Climate Change Education (edX)

This course makes use of videos, lesson plans and online games developed by the IDB's "Rise-Up: Education Against Climate Change" initiative. The aim is to prepare primary and secondary teachers to teach about climate change and promote actions to mitigate and adapt to climate change in within the school community.

What you'll learn:

• Basic science behind climate change
• Main social and ethical issues behind climate change
• Main consequences of climate change to water, energy, environment, soil and our health
• What we can do individually, as a school and as a community to live a more sustainable and healthy life
• How to use games, debates, experiments, role-playing, newspapers and other tools to support and enhance learning

Course Syllabus

Module 1: Our climate is changing
Introduction to climate change, including what it is, difference between climate and weather and causes of the greenhouse effect.
Presentation of the use of images and newspapers in class activities.

Module 2: Energy and the climate change
Introduction to the energy cycle, the different types of energies and the existing renewable and nonrenewable sources of energies.
Presentation of the use of comics and the school’s space to support learning.

Module 3: Water and the climate change
Introduction to the importance of water to our lives and the main consequences of climate change to the water cycle.
Presentation of the use of offline games and videos in class activities.

Module 4: Soil and the climate change
Introduction to the different types of farming practices, it’s social, economic and environmental impact and the effect of climate change on food availability and quality.
Presentation of the use of experiments and debates in class activities.

Module 5: Landscape and the climate change
Introduction to the factors that shape our landscape, including natural disasters and human actions and the importance of forests and wetlands to the Earth ecosystem.
Presentation of the use of case studies and of community integration strategies to support learning.

Module 6: Sustainable environments
Introduction to the effect of the megacities to the environment and how we can mitigate it through intelligent consumption and sustainable cities.
Presentation of the use of mockups and role-playing in class activities.

Module 7: Healthy environments
Introduction to the elements that make up a healthy environment, the risks of climate change to our health and what we can do to ensure a healthy and safe environment in the school and the community.