discussion: How does nature wake up in spring? What happens to the animals in the spring?
• Summer:
  • Observation: Watching plant growth, observing insects, sensing warm weather.
  • Discussion: What is the weather like in the summer? What do we like to do in the summer?

The influence of weather on the life of people, plants and animals

• Discussion: How does the weather affect our clothes, the activities we do outside, our mood? How do animals protect themselves from bad weather (rain, winter)? Do plants need sun and water?
• Practical activities: Trying out different types of clothing for different weather, games imitating the behavior of animals in different seasons.

Creative activities

• Drawing pictures about the weather: Children draw what they see outside the window, illustrate different seasons, draw their favorite weather.
• Singing songs about the seasons: Learning and singing folk songs about spring, summer, autumn and winter together.
• Production of simple meteorological aids: Paper pinwheel, plastic bottle rain gauge.

Note: These activities are only suggestions and can be changed and supplemented according to the current weather, the interest of the students and the possibilities of the school. It is important that the activities are for children fun a stimulating and to lead them to independent discovery a learning.

This theme was prepared by our AI. (CO2AI)

CO2AI can sometimes give inaccurate answers, so we recommend that you check all the facts yourself.

Carbon (climate) literacy education syllabus for 1st to 5th grade elementary school students

This curriculum draws inspiration from the document "Greening curriculum guidance Teaching and learning for climate action" and provides a framework for incorporating the principles of green education and climate awareness (more…)

Seventy percent of young people in the world do not know how to explain climate change, said Dominic Savage, director of the World Education Forum at the 5th International Forum on New Challenges in Education, Report informs. According to Savage, the countries of the world should be able to explain this in their national systems: "In general, what happens outside the school should not enter the school." (More on azerbaycan24.com)

Education is a key contributor to climate action. Education reshapes behaviour, develops skills and fuels innovation – everything we need to combat the greatest crisis facing humanity. Better educated people are more resilient and adaptable, better equipped to create and work in green jobs, and are critical to solutions.

However, education is massively overlooked in the climate agenda. Almost no climate finance goes to education. Channeling more climate finance into education could significantly support climate change mitigation and adaptation.

Climate change is also a huge threat to education. Millions of young people face lost days of learning due to climate-related events. In low-income countries, the situation is worse. If this lost learning is not compensated, it will negatively affect their future earnings and productivity. It will also lead to great inequality within and between countries.

Governments can act now to adapt education systems to climate change. (More on worldbank.org)

The Anthropocene is a term derived from the Greek words "anthropos" (human) and "kainos" (new), denoting a proposed geochronological period characterized by the significant impact of human activity on the planet, which continues to the present day. The concept, which emerged in the late 20th century, is a subject of debate not only because of its definition but also in terms of determining the exact beginning of the period. The International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) and the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS) have not yet officially included the Anthropocene in the chronostratigraphic table, although it was discussed at the International Geological Congress in 2016. Nevertheless, the term is often used in everyday speech.

🧪 Origin of the term

The term is attributed to the ecologist and botanist Eugene F. Stoermer, who first used it in the 1980s. However, it was popularized by the Dutch atmospheric chemist Paul Josef Crutzen after 2000. The impact of human activity on the environment is so significant that some scientists consider it necessary to officially introduce the term. However, its geochronological status is still a matter of debate.

⏳ When did the Anthropocene begin?

The beginning of the Anthropocene is not precisely determined. Various time points have been proposed, including:

– The emergence and spread of agriculture 11,000 years ago
– The period of the Roman Empire around the turn of the century
– The year 1610, which is associated with ecological changes following the exchange of species between the Old and New Worlds
– Beginning of the Industrial Revolution around 1784
– Mid-20th century, characterized by the so-called “great acceleration” in 1950

⚡ "Great acceleration"

The "Great Acceleration" refers to the dramatic changes in human activity that began around 1950 and continue to this day. For example:

– The Earth's population increased from 800 million in 1750 to 2 billion by 1930, and then to 7.7 billion by April 2020.
– The urban population has grown dramatically from less than one billion before 1950 to 3.7 billion in 2014.
– The number of motor vehicles increased from 40 million to 850 million.
– Plastic production has increased from one million tons to 300 million tons per year.

🌡️ Impact of the Anthropocene

The Anthropocene is characterized by large-scale environmental changes caused by human activity, including:

– Climate change: Faster global warming, extreme weather events, rising sea levels.
– Biodiversity: Massive species extinction, habitat loss.
– Pollution: Increased plastic production, air and water pollution.
– Land use: Deforestation, urbanization, agricultural expansion.
– Technological progress: Advanced industrial processes, network development, chemical industry.

🧭 The uncertain future of the Anthropocene

Although the term Anthropocene is gaining increasing support among scientists and experts, its official recognition in geochronological tables has not yet been achieved. The debate centers on determining the exact beginning of the period and the criteria that should define this epochal period. Spring

This resource is intended for educators, policy makers and organizations involved in climate education. It aims to inspire climate action and raise awareness by equipping educators with the tools to integrate climate change education into the curriculum.

This guidance responds to young people's calls for a holistic approach to climate change and sustainability in the curriculum. It outlines a common language on how quality climate change and sustainability can be reflected in the curriculum by setting expected learning outcomes by age group. The goal is for 90 percent of all countries to include climate change in their curricula by 2030, as set out by the Partnership for Environmental Education.

The aim of this guideline is to support countries, schools or individual practitioners in reviewing their ongoing practices to adopt a more actionable, holistic, scientifically accurate, equitable and lifelong learning approach to climate change. (UNESCO, Curriculum: Teaching and Learning for Climate Action, 1.47 MB - pdf)

Climate change education helps people understand and address the consequences of the climate crisis, giving them the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes needed to act as agents of change.

The international community recognizes the importance of education and training in addressing climate change. The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Paris Agreement and the associated Action for Climate Action (ACE) program call on governments to educate, empower and engage all stakeholders and major groups in climate change policies and actions. (More on unesco.org)

It's not common to feel like things are really moving in the right direction, but in the case of climate literacy, it really looks like it's finally getting the attention it deserves. Our Power, Our Planet is focused on promoting renewable energy and calling for a tripling of clean energy production by 2030. This week, the World Bank released a report showing that the transition to clean energy is being held back by a lack of skilled workers. This report highlights the need for millions of climate literate workers for the success of the global green transition. The organizations agree that universal climate literacy and education are key to addressing this skills gap.

Education is a key part of the sustainability strategy and central to our efforts. Climate education should be at the core of any national strategy to combat climate change. We call on all signatory countries to the 2015 Paris Agreement at COP21 of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to include it in their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). (Co2AI)

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) refers to technologies aimed at reducing CO2 emissions by capturing and storing them below the earth's surface. Fossil fuel companies and some governments are trying to convince the public that CCS makes it possible to fight climate change without restricting oil and gas production. The reason is that a much more effective way of reducing emissions would be to limit the extraction of fossil fuels, which is not in the interest of these companies.

So where is the problem? There is not yet conclusive evidence that CCS is effective in reducing emissions on a large scale. Despite this, governments continue to invest in this technology, often with public funding. However, we do have clean energy solutions available, such as increasingly cheaper renewable energy.

For fossil fuel companies, CCS is like a "safety net" that allows them to continue mining while ignoring greener options.

Here are the main problems associated with CCS:

1) Even after 40 years, there is insufficient evidence of its effectiveness. Despite investments of over $83 billion over 30 years, CCS captured only 0.1 % of global CO2 emissions in 2022. Moreover, more than 80 % planned projects failed.

2) Most CCS projects are unsuccessful. Often, the predicted capture rate of 90 % is greatly overestimated, as several practical examples show.

3) CCS supports oil production rather than reducing emissions. Captured CO2 is often used to increase oil recovery, which was the case for 81 % of carbon thus processed by 2020.

4) Considerable resources are often invested in CCS without results. These resources could be better used for the development of low-carbon technologies or public services.

5) The energy demands of CCS are so great that they can lead to more pollution than they remove.

6) The plans of some governments and corporations depend on CCS, despite the unclear scientific basis and the risk of economic and ecological negative impacts.

7) Even if CCS were to work ideally, its development is too slow to help meet the goals of the Paris Agreement.

Overall, unreliable CCS promises can hinder effective solutions to climate problems. Carbon capture can be useful for solving specific industrial challenges, such as cement production, but it cannot be a substitute for robust measures to reduce fossil fuel consumption and shift to renewable energy sources. (Co2AI)

"The manual How to teach about climate change provides basic information about the issue and a lot of materials for different lessons: worksheets, graphs, data and information. What makes it different from similar publications? The author's team is based on the experience of a specific educational institution that not only teaches about the climate, but also takes measures to protect it. It is on them that climate education builds and at the same time inspires other schools." (More on clovekvohrozeni.sk)