Lesson Plan

Explore how we can spend our money to help climate change

COP26S-03_01

Intent

Lesson Outcomes

  • Understand what we can do to mobilise our finances at home and at school
  • Describe what we can do to mobilise our finances at home and school
  • Implement the changes we need to take to mobilise our finances at home and school

Sustainability and Climate Change (Provisional Framework)

We will empower all young people to be global citizens, through a:

  • Better understanding of climate change
  • Greater connection to nature

Working Scientifically

  • Scientific attitudes
  • Paying attention to objectivity and concern for accuracy, precision, repeatability and reproducibility

Resources

Resources: Class presentation.

Handout: Activity sheet helps pupils think about how investments can be made to help prevent climate change. It offers opportunities to problem solve which is especially important when it comes to finance, as many people do not have this skill at their disposal.

Rocket words

  • Action Plan
  • public finance
  • Gift Aid
  • climate investment
  • private finance

Implementation

Starter

Supporting causes financially isn’t always easy, but there are different ways this can be done without spending too much, or spending nothing at all.

Ask the students: What do you currently do as a school and as an individual to financially support climate change? If you don’t financially support climate change, are there other things that you do?

Main Teaching

How can your school reduce CO2 emissions?

There are lots of ways you can take action. Talking to your local authority or politician is a good place to start as they may be able to offer help and support. You could also have a brainstorming session with your classmates to see what ideas they come up with. Try to involve each other as much as you can.

  • Encourage pupils and staff to walk or cycle to school. Traffic is a major cause of CO2 emissions and air pollution, so create a green travel plan and encourage your whole school to do their bit.
  • Switch to a renewable energy supplier that uses wind or solar power instead of coal and gas.
  • Use less energy. If possible, get pupils involved in monitoring your school’s energy usage and encourage them to come up with ideas to use less.

Career Film: This is Jonathan Dodds. Jonathan works as a Technical Manager for National Nuclear Laboratory.

Expert Film: This is Jonathan Dodds. Jonathan works as a Technical Manager for National Nuclear Laboratory. Jonathan talks about how nuclear will help us reach net zero.

Mission Assignment

What can you do as a school or individuals to support COP26? Ask the students to draw up an action plan which sets out their implementation plan for COP26.

Create solutions for the following problems:

  • Lack of financing.
  • Lack of support.
  • Lack of influence.

Challenge task: In the previous task, one of the problems was ‘lack of influence’. To tackle this, you can make sure your voice is heard. 

Task the students with writing a letter to their local MP, a politician or climate activist and promote their school or community in order to get better eco-friendly systems. This could be more frequent buses, clean air zones or initiatives to encourage the planting of more trees. 

Impact & Assessment Opportunities

Plenary

Discuss how you can start making these changes in your day-to-day life.