CLIMATE What should young people know about 1 13 ACTION The Big Ideas: Climate Action by the time they leave school?

Climate Curriculum Learning Outcomes

KEY IDEAS SCIENTIFIC BACKGROUND

By the end of Year 2: By the end of Year 4: By the end of Year 6: By the end of Year 9: By the end of Year 11:

→→ Pupils understand that →→ Pupils understand that →→ Pupils can clearly →→ Students can clearly explain →→ Students can name a range of some human activity burning coal, oil and articulate the link the scientific consensus that greenhouse gases and describe in causes pollution in the gas has an impact on between burning human burning of fossil fuels is detail the processes that lead to air which is affecting the the climate and have a fossil fuels and the main and original cause of their increasing concentrations in world’s climate / making basic understanding of using today’s climate change the atmosphere the world hotter the scientific processes appropriate scientific Students can describe Students know where uncertainties involved vocabulary →→ →→ →→ Pupils understand the processes that undermine or remain in climate science, e.g. how distinction between →→ Pupils are familiar with →→ Pupils can name key boost carbon sinks atmospheric water vapour will ‘weather’ and ‘climate’ the terms ‘atmosphere’, carbon sinks such as change; when tipping points may Students are aware that in ‘Climate Change’ forests, peatlands, →→ be reached; climate inertia; how Pupils know that the the public arena there are →→ and ‘ oceans, algal blooms, ocean currents will change… climate is always changing alternative points of view and emissions’ and healthy soil but is changing faster can begin to use scientific →→ Students can give examples of today than it has before →→ Pupils know that some →→ Pupils know what the evidence to assess arguments confirmation bias (cherry-picking) natural processes like Intergovernmental for themselves both by climate deniers and by Pupils know that trees →→ trees growing, healthy Panel on Climate proponents of Near Term Human help to cool the world Students have explored vested soils and oceans take Change is and can →→ Extinction down. interests and understand how greenhouse gases out of discuss some recent these may shape arguments. Students understand the process of the atmosphere. findings →→ peer-review in science, and why it exists.

This is a draft climate curriculum currently in development (October 2019) in collaboration with schools and with climate scientists. We value feedback from schools, especially mapping the learning objectives to the national curriculum and lesson ideas and resources to support each learning objective. Feedback to [email protected] greatly appreciated. CLIMATE What should young people know about 2 13 ACTION The Big Ideas: Climate Action by the time they leave school?

Climate Curriculum Learning Outcomes

KEY IDEAS URGENCY OF NEED FOR CLIMATE ACTION

By the end of By the end of By the end of Year 6: By the end of Year 9: By the end of Year 11: Year 2: Year 4: →→ Pupils know →→ Pupils can →→ Pupils can give examples of institutions that have →→ Students can explain the →→ Students can explain that some explain declared a ‘climate emergency’ at different scales and significance of the threat that key climate feedbacks impacts of why many are aware of synonyms such as ‘’ climate change potentially poses in detail e.g. our changing institutions to life-forms on earth. They are changes, permafrost They are familiar with the concept of emissions climate are have declared →→ aware that the global average melt, soil degradation reduction targets and can identify different targets and happening a ‘Climate temperature rise is accelerating and wildfire frequency begin to connect these with current scientific estimates now and others Emergency’, for degrees of warming Students are familiar with current Students can will happen in and what →→ →→ targets and understand what summarise current the future this means Pupils understand that 2030 is a scientific estimate of →→ computer models suggest the actions being taken at (see below a year by which global emissions must have peaked impacts will be of achieving or regional, national and re impacts in order to give humanity a reasonable chance of not achieving these targets international levels to of Climate controlling eventual warming levels, and that it is not a reduce greenhouse gas Change) deadline for an end-of-the-world scenario Students know about current →→ emissions and boost trends in global emissions and →→ Pupils Pupils know about current trends in total global climate carbon sinks in response →→ carbon sinks know about emissions, i.e. whether they are rising, peaking or falling to the current situation some of the →→ Students are familiar with a Pupils begin to understand what climate tipping points →→ Students are aware of impacts →→ range of climate feedbacks and are and can connect these with the urgency to act geoengineering options, that higher understand their significance how they would work temperatures →→ Pupils are familiar with the findings of cost-benefit in theory, and recent are having →→ Students can discuss their views analyses comparing quicker and slower global evaluations of their on people about the risks associated with responses. potential already. different global responses.

This is a draft climate curriculum currently in development (October 2019) in collaboration with schools and with climate scientists. We value feedback from schools, especially mapping the learning objectives to the national curriculum and lesson ideas and resources to support each learning objective. Feedback to [email protected] greatly appreciated. CLIMATE What should young people know about 3 13 ACTION The Big Ideas: Climate Action by the time they leave school?

Climate Curriculum Learning Outcomes

KEY IDEAS IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE

By the end of By the end of By the end of Year 6: By the end of Year 9: By the end of Year 11: Year 2: Year 4: →→ Pupils →→ Pupils can identify →→ Pupils understand how climate change is a →→ Students can explain current impacts of →→ Students can explain understand a range of impacts factor in the current loss of biodiversity and climate change on ecosystems locally a range of benefits the impacts of of past and / or can describe some future predictions in and across the world, including habitat and additional stresses our changing present climate connection with this loss, food chain disruption and heat caused by climate climate on change on plants stress, and how these are contributing to change on a range of Pupils understand the impact of climate some animals, and animal →→ the 6th mass extinction of species species and ecosystems change on ecosystems locally and across plants and species, including the world, both in the present and a range Students can identify different future Students can environments extinctions, and →→ →→ of future scenarios scenarios for species and ecosystems, give examples of both in our on environments and connect these projections with technologies that may locality and locally and across Pupils can identify a range of impacts of →→ different levels of additional heating be deployed to help elsewhere the world our changing climate on people in the past species and ecosystems and present, in their local area, in the UK, →→ Students can explain current impacts of →→ Pupils know →→ Pupils can adapt to climate change and also across the world climate change on humans locally and some of the identify a range of across the world →→ Students can give impacts of observed impacts Pupils can identify current impacts, and →→ several examples of our changing of our changing a range of predicted future impacts Students can identify different future →→ expected impacts climate on climate on people depending on levels of heating, including scenarios for the impact of climate of global heating on people, both in locally and across human migration. change on humans, and connect these human health our locality and the world the projections with different levels of elsewhere world heating

→→ Students consider current issues and future predictions for climate conflict

This is a draft climate curriculum currently in development (October 2019) in collaboration with schools and with climate scientists. We value feedback from schools, especially mapping the learning objectives to the national curriculum and lesson ideas and resources to support each learning objective. Feedback to [email protected] greatly appreciated. CLIMATE What should young people know about 4 13 ACTION The Big Ideas: Climate Action by the time they leave school?

Climate Curriculum Learning Outcomes

KEY IDEAS RESPONSES TO CLIMATE CHANGE By the end of By the end of Year 4: By the end of Year 6: By the end of Year 9: By the end of Year 11: Year 2:

→→ Pupils can name →→ Pupils understand how using less →→ Pupils are familiar with a range of →→ Students are familiar with some strategies for →→ Students can offer some actions energy can reduce emissions different climate action strategies climate action at different levels and can evaluate opinions about the aims which would including reducing consumption, their effectiveness and methods of political have a positive →→ Pupils understand what renewable using and groups / movements impact on the energy is and can explain why it is protecting/ restoring carbon →→ Students understand that climate action is taking that are responding to climate and important in reducing greenhouse sinks place at the level of international agreements; aspects of the climate some ways in gas emissions national and local governments; businesses; emergency which we can →→ Pupils begin to discuss what particular groups and individuals →→ Pupils understand the importance stop having a makes some strategies more →→ Students understand of trees for the climate and can →→ Students can explain why action on all of these negative impact effective than others arguments for and explain why protecting / replanting levels is important to address the climate crisis against legislative →→ Pupils can forests is important for the climate →→ Pupils can identify actions they responses, including →→ Pupils can identify actions they can take personally choose some can take personally and with a creating a “level playing →→ Pupils can identify actions that and with a group of which they are part actions they / group of which they are part field”, and limiting they can take personally to reduce their class / their individual freedoms emissions / promote carbon sinks →→ Pupils are familiar with actions →→ Students are familiar with the most recent school / their intergovernmental agreement on climate action that are being taken locally, →→ Students understand family could →→ Pupils can identify actions that can and the main points nationally; and with key content connections between take to have a be taken at the level of their school of international agreements personal, collective and positive impact and locality →→ Students understand arguments from different political responses to on the climate →→ Pupils begin to form their own perspectives on how effective the agreement and the climate emergency →→ Pupils understand that leaders of opinions on these responses its implementation are →→ Pupils can governments make agreements →→ Students begin to describe at least with each other about climate →→ Pupils can describe a range of →→ Students can explain the importance of people understand how one simple / action and can identify some of the examples of how a group have participating in collective climate action and political principles familiar example content of these agreements taken climate action together, describe a range of examples of successful might shape the policy of how a group both locally and across the world, collective actions (e.g. the replanting of forests in responses of different of people are →→ Pupils can name different examples and can talk about the outcomes Kenya, the lobbying of governments) taking positive of how a group are taking climate political parties climate action action together and can talk about →→ Pupils can discuss what makes →→ Students can identify some elements that have together the outcomes. for effective climate action made these actions successful

This is a draft climate curriculum currently in development (October 2019) in collaboration with schools and with climate scientists. We value feedback from schools, especially mapping the learning objectives to the national curriculum and lesson ideas and resources to support each learning objective. Feedback to [email protected] greatly appreciated. CLIMATE What should young people know about 5 13 ACTION The Big Ideas: Climate Action by the time they leave school?

Climate Curriculum Learning Outcomes

KEY IDEAS CONSUMPTION AND

By the end of By the end of Year 4: By the end of Year 6: By the end of Year 9: By the end of Year 11: Year 2: →→ Pupils know →→ Pupils can name some →→ Pupils can clearly make the →→ Students are able to explain how →→ Students can articulate the benefits that many of the of the things that they connection between climate change patterns of human consumption, of low / zero-carbon alternatives and choices they and and others do that are and things that they and others including their own, links to climate lifestyles others make have responsible for climate consume / activities they and others change an impact on the change participate in →→ Students can explain and debate their environment / →→ Students can identify a wide variety of own informed views about aspects climate →→ Pupils begin to explore →→ Pupils understand that different activities which cause climate change of modern life associated with high alternatives to these lifestyles cause much lesser or and also suggest low / zero-carbon emissions, such as flying, ‘cloud’ data →→ Pupils begin to activities which are less greater carbon emissions alternatives storage, and cruises be able to rank harmful human activities →→ Pupils can suggest a range of →→ Students can explain what a Carbon →→ Students can compare cap-and- they are familiar →→ Pupils understand that you alternatives which might reduce Footprint is, including the footprint of trade, cap-and-share, and with e.g. how can measure how much an organisation, city, region or nation approaches to reducing emissions they travel to impact an activity has and →→ Pupils can explain simply what a →→ Students can put their own lifestyle in →→ Students understand the distinction school, according know that different lifestyles carbon footprint of an individual, a global and historical context between zero emissions and net-zero to how much of have a greater or lesser impact product, or an activity is emissions an impact they →→ Students can describe practical have on the →→ Pupils understand that →→ Pupils can explain how some strategies that individuals, organisations →→ Students develop their own opinions environment / some individuals and countries are more responsible than or regions can implement to reduce on climate justice proposals such as climate countries are more others for producing greenhouse their carbon footprints climate reparations, and contraction responsible than others for gas emissions and compare this and convergence →→ Students understand what ‘carbon greenhouse gas emissions with where the climate crisis has offsetting’ is and can offer arguments →→ Students are familiar with the idea of a to date the most severe impacts. They can use this information to begin to for and against using it as a strategy ‘just transition’ and can give examples →→ Pupils compare the carbon develop their own ideas about rights of what might be involved →→ Students understand the concept footprints of people with a and responsibilities now and in the of ‘Climate Justice’ and can clearly different lifestyle to them, future. connect it to issues such as human including in other countries rights and gender equality.

This is a draft climate curriculum currently in development (October 2019) in collaboration with schools and with climate scientists. We value feedback from schools, especially mapping the learning objectives to the national curriculum and lesson ideas and resources to support each learning objective. Feedback to [email protected] greatly appreciated. CLIMATE What should young people know about 6 13 ACTION The Big Ideas: Climate Action by the time they leave school?

Climate Curriculum Learning Outcomes

KEY IDEAS POSSIBLE FUTURES

By the end of By the end of By the end of Year 6: By the end of Year 9: By the end of Year 11: Year 2: Year 4: →→ Pupils →→ Pupils can →→ Pupils can outline different →→ Students are familiar with some current data →→ Students can name a range of begin to imagine possible future scenarios - findings and the possible implications of these greenhouse gases and describe in understand different futures typically in 2100 - depending for levels of heating in the future – typically in detail the processes that lead to that the within their own on levels of heating 2100 their increasing concentrations in future will likely lifetimes the atmosphere Pupils have an understanding Students can begin to identify which realistic be different based on →→ →→ of current scientific consensus future scenarios may be connected with which Students know where uncertainties depending different levels →→ on what these future alternative course of action on emissions remain in climate science, e.g. how on what we of heating, scenarios may look like, reduction / carbon drawdown / adaptation atmospheric water vapour will do now including including best-case scenarios change; when tipping points may optimistic Students know that our scientific →→ be reached; climate inertia; how scenarios Pupils begin to understand understanding is developing and being revised →→ ocean currents will change… the lack of certainty in future all the time as data is collected and they →→ Pupils know predictions appreciate the lack of certainty in predictions Students can give examples of that action or →→ confirmation bias (cherry-picking) lack of it now Students know that our Students can begin to synthesise their →→ →→ both by climate deniers and by will have an scientific understanding is understanding of climate science, society, proponents of Near Term Human effect on these developing and being revised human nature and human potential to Extinction different futures describe or visualise their own most optimistic →→ Pupils are familiar with the 12 and most likely scenarios in 2100 →→ Students understand the process of permaculture principles peer-review in science, and why it Students can use permaculture principles to →→ exists. imagine future norms

This is a draft climate curriculum currently in development (October 2019) in collaboration with schools and with climate scientists. We value feedback from schools, especially mapping the learning objectives to the national curriculum and lesson ideas and resources to support each learning objective. Feedback to [email protected] greatly appreciated. CLIMATE What should young people know about 7 13 ACTION The Big Ideas: Climate Action by the time they leave school?

Climate Curriculum Learning Outcomes

KEY IDEAS MINDSETS AND VIEWPOINTS

By the end of Year 2: By the end of Year 4: By the end of Year 6: By the end of Year 9: By the end of Year 11:

→→ Pupils are exposed to →→ Pupils have the →→ Pupils reflect on →→ Students critically reflect on →→ Students can confidently evaluate different viewpoints on opportunity to explore different views of the attitudes to the earth which a range of ways of understanding the Earth, e.g. that of viewpoints on the relationship of humans have influenced them and the relationship between Earth indigenous peoples climate crisis, including with the Earth (This wider UK society and humanity from different people of colour and / might include a variety perspectives Students explore a range or people of the Global of different perspectives →→ of different perspectives to Students can begin to suggest South expressing their from around the word →→ climate change including those how prevailing human mindsets view in their own words including some spiritual of indigenous communities, might need to change or develop in / faith perspectives) spiritual / religious perspectives, response to the climate emergency. →→ Pupils begin to identify people of colour, the global the viewpoints which south etc, if possible directly, or have influenced their at least in the words of people own mindset, and from those communities which influence society Students reflect on how more widely in the →→ different viewpoints might lead UK. They are given to different behaviours opportunities to think critically about these. →→ Students explore which perspectives on the Earth they are personally drawn to and why

This is a draft climate curriculum currently in development (October 2019) in collaboration with schools and with climate scientists. We value feedback from schools, especially mapping the learning objectives to the national curriculum and lesson ideas and resources to support each learning objective. Feedback to [email protected] greatly appreciated. CLIMATE What should young people know about 8 13 ACTION The Big Ideas: Climate Action by the time they leave school?

Climate Curriculum Learning Outcomes

KEY IDEAS FEELINGS AND BEHAVIOUR

By the end of Year 2: By the end of Year 4: By the end of Year 6: By the end of Year 9: By the end of Year 11:

→→ Pupils can talk about their →→ Pupils can talk about →→ Pupils can talk about →→ Students understand that →→ Students have a range of strategies own feelings about the their feelings about the their feelings about the anxiety is a normal response to for managing anxiety about climate earth, the natural world earth and the natural climate crisis and about understanding climate change change and the climate world, our changing their own future Students can discuss their Students can demonstrate self- climate and its impacts. →→ →→ Pupils are familiar with own and others’ feelings awareness in their lifestyle choices, They know that others →→ a range of methods in connection with climate including of internal contradictions. have a range of different people use to cope with change They can empathise with people feelings, including anxiety about climate whose choices are different from anxiety and fear Students have been introduced change including by →→ their own to a range of practices that can →→ Pupils begin to taking collective action help to reduce anxiety understand how some →→ Pupils begin to people can feel less Students understand that understand that →→ anxious when they take there is often a contradiction awareness of the action with other people between people’s awareness problem does not of the problem and people always lead to action actually changing their and begin to explore behaviour and can explain some of the reasons some of the reasons for this why

This is a draft climate curriculum currently in development (October 2019) in collaboration with schools and with climate scientists. We value feedback from schools, especially mapping the learning objectives to the national curriculum and lesson ideas and resources to support each learning objective. Feedback to [email protected] greatly appreciated. CLIMATE What should young people know about 9 13 ACTION The Big Ideas: Climate Action by the time they leave school?

Climate Curriculum Learning Outcomes

SKILLS FOR A NET CARBON ZERO FUTURE

→→ Food Growing →→ Clothes Repair →→ Cycle Safety →→ Cycle Maintenance →→ Sustainable →→ Household item →→ Cutting down food Skills Cookery repair skills waste

INTRODUCING KEY TERMS

By the end of Year 2: By the end of Year 4: By the end of Year 6: By the end of Year 9: By the end of Year 11:

→→ Weather and Climate →→ Climate change →→ Carbon footprint →→ Carbon drawdown →→ Confirmation bias

→→ Atmosphere →→ Climate emergency →→ Carbon capture and storage →→ Peer review

→→ →→ Tipping points →→ / climate →→ Geoengineering reparations →→ Greenhouse Gas emissions ./ →→ Intergovernmental Panel on →→ Just transition Climate Change →→ Climate denial →→ Carbon emissions →→ Mitigation →→ Ecosystems →→ Computer model →→ Carbon dioxide →→ Adaptation →→ Climate justice →→ Climate feedback →→ Fossil fuels →→ Net Zero →→ Carbon sinks →→ Mass extinction →→ Renewable energy →→ Biodiversity

→→ Permaculture

This is a draft climate curriculum currently in development (October 2019) in collaboration with schools and with climate scientists. We value feedback from schools, especially mapping the learning objectives to the national curriculum and lesson ideas and resources to support each learning objective. Feedback to [email protected] greatly appreciated.