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Two degrees (1 of 2)
Equipping the Next Generation for Active Engagement in Science
2. 2
If temperatures
rise by more than
2 degrees then
we will face...
We are warming up the planet.
2
Review ConsiderEngage
...catastrophic
consequences
4. 4How are we warming the planet? 4
Review ConsiderEngage
5. 51900 1950 2000 2050 2100
5
4
3
2ºC
1
0
Globalaveragesurfacetemperature
increaseabovepre-industriallevels(ºC)
If we do nothing we will reach
the two degrees threshold by...
What will save the world
from getting more than
two degrees hotter?
Review ConsiderEngage
6. 6
describe how global warming can
impact on climate and local weather
patterns
Working ScientificallyBig Idea
Climate
Lesson 1
Examine
consequences
Lesson 2
In these lessons you will:
Consider the impacts of carbon
emission actions on the environment,
people and money
7. 7
What will save
the world?
How are you going
to make a decision?
What we should do
to stop the rise?
Lesson 2
Examine consequences
to answer
How will a rise of more than
two degrees affect us?
Lesson 1
Use scientific evidence
to answer
Engage Review ConsiderReview ConsiderEngage
8. 8
Make a disaster
weather report
8
Look through the effects (SS1)
Use the weather symbols (SS3)
to create the weather report
on the map (SS2)
Explain how serious the effects
will be
SS1–3
Engage ConsiderReview
9. 9
• Think of some ways
that your life would
change if we fail to
meet the two
degrees target
• Describe what it is
like to live in the UK
in 2050
9
Engage ReviewReviewEngage Consider
Describe life in 2050
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Get students talking and thinking
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Two degrees
Student sheets
Sheet no. Title Notes
SS1
The effects of a more than
two degrees rise
Reusable, one per group
SS2 Map
Consumable, enlarge to A3,
one per group
SS3 Weather symbols
Consumable, one per
group, print onto card
12. Student sheets
SS1
The effects of a more than two degree rise
Melting ice and snow leading
to increased river flow
Higher risk of flooding along
rivers
More winter storms
Warmer summer
temperatures
Northern Europe
Less rain in summer
Risk of drought
More river floods in winter
Increased forest fire damage
Central and eastern Europe Decrease in rainfall all year round
Decrease in river flow and risk of drought
More forest fires
Heat waves
Risk of desertification (areas turning to
desert which cannot be used for farming)
Mediterranean region
More rain in the winter
Increased river flow
Higher risk of flooding
along rivers
Flooding along the
coast due to polar ice
caps melting
North-western Europe
Warmer temperatures
Melting glaciers and
increased river flow
Higher risk of flooding
in the valleys
Mountain areas
18. 18
Shut down fossil
fuel power plants
Recycle
resources
Plant more forests
Develop electric cars
Eat less meat
There are actions we can take.
Make appliances
more energy efficient
Play DecideEngage
Cut aeroplane travel
Use more renewable
energy resources
Fewer cars
on the road
19. 19
describe how global warming can
impact on climate and local weather
patterns
Consider the impacts of carbon
emission actions on the environment,
people and money
Working ScientificallyBig Idea
Climate
Lesson 1
Examine
consequences
Lesson 2
In these lessons you will :
20. 20
How can we decide if an action is a
good idea?
One way is to think of all the
possible consequences.
Engage Review ConsiderEngage DecidePlay
20
SS1-3
Should...
Work in a group of 3.
Cut out the blank cards (SS1)
Read the rules (SS2)
Play the game on the board (SS3)
Decide if you think the action is a good idea
Play ‘a game of consequences’
21. 21
To make a scientific decision
it is important to consider the
consequences on:
How might
different
groups of
people be
affected?
Who might
gain or lose
money?
How might
habitats be
affected?
SS4
people money environment
21
Engage Review ConsiderEngage DecidePlay
22. 22
What should we do to stop the rise?
Examine the consequences and decide:
Each group takes one action.
Use the game board to think of
consequences for people, the
environment and the economy.
Present your consequences to
the class
SS5
Engage Review ConsiderEngage Play Decide
A: Use nuclear
B: Go vegan
C: Ban cars
Should the UK:
23. 23
Which action
did you
choose?
Explain why
In the UK our
action to save
the world is...
We need to take action now
because...
This action is the best option
because...
Engage Review ConsiderEngage Play Decide
23
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Get students talking and thinking
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Two degrees
Student sheets
Sheet no. Title Notes
SS1 Game cards Consumable, one per
group, printed onto card
SS2 Game rules Reusable, one per group
SS3 A game of consequences Reusable, enlarge to A3,
one per group
SS4 People, money,
environment
Reusable, cut into cards,
one per group
SS5a-c Actions Reusable, one action (A, B
or C) per group
27. Student sheets
SS2
Game rules
4 Now, you must fill up the boxes marked with a
2 only. These are consequences
of the suggestions in the ‘1’ boxes.
5 Continue until all the ‘2’ boxes are filled. Then
move onto the ‘3’ boxes.
6 When all boxes are filled, go through each
of the ‘2’ and ‘3’ boxes and decide if it is
a negative or positive consequence
(some might be both). Mark all the negative
consequences with the red pen and positive
with the green pen.
7 Then, count up how many consequences are
negative and how many are positive.
A consequence is an action
that has an effect that can
be negative or positive
You will need:
Instructions
1 Write the action on the large card and
place in the centre of the board.
2 Place the other cards in a pile.
3 The first player thinks of one
consequence of the action and shares
it with the other players. If they agree
that it is
a consequence then the player takes
a small card from the pile and writes on
the consequence along with their
initials. This is placed on one of the
boxes marked with a 1. Take it in turns
so all the ‘1’ boxes are filled up.
Red and green pen/pencil 3 players
A game of consequences board Blank cards cut up
29. Student sheets
SS4
People, money,
environment
SS4
Identify groups who could
be affected by the action
Describe how each group
could benefit or be harmed
Predict the views that different
groups will take on the action
Describe how the issue could affect you
Consider people
Identify individuals or organisations who
may gain or lose money from the action
Describe how it would affect
each group financially
Consider money
Identify possible consequences to particular
habitats
Describe possible consequences to
animals dependent on these habitats
Describe possible consequences
to local air quality
Describe potential impacts further afield
Consider the environment
People, money,
environment
Identify groups who could
be affected by the action
Describe how each group
could benefit or be harmed
Predict the views that different
groups will take on the action
Describe how the issue could affect you
Consider people
Identify individuals or organisations who
may gain or lose money from the action
Describe how it would affect
each group financially
Consider money
Identify possible consequences to particular
habitats
Describe possible consequences to
animals dependent on these habitats
Describe possible consequences
to local air quality
Describe potential impacts further afield
Consider the environment
30. Student sheets
SS5a
Action A: Use nuclear
The facts
Nuclear power plants do not
produce any greenhouse gases
but a lot are produced as they
are built.
They use a non-renewable
resource called uranium. This will
eventually run out.
They are very expensive to build.
Action: Replace all fossil fuel
powered power plants with
nuclear power plants.
They can generate electricity 90% of the time,
even when the sun does not shine or the wind
does not blow.
The waste produced by nuclear power plants
is highly radioactive and needs to be stored
deep underground for thousands of years
before it is safe.
There is a risk of a meltdown which releases
dangerous, radioactive chemicals into the air.
31. Student sheets
SS5b
Action B: Go vegan
The facts
A diet with no animal fat is healthy,
reducing the incidence of heart disease
and some cancers.
Currently an area the size of a football
pitch can be used to produce 250 kg of
beef or 15,000 kg of fruit and vegetables.
If people ate no meat, there would be
no animal farms.
People might struggle to eat
a balanced diet.
Action: Stop the farming of animals.
People must go vegan.
Land used for farming animals
could be replanted as forest or used
to grow biofuels (plants that can be
used to generate electricity or
make fuels for cars).
The meat and dairy industry is
responsible for 14.5% of global
greenhouse gas emissions. That's
more than is produced by all cars,
trains, planes and ships in the world.
32. Student sheets
SS5c
Action C: Ban cars
The facts
Cycling and walking are good
exercise.
Air pollutants from cars have a
damaging effect on the health
of people, animals and plants.
Road transport accounts for
22% of total UK emissions of
carbon dioxide.
Action: No one is allowed to own a car – you
have to walk, cycle or use public transport instead
For many people, travelling by car is often the
only practical way to travel.
With no cars to make or sell, car manufacturing
plants and garages would shut down.
Noise from road traffic affects 30% of people
in the UK.
Banning cars altogether will stop the
development of electric or hydrogen powered
cars.
Student sheets
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Get students talking and thinking
Display the issue (2). Explain that this rise means that average global temperatures will have increased by more than 2 degrees since pre-industrial times.
Remind students about the floods that affected the north in 2015. Talk about whether they think this is an effect of global warming and whether it could happen again.
Ask students to discuss in pairs their previous knowledge of why temperatures are rising.
Ask students to use the data to predict when we will pass the 2 degrees threshold if human behaviour does not change. Clicking will reveal the projection. The dilemma is introduced.
The objectives for the lesson.
A breakdown of how the students will use scientific evidence in lesson 1 and examine consequences in lesson 2 to help them to make a decision.
Ask students to work in small groups and give each group copies of SS1-3. They read the information on SS1 about the effects on different regions. They then cut out the weather symbols from SS2 and use them to create a weather report on the map (SS2). You may wish students to look at all areas, just their local one or assign each group a different area. They should also explain how serious the effects will be. Groups can show their reports to each other or the whole class.
Discuss how the changes to weather and climate will affect people and wildlife e.g. farming, food production, loss of housing through flooding and coastal erosion, migrants, increase in tropical diseases, loss of biodiversity (see weblinks for further information). Ask students to describe what it could be like to live in the UK in 2050 if we fail to meet the two degrees target. This could done by describing to a partner, writing down bullet points or a longer activity such as writing a diary entry or acting out a vlog.
Remind students about the dilemma.
Ask them to name some actions that will reduce greenhouse gases and reveal examples.
A breakdown of how the students will use scientific evidence in lesson 1 and examine consequences in lesson 2 to help them to make a decision.
Introduce the idea that to choose which action is best you must examine the consequences of each. Make sure students understand what we mean by a consequence i.e. an effect of an action which could be negative or positive.
Students are introduced to 'a game of consequences' which will help them to decide if an action is a good idea. They work in a group of 3 and follow the instructions on the slide and SS2. To make the game more competitive an extra option is to allow students only 20 seconds to come up with a consequence when filling the 2 and 3 boxes. If they fail to do this, they miss their turn. The player with the most cards on the board at the end is then the winner.
Spend some time going round each group asking them if they found that the action had more negative or positive consequences and examples of some of the consequences they came up with. They should then remove the game cards from the board.
Introduce the fact that consequences can be classed as affecting people, money or environment. Give each group a copy of the cards from SS4 which outline these. They should be placed around the playing board.
Explain that they will now be examining the consequences of some climate change actions. Assign each group one action and give them the corresponding version of SS5. Ask groups to spend time reading through the information and ask you any questions about the action if they wish.
Groups then play the 'game of consequences' again using their action. This time, each third of the board corresponds to either people, money or environment and they should only place consequences affecting these in each area. They may find they can't fill the entire board - this is fine. In order for students to listen to the consequences of each action and make a choice, use a teacher-led class discussion or a specific format like a ‘Fishbowl’ : ask one person from each group to join up and discuss the consequences of their action. The rest of the class can watch and enter the fish bowl if they wish by tapping a person on the shoulder. As a class discuss the fact that the actions used in the game were radical that there is no one good action but a series of actions to take.
Students now consider the scientific evidence from lesson 1 and consequences from lesson 2 to come to a personal decision on which action they would choose and why. They could present it in a persuasive manner as a politician convincing the public of their decision.