ACTIVITIES BOOK - Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority

Reef Beat Poster 1 – What is climate change?Key messages of Poster 1: Climate change is real. Extensive scientific evidence from tree rings,ice cores and long-lived corals confirms our Earth is warming. Human activities are contributingclimate change and this change is occurring much more rapidly than previous natural shifts in theclimate. Climate change is already impacting plants, animals, humans and the environment.Related resources:• Reef Beat Poster 1• GBRMPA animation ‘What is climate change?’ (provided on Reef Beat DVD)www.gbrmpa.gov.auwww.reefed.edu.auThis animation presents a very simple explanation of climate change. It is designed forstudents aged 6-14.• What is climate change?www.teachers.ash.org.au/jmresources/climate/change.htm#learningA series of website links to information on climate change, newspaper articles,games and activities.• Modules for teaching climate changewww.teachingclimatechange.com.au/Nine modules for students in years nine and ten studying society and theenvironment, geography, science and economics. Models are approximately50 minutes long.• Thinking through climate changewww.wmnet.org.uk/resources/ttcc/Uses the example of Shishmaref – a community near the Arctic Circle literallymelting away. Modules from simple through to advanced.• American Museum of Natural Historywww.amnh.org/education/climatechangeA collection of climate change resources and activities geared around a museum visitbut easily adaptable to a classroom setting.Activity 1: Use the ‘six thinking hats’ to consider climate change from differentperspectivesKey learning objective: Students will critically assess evidence for, and feelings about, climatechange to understand how different perspectives have arisen on this topic. By considering theissue from many angles, students will better understand the challenges associated withdeveloping effective climate change solutions.Background: While most people accept that climate change is real, some remain sceptical.Because climate change is such a complex topic, it can be difficult for people to differentiatebetween fact and fiction. The media tends to present conflicting views and because scientistsoften disagree on the detail around climate predictions, understanding what is real can be achallenge. Many students will have already been exposed to some climate change informationthrough the media, parents, peers or teachers. By using the six thinking hats tool, students will beable to think about the topic of climate change from many angles and will better understand howdiffering views have arisen. Students can also critically assess how their own views on climatechange were formed.A valuable exercise would be to complete this activity both at the start and conclusion of the unitso students can recognise how much they have learned.1Reef Beat 2009 - Climate Change and the Reef