Critically Thinking Climate Activists

Teacher: Sarina M.

Democracy Now! Lesson: Pollution, Climate Change, Solutions and Activism

Grade: 10^th   Subject: Global

Unit: Industrialization

Tags: Urbanization, Globalization, Pollution, Climate Change, Solutions, Activism

Time Frame: End of Industrialization Unit—In class and home project

* I Would like to overlap with English, Earth Science, Math and Spanish Teacher for a mini awareness and activist week.

Overview:  Throughout history, humans have created waste and pollution. Urbanization and

industrialization have contributed to the pollution of the land, water, and air. As

urbanization and industrialization have increased, humans have attempted to address the

problems of waste and pollution through different means with varying degrees of success.

*(positive negative effects) deniers and possible solutions

Students will further investigate their own interest in climate change and choose from an array of lessons to become a young activist.

Objective:

·         SWBAT analyze political cartoons on climate change.

·         SWBAT scaffold document based questions and use evidence from the documents to support a layered claim.

·         SWBAT develop an activist stance/create activist artwork on pollution/climate change.

Materials needed: Internet, political cartoons, graphic organizer, August 16’ DBQ, Democracy Now! clips

Essential Questions: How did Industrialization impact society?  What steps can humans take to reduce the impact of climate change?  How can youth become activists?

Sources:

http://www.democracynow.org/2016/7/12/divergent_star_shailene_woodley_on_bernie (41min)

http://www.democracynow.org/2016/5/19/headlines/youth_climate_activists_score_legal_victory_in_mass

http://www.democracynow.org/2015/12/7/the_future_we_want_youth_activists

http://www.democracynow.org/2009/12/8/would_you_commit_murder_15_year_old

http://www.democracynow.org/2016/4/14/landmark_climate_lawsuit_meet_the_youth

http://www.democracynow.org/2012/7/20/climate_parents_for_kids_future_mark

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvWnwOWm5o4 (Xiuhtezcatl Martinez)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/35077488/cop21-the-teen-suing-obama-over-climate-change

I. Do Now

a.  Each day students will practice analyzing a new political cartoon on climate change using a modified FRAME graphic organizer.

b.  Motivation: watching democracy now! videos of teen activist

II. Explicit Instruction (read aloud, active viewing, shared reading)

a. Before these activities, students will have learned about the causes and effects of Industrialization.

b. Teacher will model using the modified FRAME graphic organizer for political cartoons.

c. Abridged DBQ to show link from industrialization to climate change

III. Active Engagement

Activity 1: Carbon Tax

Activity 2: International Climate Negotiations

Activity 3: Writing a position Statement on Climate Change (co-taught with English teacher)

Activity 4: Art: Photo Journalism / Public Service Announcement, (Video Teacher)

*Outlines for this activities included

IV. Share Out

- showcase a role-play, present photo journalism, post PSA, post video to hashtag, etc.

Who is the lesson’s target population and how does it address this population’s specific needs?

I teach regents track 10^th graders. I serve students with a wide range of learning preferences and needs.

What is the lesson’s intention--what will it achieve?

These lessons intend to teach students how to critically think about media and with a focus on analyzing political cartoons.  During this week, we will also focus on writing skills, developing a claim and drawing evidence from sources to back their arguments.  Finally, these lessons are meant to empower students and give them to drive and tools to become activist in their community.

How will you assess that students “got it”?

I will check their graphic organizers, grade and give feedback on their DBQ and have students present their activist project choice.

Common Core Reading Standards:

RI.6-12.1. Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain.

RI.6-8.9. Analyze a case in which two or more texts provide conflicting information on the same topic and identify where the texts disagree on matters of fact or interpretation.

RI.6-10.8. Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is valid and the evidence is relevant and sufficient; identify false statements and fallacious reasoning

Common Core Writing Standards:

W.6-12.1. Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.

Common Core Social Studies Standards:

RH.9-10.2 & 11-12.2. Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary that makes clear the relationships among the key details and ideas.

RH.9-10.3 & 11-12.3. Evaluate various explanations for actions or events and determine which explanation best accords with textual evidence, acknowledging where the text leaves matters uncertain.

RH.9-10.6 & 11-12.6. Evaluate authors' differing points of view on the same historical event or issue by assessing the authors' claims, reasoning, and evidence.

*Attachments

Political Cartoons

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0ByhSF-RNyU06WjJQbUFpV3lQQU0

FRAME, Vocabulary and DBQ

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1EMrvsU8E2jxYMhtANyUniaCHW_YJrRwBzzh2dCqKw0c/edit

Activism Lessons WSF Citizen Climate

Download PDF @ 

http://www.climategen.org/what-we-do/education/climate-change-and-energy-curricula/curriculum-guides/citizen-climate-curriculum-for-grades-9-12/