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

The Baby Boom and Avoiding Doom

Provided by: MIT

Lesson Plans Grades 9-12

Synopsis

This lesson plan looks at the recent history of climate change and science, focusing on environmental disasters caused by pesticides and oil spills, the history of Earth Day, and the role of Exxon Mobile and corporate greed in climate uncertainty.
Students will watch and read speeches from influential environmentalists, analyze primary sources, and create a civic action project.

Subjects: Earth and Space Sciences, History

Authors: Michael Kozuch

Region: United States, California

Languages: English

Positives

Seeing the passion behind the first Earth Day and other environmental movements throughout history can inspire students to affect change.
This lesson and the Frontline documentary in particular do an excellent job of showing potential motivation for dissent amongst scientists and the role of Big Oil in climate science.

Prerequisites

The UpFront article for Part 1 of the Climate Change and Earth Day Worksheet is behind a paywall. Additionally, in the worksheet, students will have to request access to Dennis Hayes's Speech from the first Earth Day in 1970.
Before the Primary Source Exercise, students may need the acronym BLM defined in this context, as they may only know it as the Black Lives Matter movement.

Differentiation & Implementation

After watching the PBS documentary, students can research BP's role in and motives behind the carbon footprint and other rhetoric that focuses on individual actions and ignores systemic issues.
Given the sections about the history of Earth Day, this is a great Earth Day resource for students in history classes.
Language arts teachers can use these Writing Activities for Earth Day to make interdisciplinary connections.
After watching Greta Thunberg's speech, students can draft their own speech for government officials and policymakers.

Scientist Notes

Teaching Tips

Standards

Resource Type and Format