Climate change is affecting my local area in different ways over the past years. For example, In the Winter we have seen school closures due to snow or pipes freezing. Children have not received yard time on some Winter days due to the icy conditions outside. Salt had to be put on our school lane to prevent the children from falling when entering or leaving school. When the snow would melt, roads would flood which resulted in Road closures.
To encourage my students to explore this further, I would invite my students to complete research on the impacts that climate change is having on our local area. The children could also visit a beach and use photographs to examine how the coastline has changed over time. Additionally, the children could investigate the topic of flooding and visit the local river that occasionally floods its banks after a heavy rainfall. This should enable them to make connections.
Three things I can do in my classroom to make the world a better place and slow down climate change is:
• Have a recycling bin in my classroom to encourage children to recycle and use the appropriate bin to put their waste in.
• Reduce energy consumption by turning off the lights when not in use.
• Encourage children to walk/scoot to school instead of taking the car or to engage with car pooling.