Implementing climate change in the classroom, the example of Elisabeth Kripa.

Discover (through images) how the training and resources of the Office for Climate Education (OCE) on climate change have enabled Elisabeth Kripa, a French as a Foreign Language (FLE) teacher at the 3rd Experimental School of Nea Ionia in Athens, to educate her 6 to 10 year-old students on climate issues.

From an experience on glacier melting to a tree-planting project, follow the steps of this multidisciplinary and action-oriented pedagogical approach. Get inspired...and in turn, implement climate change in your classroom!

              1. Introduction: What is climate change?

To initiate a discussion about the real impact of climate change, Elisabeth introduced her students to examples of climate events to which they had been exposed, such as wildfires, floods, and the heatwave of last summer.

Subsequently, the group studied the differences between climate and weather and examined the origins of the greenhouse effect phenomenon through an experiment. The students concluded that humans and their activities are largely responsible for global warming and then questioned the main human activities that emit greenhouse gases.

"The students had difficulty understanding the melting of glaciers and the impact of global warming on sea levels, as they live in an urban neighborhood in a country surrounded by the sea and not by the ocean." Therefore, their teacher had them conduct an experiment to help them understand why the melting of continental ice sheets leads to a rise in sea levels.

              2. Understanding: What can we do?

The students then explored the issue of carbon generated by combustion, energy sources, and human activities. They reflected on the impact of their travels, food imported from the other side of the world, and daily activities, which they identified and quantified in terms of carbon footprint, using our multimedia animation on the subject.

The students invent an alphabet for an "eco-planet," searching for eco-friendly alternatives to replace habits that are harmful to the environment.

The youngest, only 6 years old, approached the theme of global warming through drawings.

              3. Act: Building Sustainable Projects!

To raise awareness about climate change, all the students in the school participated in the RUNNING OUT OF TIME climate relay race, in which the OCE was a partner.

On March 21st, the students participated in a tree-planting project initiated by Olivier Girard, a teacher who participated in the first summer school of the OCE in 2022.

Finally, the 6-year-old students made and filmed a short movie about the planet, titled "The Musketeers of Planet Earth."