Climate Change Intro

Overview

This 40-minute lesson introduces third class students to the concept of climate change. Through interactive discussions and hands-on activities, pupils will begin to understand what climate change is, its causes, and its effects on the environment, preparing them for their upcoming reports on climate change and bees. This lesson is aligned with the IE Curriculum framework, particularly addressing strands in Science and English to build literacy and scientific understanding.

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Curriculum Links

English Language (Oral Language, Reading, Writing)

• Strand: Oral Language
  • Strand Unit: Talk and Discussion
  • Learning Outcome: Use language to describe, narrate, and explain experiences.
• Strand: Reading
  • Strand Unit: Reading for Enjoyment and Information
  • Learning Outcome: Develop understanding of key concepts and acquire vocabulary related to familiar topics.
• Strand: Writing
  • Strand Unit: Composition
  • Learning Outcome: Begin to compose short factual texts using given information.

Science

• Strand: Living Things
  • Strand Unit: Environmental Awareness and Care
  • Learning Outcome: Recognise the importance of environmental care and develop awareness of human impact on living things.
• Strand: Energy and Forces
  • Strand Unit: Materials and Change
  • Learning Outcome: Explore simple causes and effects related to changes in the environment, including weather and climate.

Key Skills Developed:

• Critical thinking and questioning
• Oral communication
• Vocabulary expansion
• Scientific observation and awareness
• Collaborative learning

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Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, pupils will be able to:

1. Explain in simple terms what climate change is.
2. Identify at least two causes and two effects of climate change.
3. Participate in group discussions, expressing ideas clearly and respectfully.
4. Begin to note down key information which can be used later for report writing.

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Resources

• Whiteboard and markers
• Printed colourful images/posters showing effects of climate change (melting ice caps, bees, weather changes)
• A simple globe or world map
• “Climate Change” word cards (simple vocabulary)
• A basic short video (2-3 minutes) explaining climate change in child-friendly language (prepared in advance)
• Worksheets for recording ideas
• Sticky notes
• Bee toy/figure as a linking visual

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Lesson Structure

1. Warm-up & Introduction (5 minutes)

• Greet the class and show the bee figure, asking: “Has anyone heard of how climate change might affect bees or animals around us?”
• Briefly explain the lesson’s purpose: “Today, we are going to learn about what climate change is and why it is important to understand it.”
• Use the globe to show different parts of the world and mention how the weather can be very different depending on where you are.

2. Engaging Video & Vocabulary (7 minutes)

• Show a short, simple video on climate change (child-friendly, non-technical language).
• After the video, introduce and discuss key vocabulary using word cards: climate, change, temperature, weather, pollution, greenhouse gases, bees.
• Ask students to suggest examples from their own experience for some of the words (e.g., weather changes, pollution around school).

3. Group Discussion & Brainstorming (10 minutes)

• Divide class into 5 groups of about 5-6 pupils.
• Each group receives two coloured posters: one with causes of climate change (e.g., cutting trees, pollution from cars) and one with effects (e.g., hotter weather, animals moving away).
• Groups discuss what they see and come up with simple explanations in their own words.
• Groups write 1-2 sentences or keywords on sticky notes for causes and effects.
• Groups share one example each with the class. Teacher writes main points on the whiteboard.

4. Interactive Activity – “Cause and Effect Relay” (12 minutes)

• Set up a relay challenge where pupils line up.
• The first pupil in line picks a cause word card and explains it aloud with the help of a peer if needed.
• The next pupil picks an effect word card related to that cause and explains it.
• Continue until all pairs have been covered. Include the bee as a point of discussion: “How do bees feel about these changes?”
• Emphasise speaking in complete sentences to build language skills (e.g., “The cars make pollution. Pollution makes the Earth hotter.”).

5. Reflection & Wrap-up (6 minutes)

• Ask pupils to draw one cause and one effect of climate change on their worksheet.
• Encourage them to write a simple sentence under each drawing (or copy from the board).
• Recap learning points by revisiting the bee figure and asking “Why do we need to know about climate change to help bees and other animals?”
• Tell students that in the next lesson, they will start collecting information to write a short report about climate change and bees.

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Assessment & Feedback

• Formative assessment through observation of group discussions and relay explanations.
• Teacher checks students’ worksheet drawings and sentences for understanding.
• Informal questioning during recap to assess grasp of vocabulary and concepts.
• Feedback is immediate during activities, with positive reinforcement and gentle corrections where needed.

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Differentiation Strategies

• Provide sentence starters for students who need support during discussions and written work.
• Allow use of drawings or oral explanations instead of writing for pupils with learning difficulties.
• Challenge advanced pupils to think of additional causes or effects beyond the provided posters.
• Use peer support in groups to scaffold understanding.

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Extension Ideas (If Time Allows or For Homework)

• Pupils could write a short paragraph titled “How I can help stop climate change” to promote personal responsibility.
• Collect simple environmental data around the school (like litter count or plant health) as part of ongoing environmental awareness.

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This engaging, interactive approach ensures students not only learn the basics of climate change but also start to develop the skills and vocabulary they will need for their reports, all while fostering empathy for living things such as bees.