Abstract
This chapter will describe some simple models that have been used to explain the
basic principles of the Earth’s climate to primary school students (aged 4–11),
secondary school students (aged 11–16), post-16 students (16–19), and adults,
including those with disabilities. It will then describe a range of hands-on
practical activities that demonstrate aspects of the climate system at the appropriate level. Where applicable, assessment and impact of these activities on the learner’s level of cognition are then presented, showing that the hands-on approach is a most effective way of communicating such concepts irrespective of
the age of the learner. Furthermore, the varied impacts of a “lecture demonstration,” that is, a talk where points are illustrated by exemplar experiments that
visually portray the science concept, are presented. Climate change and atmospheric chemistry article writing and scaffolding data analysis research for school
audiences are also discussed. The many misconceptions that surround the understanding of the Earth’s climate system and how teachers and other science
communicators can deal with such issues in a classroom setting are discussed.
The sourcing and use of the myriad datasets linked with the Earth’s climate that
are freely available for schools’ projects are also discussed, with illustrations
drawn from projects already undertaken. Often the impact of such engagement
activities on the provider themselves is ignored. Here the tangible benefits to all
providers involved are discussed, with some case studies as illustrations. Finally,
the future prospect for the Earth’s climate is nearly always portrayed as negative. In this chapter, the idea of stabilization wedges is introduced and ways that the worst-case scenarios for climate change can be averted are presented. Using a variety of metrics, it is possible for a wide range of learners to appreciate the impact of any mitigation strategy, that is, literally “speaking in a language they can understand.”
basic principles of the Earth’s climate to primary school students (aged 4–11),
secondary school students (aged 11–16), post-16 students (16–19), and adults,
including those with disabilities. It will then describe a range of hands-on
practical activities that demonstrate aspects of the climate system at the appropriate level. Where applicable, assessment and impact of these activities on the learner’s level of cognition are then presented, showing that the hands-on approach is a most effective way of communicating such concepts irrespective of
the age of the learner. Furthermore, the varied impacts of a “lecture demonstration,” that is, a talk where points are illustrated by exemplar experiments that
visually portray the science concept, are presented. Climate change and atmospheric chemistry article writing and scaffolding data analysis research for school
audiences are also discussed. The many misconceptions that surround the understanding of the Earth’s climate system and how teachers and other science
communicators can deal with such issues in a classroom setting are discussed.
The sourcing and use of the myriad datasets linked with the Earth’s climate that
are freely available for schools’ projects are also discussed, with illustrations
drawn from projects already undertaken. Often the impact of such engagement
activities on the provider themselves is ignored. Here the tangible benefits to all
providers involved are discussed, with some case studies as illustrations. Finally,
the future prospect for the Earth’s climate is nearly always portrayed as negative. In this chapter, the idea of stabilization wedges is introduced and ways that the worst-case scenarios for climate change can be averted are presented. Using a variety of metrics, it is possible for a wide range of learners to appreciate the impact of any mitigation strategy, that is, literally “speaking in a language they can understand.”
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Handbook of Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation |
| Editors | Maximilian Lackner, Baharak Sajjadi, Wei-Yin Chen |
| Publisher | Springer Nature |
| Pages | 4007-4070 |
| Number of pages | 64 |
| Edition | Fourth |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 9783031844836 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Oct 2025 |
Bibliographical note
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