Development I Effects of climate change
Option 1
Methods: Think-pair-share and group puzzle
The students explore the effects of climate change (M6). Examples include the island states of Tuvalu and Kiribati, which are at risk of disappearing due to rising sea levels in the Pacific, Bangladesh, which is threatened by flooding and salinisation of fresh water, the Ahr Valley in Germany, where a flood disaster caused devastating damage in 2021, and Ethiopia, where droughts repeatedly threaten people’s livelihoods.
The students work individually on the tasks for one of the cases mentioned (think). They then exchange ideas with the other students who have worked on the same topic (pair). Results are compared, corrected and supplemented. Afterwards, four groups (of approximately the same size) are formed. In each one, there is one representative from each working group, so that the results from each country case can be presented and discussed one by one (share).
Option 2
The students work on one of the topics mentioned as an example (it is then advisable to supplement the material with further information or internet research). The results are then presented and discussed in plenary.
Option 3
The students work on several or all of the topics mentioned one after the other as examples. Results are then presented and discussed in plenary.
Option 4
The students independently research the question: „Climate change and water worldwide“ and present the results of their research.
Deepening in discussion
The results of working out the effects of climate change on water related issues worldwide leads to a class discussion on possible measures to prevent or to deal with these consequences of climate change. These key questions can contribute to this:
- Consider and describe international measures that could be taken to support the island states of Tuvalu and Kiribati, or the countries of Bangladesh and Ethiopia, in the fight against climate change.
- Consider and describe international measures that could be taken to help countries rebuild after extreme weather events (e.g. in the Ahr valley in Germany).
- Discuss the role of industrialised countries in implementing these measures and their responsibility.
Development II (International) measures to combat climate change
The students learn about the Paris Climate Agreement (2015) and the decisions made there. For this, students watch two short videos on the Paris Climate Agreement and the issue of climate justice . After reading an information text (M7), the three main objectives of the Paris Climate Agreement are then discussed in class.
The students formulate a definition of the term „climate justice“ and present it in class for discussion.
(Possible) deepening/supplementation
As the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Climate Agreement complement each other and the SDGs often serve as a reference for school curricula in this topic (In Germany, this is the Guiding Framework for Education and Sustainable Development.), they can be worked on as a supplement at this point (M8).
Students can also use rankings to analyse the importance of the individual SDGs for themselves.
A local reference can be established by researching and analysing the status of implementation of the goals in the respective place of residence.
Deepening climate justice and Bangladesh (climate lawsuits)
The findings on the effects of climate change in Bangladesh (involve members of Group II as specialists!) gained in Elaboration Phase I are deepened by analysing the lawsuit filed by lawyer Yi Yi Prue before the Federal Constitutional Court in Karlsruhe in Germany (M9). To do this, the students first inform themselves once again about the effects of climate change in Bangladesh with regard to ecological, economic and social consequences. They then look at the climate lawsuit from the perspective of climate justice by discussing the consequences of the successful lawsuit for life in Germany (as an example for the Global North) and Bangladesh.
Competences
- The students…
