Let's create continuous conversations about climate change education: Spreading the Sediment of Science!

Building Support for Electric Vehicles

Provided by: Yale Program on Climate Change Communication |Published on: April 27, 2021

Articles/Websites Grades 6-8, 9-12

Synopsis

This article shows the effect of positive radio stories on people's perceptions of electric vehicles in Norway and the United States.
It shows how media messaging changes popular opinions about electric vehicles.

Related Teaching Resources

Subjects: Social Studies, English Language Arts, Mathematics

Authors: Abel Gustafson, Matthew Goldberg

Region: Europe, North America, USA - South, United States

Languages: English

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Teaching Materials

Positives

The article describes an easy-to-follow experiment and includes data to support the findings.
This can be a significant component of a media literacy, advertising, or literacy lesson.

Additional Prerequisites

The article links to the two stories mentioned in the experiment.
Students should understand what standardized mean difference is to properly analyze the data.

Differentiation

Teachers can preview essential vocabulary terms, such as EV and emissions, to help students' comprehension.
ELL students can be given the article beforehand to read.
After reading the article, students can create a podcast story about an aspect of sustainability, such as eating less meat, EVs, solar power, buying recycled items, or composting. Then students can run an experiment to see if their podcast story influenced people's attitudes or beliefs.
Other resources related to these topics include this video analyzing the impact of various types of cars on the climate and this video about the history of electric cars.

Scientist Notes

Teaching Tips

Standards

Resource Type and Format

About the Partner Provider

Yale Program on Climate Change Communication

The Yale Program on Climate Change Communication conducts scientific research on public opinion and behavior. They also engage the public in climate change science and solutions, in partnerships with governments, media, companies, and civil society.