Classroom resources for addressing climate change and environmental policy were the focus of a webinar this month with the Foreign Policy Association (watch the recording below). Retro Report’s Director of Education, David Olson, was joined by Eliza McClelland, the director of education at the F.P.A., and Carolyn Kissane, the associate dean of the Center of Global Affairs at N.Y.U. Here are four tips they offered.
- Explore how your students have been affected by climate change. According to Kissane, a 2019 survey conducted by Deloitte found that around 40 percent of millennials chose a job because of the employer’s sustainability record. Whether through heat days, air quality or drought, every student has faced the impact of climate change, and this experience may affect how they approach the future. Exploring student’s experiences with climate change brings the topic close to home and sparks interest and understanding. Retro Report videos like “Meatless Burgers Are on Trend,” “This Snake is Eating the Everglades” and “Future of Water” can help.
- Go beyond the sciences. At N.Y.U., Kissane has been working to integrate climate change and environmental policy “to think about …across disciplines, across departments, across schools.” Climate change goes beyond the sciences, she said, and students are interested in learning environmental policy’s effects on fields like agriculture and energy. Many of Retro Report’s environment-related resources have lesson plans created for ELA and Social Studies classes, like our videos on “DDT & Rachel Carson,” the “Roots of Recycling” and “Harvesting the Rain.”
- Introduce success stories. Many students may feel pessimistic about the future of the climate. But strides have been made in environmental policy, and new technologies are being introduced. Retro Report’s short documentary “Healing the Ozone, First Steps Towards Success” explores the worldwide effort to identify and prevent damage to the ozone layer. Use this video and its accompanying lesson plans to spark a conversation about solutions.
- Share information about jobs and career opportunities. Kissane shared a graphic from BCG Henderson that illustrates the importance of collaboration. “This is about governments, countries and individuals, civil society organizations, working much more closely together,” she said. Share this graphic to get students thinking about careers in this network.
We hope these tips and resources can help you integrate these essential topics into your classrooms. Check out the Foreign Policy Association’s resources for educators and subscribe to Retro Report’s education newsletter to receive information on new resources and future webinars.
DAGMAR ROTHSCHILD is an education intern at Retro Report. She is an undergraduate at Georgetown, studying International Relations.
Stay up to date. Subscribe to our newsletters.
