Teacher Introduction – Big Climate Overview (hidden slide)
Note: if your school’s Eco-Committee is taking part in an in-person Big Climate Conversation they will do Part 1.��They can complete Part 2 and 3 back at school.
There are three parts to this year’s Big Climate Conversation. They are outlined on the next page and for students on slide 7 of the lesson.
You can run the three parts and upload the Citizen Climate Science investigation findings and recommendations any time during November 2023.
In last year’s Big Climate Conversation some of the Eco-Committee students who took part in an in-person Conversation then helped their teacher run the lesson for the whole class.
Teacher Introduction – Big Climate Overview (hidden slide)
| Format / resources | Survey responses methods | Survey form links | |
Part 1 – Big Climate Conversation lesson and survey | In class lesson using the Big Climate Conversation powerpoint. The powerpoint title indicates which type of survey it includes. The Conversation is designed to be a 40minute lesson with optional discussion points throughout to expand it.�If you have more that 40 minutes the final slide 33 is an additional discussion and survey question to help the class pick themes they would like to learn more about. It is not expected that you would complete this within the 40 minute lesson. Slide 25 is an embedded video so you need to be online and able to access youtube to show it. Video link here and in the notes for the slide. | There are two options which have slightly different Powerpoints. Check the Powerpoint title for the version you want to use: Individual survey Each student completes a survey�This requires each student to have a device to use to answer the 3 survey questions on a Microsoft form. A Microsoft account is not required. The same QR code is on each survey question slide. There is a separate teacher survey for gathering essential details, students' comments and the optional, final whole class decision. | ||
Whole class survey The teacher completes a survey on behalf of the whole class�They count-up the responses to each question and inputs them into a Survey Monkey form.
| ||||
Part 2 – �Big Climate Experiment | Lesson plan for an outdoor lesson | No survey in this lesson | | |
Part 3 - �Citizen Climate Science investigation | Lesson plan for an outdoor activity with indoor plenary. There are supporting slides for the plenary but not essential. | Photographs of the maps the students create uploaded into a survey form. Student recommendations typed up into the survey form. - If a group create a presentation to share their recommendations please share it via email - The Hive. | ||
Please record
the answers and submit the survey straight after the lesson
Teacher Introduction – Part 1 guide (hidden slide)
The powerpoint for Part 1 is organised into 4 sections outlined in the table below plus one additional, optional question. These details are also written in the presentation in the notes for the first slide in each section.
More time �to chat?
Questions formatted like this are optional for discussion or for the teacher to explain.
Teacher tips
Look out for boxes formatted like this which will help you do the survey.
Slide 36 at the end reveals the responses to the survey. These responses are for all schools/colleges in the borough.
Presentation section | Number of slides | Timing |
Introduction | 4 slides including the title slide | Under 5 minutes |
What is climate action? | 7 slides including survey and answers
| 10 minutes including 2 discussions and survey question |
Local and global flooding section | 8 slides plus 1 optional/ hidden slide | 10 minutes including optional discussions and survey question |
Urban water cycle and flood prevention section | 13 slides including survey and answers plus optional/ hidden video slide | 15 minutes including 2 discussions and survey question |
Waltham Forest Climate Charter - OPTIONAL EXTRA | 1 slide | Additional 5 – 10 minutes |
Welcome to the Big Climate Conversation�
Students like you across the borough of Waltham Forest are taking part in the Big Climate Conversation in November.
From Year 3 to Year 13, classes will be taking part in similar lessons.
Last year we told students about the theme of the Waltham Forest Climate Action Plan. Students discussed barriers to change and how we might they overcome them.
This year we are looking at flooding which is one challenge the borough faces and how schools can get involved in the solutions. These solutions can have surprisingly positive benefits!
Why a Big Climate Conversation�
The local council will:
Student’s taking part will:
Waltham Forest map illustration by Mike Hall
thisismikehall.com
How will the Big Climate Conversation happen�
This is Part 1 - the Big Climate Conversation lesson and survey
Teachers will add everyone’s answers to a survey
Part 3 - Citizen Climate Science investigation
Part 2 – Big Climate Experiment
�Teacher tip�
Part 2 can be carried out before Part 1.
Part 3 requires Part 1 and 2 to have been taught.
What is Climate Action?
How would you define Climate Action?
Discuss in pairs (2 mins)
What is Climate Action?
�DEFINITION:��Greenhouse gas
�Gases, such as carbon dioxide (CO2), which are released into the atmosphere when fossil fuels such as coal and oil are burnt.��Examples of this process are producing electricity from coal, and petrol or diesel fuel in cars.
�Greenhouse gases trap heat in the atmosphere and cause the Earth to get warmer.
Reduces greenhouse gas emissions
DEFINITION: An activity or project which…�
1
EXAMPLE...
What is Climate Action?
�Why nature?�
Nature has a huge role in combatting climate change.
But that's not all! Discuss: Why is nature important to you?
Improves the natural and urban environment
DEFINITION: An activity or project which…�
2
EXAMPLE...
What is Climate Action?
�How can we fundraise to solve the climate crisis?
Organising a fundraising event is a great way to raise money for a cause. Here are some ideas:
Provides money to tackle climate change
DEFINITION: An activity or project which…�
3
EXAMPLE...
Making it more affordable for people to make changes to
their homes to reduce
the amount of energy
it uses
What is Climate Action?
�School and beyond...�
The SDG's (Sustainable Development Goals) state that all people have a right to:
Supports people to have their rights met and to be able to survive impacts of climate change
DEFINITION: An activity or project which…�
4
EXAMPLE...
Think of some �climate actions at school or the local area?
Do any of them divide public opinion?
TABLE ACTIVITY: Examples of Climate Action
�Discuss on your table (3 mins)
Have you taken part in any of these climate actions?
Survey question 1
You will now answer all three parts of this question based on your own opinion.
�Teacher tip�
Use your Eco-Committee students to help count-up the answers.
Assign one student to count Yes’s, one to Maybe’s and one to No’s.
�QR code for the whole class survey to be completed by the teacher.
��1) Do you feel able to take climate action at school?
2) Do you feel able to take climate action at home?
3) Do you feel able to take climate action as an individual?
��
Yes, Maybe or No
Flooding and Climate Change
What happens when it floods?
Flooding locally –�Areas of Waltham Forest and other parts of London were flooded in July 2021.
What do you think were the impacts of this flooding?
October and November are normally the wettest months in London but rain that falls after hot weather, like the heavy rain in July 2021, is more likely to lead to flooding.
- This is called flash flooding
Raise your hand with suggestions
There was 80mm (8cm) of rainfall in some areas of Waltham Forest in one afternoon. This is more than the normal average rainfall for the whole month.
What happens when it floods
Flooding globally �Tragically there have been floods in many countries around the world this year which have resulted in people dying.
Countries affected include Pakistan, Bangladesh, Libya, Spain and Greece
In Greece a fire department spokesperson, Yannis Artopios, reported “More than 2,850 people have been rescued since the beginning of the bad weather,”
“There are still many people in the villages ... They are not missing, they are trapped”
Normal rainfall in Central Greece in 1 year – 40mm
Extreme rainfall in one day, September 5 = 750+mm (75cm)
More time �to chat?
What would you take from home if you could only carry one small bag?
On September 5, 2023, Central Greece was hit by Storm Daniel. Over 750mm rain fell on a village called Zagora in just one day. The Krafsidonas River overflowed and destroyed a bridge.
What happens when it floods
Flooding globally –�The country Libya experienced severe flooding when a storm caused 100mm (10cm) of rain to fall on the port city of Derna and over 400mm (40cm) in the mountains above the city. �The city’s average monthly rainfall for September is less than 1.5mm!
Perhaps you heard about this natural disaster in the news.
How did it make you feel?
Normal rainfall – 1.5mm
Extreme rainfall - 100+mm
Recovering
Tackling flooding - Money
Preventing
We are now going to think about what is needed to help an area recover after flooding.
�DEFINITION:��Mitigation
�Mitigation means reducing the risk.��Mitigation reduces the likelihood of any undesirable event happening and reducing the severity of loss, damage and harm if an event such as flooding occurs.�
Recovering
Tackling flooding – Expertise and technology
Preventing
DEFINITION:��Adaptation
�Adaptation in the context of the climate emergency means adjusting systems and behaviours to different or expected future climate conditions.
Tackling flooding - Reducing greenhouse gas emissions
Preventing�Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is vital for reducing climate change which is making floods more dangerous.
Normally countries with less money have produced less greenhouse gases.
However, these poorer countries are more likely to be badly affected by disasters like flooding.
Tackling flooding - Reducing greenhouse gas emissions
What do you think about this?�� How does it make you feel?
Discuss in pairs (2-3 mins)
�DEFINITION:��Climate justice
�Climate justice means finding solutions to the climate crisis that not only reduce emissions or protect the natural world, but that do so in a way which creates a fairer, more just and more equal world in the process.
The countries which have contributed the least to climate change are the counties already experiencing the worst impacts.
Survey Question 2 – Global responsibility
You will now select one answer to this question based on your own opinion.
�Teacher tip�
Students might agree with more than one of the options.
Talk about how they would prioritise and pick which they think is most important.
How do you think the United Kingdom should help other countries tackle the climate emergency?
a) Provide money
b) Provide expert help
c) Cut carbon emissions more quickly
d) It isn’t the UK’s responsibility to help
�QR code for the whole class survey to be completed by the teacher.
Introducing the Urban Water Cycle
Image provided by Thames21
Time �to chat
Where does the water go when it rains?
Where does it end up?
We are now going to think about the urban water cycle and how to reduce flooding in our local area.
Rain Drains to Rivers
When there is heavy rain in London the sewers aren’t big enough to carry all the water to the nearest river and the water has to go somewhere!
The water remains on the road, this causes flooding.
Litter on the roads is washed into the drains by the rain.
This blocks the sewers which makes floods even worse.
Imagine a sink with water pouring out of the tap quicker than it can flow down the plug hole.
Rain Drains to Rivers
Heavy rain has a similar effect on streams and rivers. If the water is entering the river more quickly than it can flow away it will overflow.
There are a lot of small streams and brooks in Waltham Forest. Your local watercourse might be nearer than you think.
Do you know the name of your nearest watercourse?
�DEFINITION:��Watercourse
Any channel through which water flows. It ranges from large rivers such as the Thames, small streams which don’t have a constant flow such as the Ching Brook in Epping Forest and concrete drainage channels.
Let’s prevent flooding
There are lots of things that can be done to prevent or reduce flooding.
Green space in the urban environment is very important for capturing rain-water and reducing flooding.
The next six slides show examples of flood reduction features.
–
Can you follow where the rain on the road goes?
Image provided by Thames21
Let’s prevent flooding - What are SuDS?
)
Video explaining Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) for older students (2.40mins)
Let’s prevent flooding - Rain Gardens
Rain gardens are good for:
Rain gardens capture rain from gutters or running off roads so the water enters the sewers and rivers more slowly.
On roads they can trap litter and stop it from going down the drain and into a river.
Image provided by Thames21
Let’s prevent flooding - Rain Gardens
Video explaining rain gardens (2.55mins)
Rain Gardens in Waltham Forest
Have you seen anything like this on streets near your school?
Images from Meristem
Road runoff goes through these holes into the soil instead of straight down a drain.
Plants are specially selected to be able to withstand the roots being in very wet soil and also drought proof.
Let’s prevent flooding: Rain-water harvesting
Rain planters filter the water through soil so it goes down the drain more slowly.
Water butts collect water from the drainpipe on buildings which reduces the amount of water going down the drain.
Image courtesy of Wendy Allen Designs
Let’s prevent flooding: De-paving
Time �to chat?
Can you think of anywhere that could be
‘de-paved’?
Replacing concrete and tarmac surfaces with permeable paving creates places for rainwater to get into the soil instead of staying on the surface.
p
Let’s prevent flooding: Urban wetlands and swales
Small wetlands in parks are wonderful for storing rainwater and create habitats for wildlife such as newts, frogs, dragonflies and ducks.
p
Ditches built alongside roads are called swales.
They are very useful for storing rainwater and letting it slowly soak into the soil. Plants grown in swales can thrive when it is dry and when it is very wet.
�
A pond is designed to always contain water, but a wetland can be damp and marshy with the potential to hold more water when it rains.
What is the difference between a wetland and a pond?
TABLE ACTIVITY: Building flood reduction features
Which flood reduction features could you put in each of these spaces?
Discuss on your table (3 mins)
What are
some of the pros and cons of these options?
Building
Field
Paved area
Car park
Pavement/road
Survey question 3
You will now select one answer to this question based on your own opinion.
�Teacher tip
Collect comments to input into your version of the survey.
Do you think your school should make more space for nature in the school grounds?
Yes, a lot of space
�This question can be answered by students standing in a spectrum line representing ‘Yes, a lot’ to ‘No change’. �Ask students to explain why they chose their place on the line.
Yes, a little space
No change
�QR code for the whole class survey to be completed by the teacher.
Waltham Forest Schools & Colleges Climate Charter
The Schools & Colleges Climate Charter has 8 themes:
1st
Table discussion:
Which themes would you like to learn more about?
As we’ve learnt in this lesson, actions to tackle one theme such as water can have positive impacts on another theme, such as biodiversity.
Eight Charter themes
2nd
Whole class decision:
Which 3 themes could the class take action on?
Discuss on your table (3mins)
�Teacher tip�
Submit the decision of the class and any comments they made to back up their opinions in Section 5, questions 8 & 9 in the teacher survey.
�Teacher tip�
Click the right arrow to show the answers to the next questions.
Answers from across Waltham Forest so far….
Remember
These are opinions, there are no right �or wrong �answers.
Thank you for taking part in Waltham Forest’s Big Climate Conversation.
We hope you get outside and join the Citizen Climate Science investigation as well.