To help schools engage with COP26 we’ve curated a series of resources and activities for use in your school.
Our NUSTEM Encounters assemblies will introduce children and young people to some of the Environmental Scientists researching climate issues at Northumbria University. Although aimed primarily at KS2 pupils, the videos are also suitable for KS3 students.
If you’re looking for other classroom resources, scroll down to the Resources Library.
What to do first:
- Check out the teaching resources and links at the bottom of the page for Early Years, KS1 and KS2.
- Choose a COP26 Encounter and watch it with your class. Then discuss the Big Question introduced by the environment expert.
- Send an email to joe.shimwell@northumbria.ac.uk and book your class onto the Live Encounter on Thursday 11 November at 2pm.
COP26 Encounters
To help you and your class explore and understand some of what is happening at COP26, we’ve teamed up with six Environmental Scientists from Northumbria University.
Each Encounter is about 10 minutes long, and suitable for children in KS2. Our guest will talk a little about their work and their research, then leave your class with a big question to discuss.
We’re also hosting a free Live discussion with some of our climate experts via Microsoft Teams. KS2 classes are welcome to join this half-hour session and submit questions about the climate for the panel to answer. This will take place on Thursday 11th November, from 2-2.30pm. If you want more details and joining instructions please email joe.shimwell@northumbria.ac.uk.
You can find the Encounters videos in the gallery below. There’s no particular order, so pick whichever video your class is interested in first and start from there.
Andy Suggitt
Ecologist
Who is Andy?
Andy is an Ecologist who is interested in changes in the climate over the small scale (microclimates). His research helps him understand how plants and animals within microclimates might adapt as their conditions change.
Andy’s BIG question
Which sorts of species in your local area might be at risk from the sorts of dryer, warmer weather that we will get with climate change? What could you do help local wildlife?
Video duration: 10 minutes
Video suitability: KS2 / KS3
Mike Rogerson
Earth Systems Scientist
Who is Mike?
Mike is an Earth Systems Scientist who is interested in how different systems on our planet interact and react to our changing climate. His research uses carbon locked in limestone rocks to help create a picture of what the Earth’s climate looked like in the past.
Mike’s BIG question
What do you think it would be like to have drier summers and wetter winters in the UK? How might that affect our lives?
Video duration: 9 minutes
Video suitability: KS2 / KS3
Cat Fyffe
Glaciologist
Who is Cat?
Cat is a Glaciologist who is interested in how the glaciers across our planet are changing with global warming. Her research looks closely at the water that comes from melting glaciers, and how this affects local communities who live close to them.
Cat’s BIG question
What do you use water for in everyday life? Are there any ways in which there’s hidden water? Are there any regions in the world where climate change is impacting the amount of water that people have?
Video duration: 8 minutes
Video suitability: KS2 / KS3
Yao Liu
Plant and Ecosystems Ecologist
Who is Yao?
Yao is a Plant and Ecosystems Ecologist who is interested in how plants and ecosystems change over time. Her research explores how ecosystems respond to extreme changes like droughts and wildfires, and she thinks about how we should look after ecosystems for the future.
Yao’s BIG question
Think of an ecosystem that you care about – what version of it would you protect? How it is now, how it was 15 years ago, or how it might be in the future, as the climate changes?
Video duration: 9 minutes
Video suitability: Upper KS2 / KS3
Matt Pound
Palaeontologist
Who is Matt?
Matt is a Palaeontologist who is interested in looking at fossils to find out what the climate was like in the past. His research looks at plant pollen fossils, and he uses these to recreate what different parts of the world might have looked like millions of years ago.
Matt’s BIG question
As rainfall increases due to the warming planet, what could we do to stop the damage caused by things like flooding?
Video duration: 8 minutes
Video suitability: Upper KS2 / KS3
Environmental Resources Library
We’ve collected some examples of good environmental resources in the sections below. For more activities, we suggest you head to the National STEM Centre website, where they have a wealth of environmental science related resources:
https://www.stem.org.uk/resources/collection/493174/climate-change-primary-resources
There’s also a fantastic set of resources themed around sustainability on the Practical Action Website.
Here you find some new, climate themed ‘I Bet You Didn’t Know’ articles from the Primary Science Teaching Trust.
For EYFS
There are two books by Melanie Walsh, 10 things I Can Do to Help My World and My Green Day, that introduce ways we can be more sustainable at home and at school.
For KS1
UKCOP26 have created a schools resource pack which uses the fun of football to inspire schools and families to take direct climate action. Lesson plans and home activities are included.
WWF have created a film: Our Climate, Your Future, which explains why COP26 is happening and why it is important. It also explains how a single person can make a difference.
For KS2
Lego have created a Building instructions for a Better World workshop, which includes presentations, lesson plans and worksheets for use in class. This is based around the question “What three instructions would you give world leaders to protect our planet from climate change?“ and is aimed at children aged 8 to 12.
UKCOP26 have also created a schools resource pack for Key Stage 2 along with a Green Schools assembly to introduce climate change and ways we can help our world.
BBC Bitesize launched The Regenerators on 25th October, which aims to help school-aged children learn more about sustainability.
