Transcript Climate Literacy Webinar slideshow 2016

Welcome to the
2016 InTeGrate Professional Development
Webinar Series
Free and open to the public, this series aims to help faculty teach
about the earth in the context of societal issues. The series
incorporates InTeGrate principles into teaching practices,
provides materials available for adoption, and creates a forum
for participants to learn and share teaching strategies.
http://serc.carleton.edu/integrate/workshops/webinars/2015_2016/climate_literacy/index.h
tml
This work is supported by a National Science Foundation (NSF) collaboration between the
Directorates for Education and Human Resources (EHR) and Geosciences (GEO) under grant DUE - 1125331
Improving Climate Literacy Through Your
Undergraduate Course
Cindy Shellito, University of Northern Colorado
Julie Bartley, Gustavus Adolphus College
Laura Triplett, Gustavus Adolphus College
Alice Newman, Moderator, SERC
This work is supported by a National Science Foundation (NSF) collaboration between the
Directorates for Education and Human Resources (EHR) and Geosciences (GEO) under grant DUE - 1125331
Who are we?
(Use “raise hand” icon to answer)
How many of you teach:
• Science courses?
• Non-science courses?
• Interdisciplinary course involving science &
non-science?
• Climate science topics of any sort?
What do we mean
by climate literacy?
From the Climate Literacy
brochure (published by NOAA
and AAAS):
Climate literacy is an
understanding of your
influence on climate and
climate’s influence on you
and society.
Find more information about climate literacy at:
http://cpo.noaa.gov/OutreachandEducation/Climat
eLiteracy.aspx
A climate literate person:
• Understands essential principles of Earth’s climate
system,
• Knows how to assess scientifically credible
information about climate,
• Communicates about climate and climate change in a
meaningful way, and
• Is able to make informed and responsible decisions
with regard to actions that may affect climate.
- From the Climate Literacy brochure
7) Climate
change will
have
consequences
6) Human
activities
impact the
climate system
1) The sun is
the primary
source of
energy
2) Climate is
regulated by
complex
interactions
Consider how these
Climate
principles apply in
your courses, or how
Literacy
you might
Principles
incorporate them
into your courses…
5) We understand
climate through
observations,
theory, and
modeling
3) Life on Earth
depends on, is
shaped by, and
affects climate
4) Climate is
variable (due to
natural &
anthropogenic
causes)
Climate of Change (2- to 3-week module)
2) Climate is
regulated by
complex
interactions
4) Climate is
variable (due to
natural &
anthropogenic
causes)
5) We understand
climate through
observations,
theory, and
modeling
7) Climate change
will have
consequences
Overview of module
Approach: Connect students to material
prior to delving into the science
http://serc.carleton.edu/integrate/teaching_materials/climate_change/unit1
_cover.html
Unit 1: Focuses on climate change impacts
• For homework: Students read
an article about the impact of
climate change on the Incas,
the Mayans, and the Vikings
• In class: Students participate in
a gallery walk to prompt
discussion about societal
adaptations to climate change
• This is used as an introduction
to climate variability.
Sample Gallery Walk Questions
(1) How did each of the three cultures try to adapt to climate
variations and changes? Put an * next to adaptations that were
successful.
4) Climate is
variable (due to
Andeans/Incas
natural &
Mayans
anthropogenic
causes)
Vikings
(2) What modern adaptations do we have that can or have
7) Climate change
helped us survive or adapt to climate challenges in high
will have
consequences
mountains, tropical rainforests, or barren, cold high
latitudes?
(3) The ability of a society to adapt to climate change depends
on:
Approach: Give students an opportunity to
experience doing science
http://serc.carleton.edu/integrate/teaching_materials/climate
_change/unit2_cover.html
Unit 2: Focuses on analyzing and interpreting data
From the Climate of Change Student Page:
Data Analysis: Tropical Pacific Sea Surface
Temperatures
2) Climate is
regulated by
complex
interactions
5) We understand
climate through
observations,
theory, and
modeling
• In groups: Students examine data showing tropical temperature and
rainfall and look for patterns
• As a class: We discuss the patterns they find and try to develop
explanations
Questions for Cindy?
Gustavus ‘Climate Across the Curriculum’
InTeGrate project
To help faculty who have
no climate science
expertise begin teaching
about climate-related
topics in their courses.
To improve climate literacy among a broader
universe of students.
Current program page:
We are transitioning to a program
page…Stay tuned for the debut!
Gustavus ‘Climate Across the Curriculum’
InTeGrate project
HOST FACULTY
Religion
Economics
Anthropology
Nordic Studies
Health & Exercise Science
English
Biology
DEVELOPER
FACULTY (with some
climate science expertise)
Geology
Geography
Environmental Studies
Chemistry
Physics
Education
Biology
How to engage faculty from diverse
backgrounds and interests?
1. Teaching Climate workshop: 34 (~15%) participated
2. Personal and departmental invitations
3. Teaching circles: Brainstorming, assigning pairs
and identifying lesson goals
4. Test-runs of modules with small group of faculty
5. Stipends for all participants (InTeGrate grant and
internal matching support)
How to engage students from diverse
backgrounds and interests?
• Contextualize!! Start from the course’s content
and host’s learning goals.
• Use host’s pedagogical approach
• Use only as much science content as host is
comfortable with
• Climate literacy can be promoted even at very
small scales
EXAMPLE 1
Introducing the economic concept of
Tragedy of the Commons using global warming
1-day module in ECON 101
• Host pedagogy: Lecture with .ppt, some class
interaction (Q&A)
• Host goal #1: See that economics is more
than just making and managing money
• Host goal #2: Introduce tragedy of the
commons
ECON: Begin within course’s context
• Homework: Short readings
Case studies
In your •small
groups,
answer
these questions
In class:
Lecture
and small-group
work together:
1. What was the “commons” in your case study? In
other words, what was the resource that didn’t
have a cost associated with it?
2. What was the “tragedy”? In other words, whose
interests were being damaged?
3. Who likely paid for changing the way things were
done (in order to solve the problem)?
Economics module: Climate literacy
Case studies
Atmosphere is thin
and can be
impacted by human
activities
Economic impacts
will be significant in
U.S. and elsewhere
GHG concentrations
have increased and
we observe the
planet heating up
EXAMPLE 2
Scientific debate and the nature of certainty
2-day module in REL 101
• Host pedagogy: Discussion format (no .ppt)
• Host goal #1: Consider that scientists gain
knowledge in ways different than theologians
• Host goal #2: Consider how/why people are
motivated to take action in their lives
Religion: Had some powerpoint…. 
Students
read telling
about climate
HowHomework:
will you know
who’s
the truth about
scientist whose work is under attack
scientific evidence?
Does the person:
The 49 NASA ex-employees:
• Have In
a PhD
in a Lecture
relevant field?
← review
None of and
them do! The nearest is
class:
about peer
(e.g., scientific
Would you go
see a doctorDialogue
who
one
guy who was a meteorologist
consensus.
between
hadn’t been to medical school?)
(weathercaster) but has no PhD.
Religion
and
Geology
“certainty”,
• Hold an
academic
position
at a profs←about
No. They
were all engineers
respected
university
research
building spacecraft and planning
“agency”
andor“objectivity”
institution?
missions.
• Submit his/her evidence for
← No, they haven’t.
evaluation
by peer
review?
After:
Students
have choice to write term• Publish in established and reputable ← No, none of them have.
paper on climate topic
journals?
• Cite evidence produced by other
← Nope! Let me tell you about
climate scientists?
Harrison Schmitt and Walter
Cunningham.
Religion module: Climate literacy
Case studies
Science advances
through peer review
Economic and social
impacts will be
significant
(environmental
justice)
We have scientific
consensus on many
aspects of climate
science (and what is
scale of disagreements)
Transferability Lessons
• Small is good
– Interdisciplinary teaching is daunting; start small
• Communication is key
– Clear host goals improves sustainability, utility of
climate lessons
• Collaboration is contagious
– Our next step is bringing non-science climate
topics into some geology classes
Sustainability Lessons
• The ideal version of this project is minimalist
– Host-developer pair work together for 1-2
iterations
– Host then delivers content independently
• Model has to be flexible
– New faculty member takes on host course
– Expansion to multiple sections
• Not every trial will ‘stick’
– That’s okay; the content might be useful
elsewhere
Questions for Julie and Laura?
Climate Across the Curriculum at Gustavus
Adolphus College
HOST FACULTY
Religion
Economics
Anthropology
Nordic Studies
Health & Exercise
Science
English
Biology
DEVELOPER
FACULTY (with some
climate science expertise)
Geology
Geography
Environmental
Studies
Chemistry
Physics
Education
Biology
10 new modules
available Dec 2016
Across disciplines…
Chemistry
Economics/Management
Education
English
Environmental Studies
Geology
Health Exercise Science
Psychology
Religion
Scandinavian Studies
Sociology & Anthropology
What opportunities do you see in your
situation: your class, department or
college/university?
Other questions for discussion?
After reflecting for a moment, please use the ‘chat’
feature to write a few sentences.
Stay Involved
• Next InTeGrate webinar:
Teaching about Soils as a Critical Resource: Materials and Activities for your Classroom
Thursday, April 21
12:00 pm Pacific | 1:00 pm Mountain | 2:00 pm Central | 3:00 pm Eastern
Registration deadline: Tuesday, April 19
• Join us at the next Earth Educators’ Rendezvous (July, in Madison, WI)
• Consider your department or course for NAGT’s Traveling Workshops Program
Help us…help you!
Webinar evaluation
This work is supported by a National Science Foundation (NSF) collaboration between the
Directorates for Education and Human Resources (EHR) and Geosciences (GEO) under grant DUE - 1125331