What was tried in the classroom?
As part of our Climate Change/Environmental Unit, I elected to give students an assignment relating to their emotions around climate change. The students were given time to reflect on their emotions and then start to draw and write.
LETTER TO THE WORLD INSTRUCTIONS:
I asked students to think of a flower, rock, place, etc…that they like or care deeply about and to focus on the sights, sounds, smells and scenery.
The prompt: How does it make you feel? Focus on the strength it gives you, the connection, and notice what emotions come to mind as it relates to our world and climate emotions
Assignment: Dear World…Write down these reflections as a letter or a poem
DRAWING CHALLENGE:
- Choose a Drawing Tool (marker, pencil..etc).
- Create an image that depicts how your climate emotions feel.
- Does your image have any messages to you? Write or draw those messages or feelings next to the image.
How’d it go?
The students were very engaged and cooperative. I was surprised how easy it was for them to complete the drawings and reflective words, letters and poems. Some were very detailed and others very basic but the idea that there are feelings and emotions such as fear, uncertainty, hope, and joy are just some examples that we all have about our world and climate change. The next time I do it, I would include the emotional identification wheel and perhaps more time for reflection and sharing. This was a great addition to our Unit on Climate Change.
What I learned is that many of the students hold very deep feelings about nature, climate and how they view the world. It allowed me to better understand their situations and the influence their culture and environment play a roll in how they see or react to topics related to environmental science. Students were much more expressive and engaged following the reflection. It was an excellent addition.
Letter to the World
Lavender (Student Picture)
ClimeTime Training
EarthGen’s Spring Professional Development
Classroom
School: Fort Vancouver High School
District: Vancouver Public School District
Teacher: Juliana Myers
