eg magazine sustainability, resource efficiency & climate change

What is climate change?  How is it caused?  What could our future look like?  These questions and more are explored on a new website designed for teachers and students by three leading organisations launched formally to coincide with Climate Week.The Royal Meteorological Society, Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) and British Council have worked in partnership to provide schools, whether in the UK or internationally, with up-to-date scientific data about the world’s climatic system and projections that explore the potential impact of climate change at the national scale. 

The free resource, piloted in the UK, China, Mexico and Indonesia, is the first website to use national level climate projections tailored to individual countries.  This allows teachers and students to see how their nations and others around the world might be affected by climate change and how they might adapt to and mitigate these changes.

Dr Rita Gardner, Director of the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG), said the website will help teachers be more confident in teaching the science and geography of climate change and its potential impact.    “Many people are uncertain about climate change or see it as controversial, but it is vitally important that young people and their teachers have access to the most up-to-date and reliable climate science available.  A generation properly informed is a generation equipped to tackle the challenges of the future,” she said.

In the teaching resources, each module has clear learning outcomes, activity plans and student activity sheets.  Meanwhile, a ‘My Climate’ section allows schools to log in and upload their own case studies.

Professor Paul Hardaker, Chief Executive of the Royal Meteorological Society, said Climate4Classrooms was a welcome addition for teaching resources. “I know of nowhere else that brings together for schools the science of climate change, the ability to examine what it might mean for national climates and helps explore the challenges of finding both global and local solutions,” he said.  “Not only will it be valuable for any classroom in any country to make use of, but it also offers an exciting opportunity to promote greater exchange and dialogue between students and classrooms across the globe on a topic that is of importance to all of us.”

Schools in more than 50 countries across the world including Hong Kong, Colombia, Russia and Ireland, have already accessed the website and investigated national and global future environmental scenarios as well as possible solutions.

Martin Davidson, CEO of the British Council, said they were proud to be a partner in Climate4Classrooms.  “The next generation will face the full effects of climate change. The British Council is delighted to be partnering RGS-IBG and RMS in the development of scientifically-based resources for teachers and students to learn about climate change. As a cultural relations organisation, we are particularly pleased to be able to use our expertise in connecting students and teachers from around the world to build a better shared understanding in this important area,” he said.