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Devastating wildfires. Prolonged droughts. Stifling heat waves. Intense hurricanes. Do you find yourself wondering how can you explain the tough reality of what is going on without terrifying young students? Are you looking for smart ways to draw attention to climate-related issues and spark some interest in the hot topic of climate change? Are you undecided as to which materials to use with your students? E-planet is here to help! Let’s encourage the next generation of climate leaders to change our world!

📌Using appropriate resources

The first step is to find the right resources. Outdated
books and obsolete information will not help. When it comes to climate change, you
don’t have to be an expert; however, you have to rely on ESL books which offer
high-quality and stimulating content.

It’s also important to use age-appropriate materials. The
feeling of powerlessness and fear when learning about major environmental
problems, known as ecophobia, is a phenomenon that no teacher would like to
face, so don’t scare young learners with information that might overwhelm them!

Tip: Take a look at our creative Resources for English Teachers in
order to find some free, innovative and ready-to-use materials on climate
change. And don’t forget to explore our inspirational Seasonal Activities
section for smart ideas that can help your students learn more about
environmental protection and celebrate World Environment Day!

📌Taking advantage of technology

There are also many free online games, quizzes and
amusing activities, which you can use in order to help your students to
understand climate science in a fun and engaging way. For example, if you are
teaching English to young learners, you can take a look at NASA's Climate Kids website,
which tells the story of our changing planet through the eyes of the NASA
missions studying Earth. What does global climate change mean? What is the
greenhouse effect? What is happening to the oceans? Time to find out…

📌Connecting learning to real life

The next step is to connect climate change to the real
world. Well, it’s true that this topic may seem abstract and intangible… So,
what can you do?

Challenge your young students to find at least three
ways to use less power on a daily basis. Ask older students to consider how
their daily actions contribute to climate change. And remember to connect
climate change to real stories and people, like Greta Thunberg, the well-known
climate campaigner.

Tip: Motivate your students to work together with
their peers and don’t forget to incorporate teamwork and multiple projects in
your lessons. For example, your English learners can give presentations to other
students or work on poster campaigns and group art projects, while practising
their English at the same time!

📌Making a difference

Make sure your students stay hopeful about the future and help them to understand
that we can all take action against climate change.Your goal is to inspire
them, not scare them! Emphasise that we are not powerless.

Challenge your students to influence others;
for example, can they persuade their families members to adopt eco-friendly habits,
like recycling and reusing single-use plastic items? A smart idea is to inspire
them to engage in social activities, like a school recycling program.

Ready to empower your students to make the world a better place?
Time to take action and help them protect the planet they love!