SYNOPSIS: In this lesson, students investigate how artists use their platforms to spread awareness about climate change.

SCIENTIST NOTES: This lesson encourages students to think about how artists and their art can be used to teach and inspire others about climate change. Many videos are included in the slideshow. Videos include one of Sarah Lewis, an art historian discussing how one person’s artwork can shift things, and a second one featuring “Earthrise,” a poem by Amanda Gorman, the youngest inaugural poet in U.S. history. There are an additional six videos covering artists and their artwork about climate change. This lesson finishes with great reflection questions and an opportunity for class discussion. This would be a great lesson for teaching the effects of art on the public perception of climate change.

POSITIVES:
-Students consider the role of art as a form of climate activism.
-Students are exposed to a variety of artists and types of art addressing climate change.
-This lesson has significant cross-curricular possibilities, even though it focuses on art and artists.
-Students begin to think about ways they might use artwork as a means of taking climate action.

ADDITIONAL PREREQUISITES:
-This is lesson 1 of 3 in our 9th-12th grade Climate Heroes unit.
-This lesson should follow a basic introduction to climate change science, exploration of global and local impacts, and climate change solutions.
-Some prior knowledge of contemporary art practices is useful, but not required.

DIFFERENTIATION:
-Teachers can provide instruction multimodally.
-Teachers can modify the assignment and assessment as needed.
-Teachers can follow up with questions to ensure comprehension.
-Teachers can pair students with helpful peers.

In this lesson, students learn about climate anxiety and create a climate anxiety toolkit.

Step 1 - Inquire: Students discuss statistics about the prevalence of climate anxiety in children and young people and try out a strategy to cope with this anxiety.

Step 2 - Investigate: Students research and practice a strategy to manage anxiety and create a one-page mini-poster about this strategy.

Step 3 - Inspire: Students share their mini-poster with the class, and students discuss what they learned from each other.

In this lesson, students learn watercolour techniques, identify their target audience and create a rubric, and complete their artwork.

Step 1 - Inquire: Students analyze Jill Pelto works of art, learn how colours create emotion, and practice their watercolour techniques.

Step 2 - Investigate: As a class, students identify their target audience and create a corresponding rubric.

Step 3 - Inspire: Students complete their artwork.

In this lesson, students analyze data, create line graphs, conduct research, and plan their data art project.

Step 1 - Inquire: Students analyze their own data from the previous lesson.

Step 2 - Investigate: Students create a line graph and conduct research on their topic.

Step 3 - Inspire: Students plan their data art project.

In this lesson, students learn about deforestation, analyze paintings featuring deforestation themes, and then have the choice to learn about Wangari Maathai or design a climate action plan related to deforestation.

Step 1 - Inquire: Students activate background knowledge about deforestation, watch a timelapse video of deforestation, and learn the different parts of the word "deforestation."

Step 2 - Investigate: Students analyze and reflect upon two paintings featuring themes of deforestation.

Step 3 - Inspire: Students watch a video about climate activist Felix Finkbeiner and choose one of two options: learn more about Felix's inspiration Wangari Maathai or design a climate action plan related to deforestation.

In this lesson, students play a game about fishing, write a story about what happened, and learn how climate change impacts fish populations.

Step 1 - Inquire: Students describe photos depicting different ways of fishing and discuss their knowledge and experience of fishing.

Step 2 - Investigate: Students play the fish game, a role-play about a fishing community.

Step 3 - Inspire: Students make connections between a news report about climate change and the results of the fish game and create a comic strip to tell the story.

A statewide resource for Oregon educators working toward integration and infusion of PK-12 climate change education across all core subject areas.

In this lesson, students view images of plastic pollution around the world, watch a video on plastic pollution, and analyze artwork about plastic pollution.

Step 1 - Inquire: Students complete a KWL on plastic pollution and view six images of plastic pollution around the world.

Step 2 - Investigate: Students watch a video on plastic pollution and discuss.

Step 3 - Inspire: Students analyze artwork with a partner and then choose one artwork to analyze using the art critique star.

In this lesson, students discuss and evaluate artwork by Jill Pelto, investigate renewable and nonrenewable energy, and demonstrate their learning through writing or drawing.

Step 1 - Inquire: Students discuss and evaluate artwork by Jill Pelto and learn more about her career.

Step 2 - Investigate: Students learn the definitions of renewable and nonrenewable energy, read Sven's Search for Clean Energy, and take notes on renewable and nonrenewable energy.

Step 3 - Inspire: Students write a paragraph or draw a comic to demonstrate their new knowledge.

In this lesson, students listen to and analyze the song “Broken” by Xiuhtezcatl, then create their own art project to share their feelings about the future of the planet.

Step 1 - Inquire: Students listen to the song “Broken,” do a close reading of the lyrics, and reflect on the meaning of the song.

Step 2 - Investigate: Students watch a video and read a short autobiographical statement to learn more about the artist and activist, Xiuhtezcatl.

Step 3 - Inspire: Students create their own art project to share their emotions about the future of the planet.

This lesson guides students to explore color in art and the connection of color to emotions.

Step 1 - Inquire: Students explore colors, matching colors that relate to how they are feeling.

Step 2 - Investigate: Students investigate climate change artworks and identify colors and the feeling connected to that artwork.

Step 3 - Inspire: Students create their own color artwork to demonstrate a chosen feeling related to an artwork they are viewing.

This lesson engages students with identifying their own emotions through responding to artworks with body language, facial expressions, and their own artwork.

Step 1 - Inquire: Students identify different emotions and identify their emotional responses to artworks.

Step 2 - Investigate: Students engage with their emotions and share their emotions about climate change artworks.

Step 3 - Inspire: Students share their emotional responses through the creation of a collaged emotions artwork.