Working from home resources
By Birmingham Youth Strike for Climate
A pack full of resources, so that you can continue education at home. All activities are climate related.
How to use this pack.
Name of the subject
Level 1 task
‘Easy’
Level 2 task
Level 3 task
‘Difficult’
Content page
English Language
Create a headline to a newspaper article about climate change. You could even draw the newspaper!
Write a letter to the education secretary responding to this statement. “ The climate crisis should be more prominent in the national curriculum”.
Read the article and analyse how the writer’s perspective on the climate crisis is presented. You should refer to what language techniques are used in your answer.
English language level 3 article
Shouting into the apocalypse: The decade in climate change
What's that worn-out phrase? Shouting into the wind? Well, after a decade of rising pollution, failed politics and worsening disasters, it seems the many, many of us who care about the climate crisis increasingly are shouting into the hurricane, if not the apocalypse.
On the cusp of 2020, the state of the planet is far more dire than in 2010. Preserving a safe and healthy ecological system is no longer a realistic possibility. The climate crisis is already costly, deadly and deeply unjust, putting the most vulnerable people in the world, often who've done the least to cause this, at terrible risk.
The worst part? We've known about this for a very long time. The climate emergency may seem like the issue of the moment, a new thing, a 2020 Democrats thing or a Greta Thunberg thing, but check out this 1958 educational film that mentions "tourists in glass-bottomed boats would be viewing the drowned towers of Miami;" or coverage of the first Earth Day in 1970, 50 years ago this coming April, when millions hit the streets; or NASA scientist James Hansen's 1988 testimony before the US Senate stating the era of global warming had begun.
It bears repeating that scientists have looked at the evidence, and more than 97% of them agree that humans are warming the planet, primarily by burning fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas. The warnings from scientists are only getting more dire as we peel decades off the calendar.
The news media is picking that up, using terms such as "climate emergency" and "climate crisis" instead of the blander "climate change."
Yes, the Paris Agreement happened in 2015.But the end of the fossil fuel era is not yet in sight.There's evidence that only certain chunks of society are getting the message.
There's hope, though.
The bright spot -- and it truly is a bright one -- is that young people are waking up. They are shouting, loudly and with purpose. Witness Greta Thunberg, the dynamic teenager who started a one-girl protest outside the Swedish Parliament last year, demanding that adults take seriously this emergency, which threatens young people and future generations disproportionately.
"Greta, in the space of basically 14 months, goes from being a lonely teenage girl sitting with a little sign outside the Parliament building, all by herself, to on one day having 4 million people marching in the streets with her all around the world," Leiserowitz said. "That's remarkable!"We should continue shouting Greta's "Yes, and" message into the next decade.
Yes, this truly is a horrible mess.And yes, we must fix it.
English literature
Find a poem that discusses climate change and write a few sentences explaining its message.
Analyse Agard’s poem. Write a short response about how it links to the theme of climate change.
Analyse McGough’s poem. Write a short response comparing McGough’s poem to Agard’s poem.
English literature level 2 poem
Inheritance- John Agard
If we, the children of the meek,
should inherit an earth
whose rainforest lungs
breathe a tale of waste –
an earth where the ailing sea
shudders in its own slick
If we, the children of the meek,
should inherit an earth
where the grass goes nostalgic
at the mere mention of green
and the sky looks out of its depth
when reminded of blue
If we, the children of the meek,
should inherit such an earth,
then we ask of the future
one question: Should we dance
or break into gnashing of teeth
at the news of our inheritance?
English literature level 3 article
Making the Change- Roger McGough
This is truth, not science fiction.
Ordinary people whose suffering is real
speak of their fears, the struggles they face
when survival becomes an ordeal.
Landslides do not require sub-titles
Hunger gains nothing in translation
Parched fields, failed crops
Drought and devastation
Everything touches, life interweaves
Chainsaw and dust storm, ashes and leaves
Exhaust pipe and chimney, acid and rain
Everything touches, unbroken chain
Here’s proof, if proof were needed
The evidence builds up day by day
Big business, fuelled by oil and greed
Cries wolf and looks the other way
Tweet and shout, turn up the volume
This is truth not science fiction
Shame on the nay-sayers, the blind-eyers
who deny the pain, the dereliction
Climate change affects us all
Whether impoverished or well-to-do
Today a village in Bangladesh
Tomorrow a town near you
This is truth not science fiction
Related by women, daughters and wives
Change is needed, for the climate is changing,
Changing the world and changing our lives
Everything touches, a planet in pain
For the sake of the children repeat the refrain:
Join in the chorus, let’s make a difference
Together we can make the change
Join in the chorus, let’s make a difference
Together we can make the change.
Maths
Resources for this page were taken from https://mathsforplanetearth.ouce.ox.ac.uk/
Maths answers
A Council Questionnaire- Award marks for any suitable question that has options for how often recycling is taking place. e.g: When throwing away paper, what percentage of the time do you recycle? 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% (1)
CCS Container - Mass = density × volume
Mass = 1100 × 3.8 = 4180kg (2)
Losing Coral Reefs- Fraction = 99 81 = 11 9 (2)
Biology
Create a poster for 3 different endangered species.
Research what programmes are used to protect ecosystems and biodiversity.
Produce a proposal suggesting how we can sustainably produce food to benefit the environment whilst also considering food security.
Chemistry
What is biodiversity and how can we improve it.
Evaluate the water treatment processes - desalination and disitllation (reverse osmosis) - for which has the least environmental impact.
How can we chemistry to improve sustainability. You can refer to 2 chemical processes.
Physics
What are the differences between renewable and non-renewable energy sources.
Evaluate and come to a conclusion to which renewable energy source is the best. These include solar, wind, water waves, hydro-electricity, biofuel, tideas and geothermal.
Explain the economic and political impact of renewable energy.
History
Write a short response about how the Industrial Revolution affected climate change
Create a timeline giving an overview of UK climate policy
Research what the Cold War and the Space Race can tell us about climate change, creating a poster or creative piece about it.
Geography
Write a newspaper style article about the negative effects of climate change on people.
Draw and annotate a map of the world, showing how regions are affected in different ways.
Debate the statement “The UN has not done enough to act on the climate emergency”
Religious studies
Find two references to climate justice in religious texts or doctrine
Research religious organisations who fight for climate justice and how it links to their religion.
Evaluate the statement “It is the duty of the religion to educate their followers on the climate crisis”.
Physical education
Everytime that you do something beneficial for the planet congratulate yourself by doing 5 burpees.
E.g - turn the light off, use less water, recycle something - the possibilities are endless!
Aim- to make yourself aware of your actions
(CHALLENGE THOSE IN YOUR HOUSEHOLD TO JOIN YOU!)
OR
Look at how sporting industry could be impacted by a climate breakdown.
Art
Create something from recycled materials!
Create an artist profile on Alexis rockman and how their work relates to the climate
Create an intepreation of the work of the Tree of extinction
by Alexis rockman
Drama
Create 3 characters with varying opinions on the climate crisis
Write a monologue on the subject of the climate crisis, consider an interesting and abstract perspective
Video yourself performing your monologue, with blocking (movement) aded into it.
Music
Write a rap or song about the climate crisis. Film it and tag us @bhamys4c !
Research different musicians’ responses to the climate crisis and write a short analysis of their actions. What statement would you make if you had millions of followers?
Analyse the climate verse in the song All Stars
Music level 3 All Star verse
It's a cool place and they say it gets colder
You're bundled up now, wait till you get older
But the meteor men beg to differ
Judging by the hole in the satellite picture
The ice we skate is getting pretty thin
The water's getting warm so you might as well swim
My world's on fire, how about yours?
That's the way I like it and I never get bored
Politics
Write five ways a government could implement changes to help solve the climate crisis
Compare the political parties climate policies and give them a climate score! Produce a document or a poster. Use political parties of your choosing.
Produce a poster explaining the UK carbon budgets system (Climate Change Act 2008)
Languages
Create a placard with a climate related slogan on in a modern foreign language.
Write three sentences in a modern foreign language about how we can solve the climate crisis
Film a short video clip of you performing a short speech in a modern foreign language about how we can solve the climate crisis
Sociology
Interpret this image and how it may relate
to social attitudes
How can the theologies of feminism, socialism, capitalism and marxism relate to climate breakdown.
Respond to the statement “the climate crisis is a class issue”.
Ages 0-8
Links to resources about climate change for primary and secondary students:
https://www.campaigncc.org/schoolresources
https://www.wwf.org.uk/get-involved/schools/resources/climate-change-resources
Ages 8-12
Links to resources about climate change for primary students:
https://www.campaigncc.org/schoolresources
https://www.wwf.org.uk/get-involved/schools/resources/climate-change-resources
Mixed maths questions on climate change
Ages 12-18
Links to resources about climate change for secondary students:
https://www.campaigncc.org/schoolresources
https://mathsforplanetearth.ouce.ox.ac.uk/
UKSCNs brilliant guide to the green new deal
Useful links for teachers
Teacher's guide to the IPCC report
Send us your finished work!
We’d love to see the work you produce, so email us, tag us and let us know how you got on!
Email- Bhamyouthstrike@gmail.com
Social media (twitter, facebook, instagram) - @BhamYS4C
Website - http://www.bhamys4c.wixsite.com/climatestrike (use our contact page or find out more information about BhamYS4C
Also please feel free to email or message us with any feedback you have about this pack!
A bit more about Birmingham Youth Strike for Climate.
Birmingham youth strike for climate is a non-hierarchical, a-political collective fighting for climate justice. First taking to the streets in February 2019 where only around 60 people attended, fast forward to september and 4,000 people joined us in victoria square to aid us in our fight for climate justice. We don’t just strike either, we put on Festivals For Future in the summer of 2019 as well as being part of a citizens assembly. Members of our group also attended the european parliament with MEP Ellie Chowns. As climate activists we want to protect our future as well as the futures of those who aren’t able to be heard.
Birmingham youth strike for climate believe that we must ‘teach the future’. The climate crisis is currently only seen in a few core subjects, when actually it is arguably highly relevant to every subject, as demonstrated by this resources pack.