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Your point about focusing on a positive, hands-on approach is good. It’s so important to build a love for nature and a sense of responsibility without relying on fear. Showing clips of the beauty in Home while engaging with projects like the Green School initiative would be a great way to empower children to become good stewards of the environment.
These two pieces can be powerful tools for teaching children about climate change, but they need to be introduced carefully to make the message empowering rather than scary.
Before showing the film, you could start with a discussion about what the word “home” means to them. Talk about their own home, their street, their town, and then expand to the planet as a whole. Ask questions like, “What does our planet’s ‘home’ look like?” and “What kinds of things do we need to take care of our home?”
When watching the film, it’s best to do it in short segments. The film is long, and some scenes can be intense. After each segment, you could pause and discuss what they saw. Focus on the positive and beautiful parts first, like the amazing animal life and different landscapes. When the more concerning images appear (like pollution or deforestation), frame them as “what happens when we forget to take care of our home.” This helps connect human actions to the visual outcomes without overwhelming them.
The great Tungberg speech is very direct and emotional, which can be intense for some children. It’s best to introduce it after some foundational lessons on climate change. Start by explaining who Greta is—a young person, just like them, who decided to use her voice to make a difference.
Instead of playing the whole speech, you could show a shorter, edited clip or read parts of it. Before you do, explain the context: she was speaking to world leaders, people in charge of making big decisions. This helps them understand why she’s so passionate and a little angry. Focus on key phrases like “the eyes of all future generations are upon you” to spark a conversation. The goal is to show them how a single person can have a powerful voice and inspire others to act.
I really like how this activity introduces the greenhouse effect and rising global temperatures. The Paxi video is very helpful—it’s easy for kids to understand and visually explains a the concept of greenhouse emissions. A class could definitely use it again when we talk about climate. The prediction tool is a great hands-on part, too. It makes students think about how our actions matter and can effect our climate. When they change the emissions, they can see exactly how today’s choices affect the future, which is a good way to connect science with real life decisions. I’d use this to kick off a project where the kids work on how to lower their carbon footprint. They could make posters or create campaigns to encourage better choices and use creative slogans. A KWL grid is also great to use in topics such as this. That way, they could talk about the results of the simulation and brainstorm solutions, then share their poster ideas with each other
Your plan to use a school weather station sounds great. It perfectly aligns with Liston’s point about real-life problem solving in engineering. This project would give students a tangible way to apply science, technology, and maths, while developing important practical skills and a deeper understanding of climate change.
“Nose High Up in the Sky” was a great find. There were many solid, practical ideas. I especially liked how it breaks down the difference between weather and climate by having kids start with something they know, like just looking outside. Using videos and hands-on projects makes it a lot more fun than just reading from a book. It’s exactly the kind of thing that makes STEM come alive. Kids get to be real scientists—they’re not just learning about things, they’re doing them. They have to think, solve problems, talk about what they find, and use tools to measure and collect data.
The best part, for me, is the idea of having them build their own weather tools. Imagine a student making a rain gauge and then actually using it every day. That kind of project is a huge curiosity booster. You could even turn it into a bigger class project, maybe setting up a little weather station for the school. Getting families involved would be a brilliant way to connect what they’re learning in class to the wider community. The last idea about comparing Ireland’s weather to another country’s is a perfect idea that can be used in older classes . It really pushes them to think bigger and see how all of their little observations fit into a global picture.“Nose High Up in the Sky” was a great find. There were many solid, practical ideas. I especially liked how it breaks down the difference between weather and climate by having kids start with something they know, like just looking outside. Using videos and hands-on projects makes it a lot more fun than just reading from a book. It’s exactly the kind of thing that makes STEM come alive. Kids get to be real scientists—they’re not just learning about things, they’re doing them. They have to think, solve problems, talk about what they find, and use tools to measure and collect data.
The best part, for me, is the idea of having them build their own weather tools. Imagine a student making a rain gauge and then actually using it every day. That kind of project is a huge curiosity booster. You could even turn it into a bigger class project, maybe setting up a little weather station for the school. Getting families involved would be a brilliant way to connect what they’re learning in class to the wider community. The last idea about comparing Ireland’s weather to another country’s is a perfect idea that can be used in older classes . It really pushes them to think bigger and see how all of their little observations fit into a global picture.