Tools and resources

Climate change – classroom competencies

Looking to initiate a conversation about climate change in your classroom but unsure how to begin?

This professional learning development resource for teachers provides essential background information to confidently address climate change with your students. It also equips you with the content knowledge necessary to create scientifically supported and impactful learning experiences.

It includes: 

• Teaching Challenges: Learn how to talk about climate change with your class.
• Student Skills: Find out what skills students need to develop to become agents of change in the face of complex environmental issues. 
• Learning Resources: A collection of links to various resources that explore climate change from different perspectives, such as science, mātauranga Māori, wellbeing, and action. 
• Class Activities: Discover fun ways to explore climate change through the arts, health and physical education, social sciences, and technology. 

MyCoastalFutures (niwa.co.nz)

The “My Coastal Futures” game is an interactive experience that allows players to manage their coastal property in response to rising sea levels and increasing storm damage. Players have options like building seawalls, relocating their house, or moving to a different area. Decisions must be made carefully as conditions can change rapidly.

Duration: The game can be completed in a little over 5 minutes.

Recommended age: It works best for individuals over the age of 10, but younger children can also play with guidance. This game could be played individually, in groups or as a whole class.

MyCoastalFutures (niwa.co.nz)

The “My Coastal Futures” game is an interactive experience that allows players to manage their coastal property in response to rising sea levels and increasing storm damage. Players have options like building seawalls, relocating their house, or moving to a different area. Decisions must be made carefully as conditions can change rapidly.

Duration: The game can be completed in a little over 5 minutes.

Recommended age: It works best for individuals over the age of 10, but younger children can also play with guidance. This game could be played individually, in groups or as a whole class.

Climate change information for climate solvers | NIWA

This section of NIWA’s website is a collection of resources and information to help teachers and students to understand the science of climate change.

House of Science want to see every child in New Zealand become scientifically literate. This means they have a clear understanding of science concepts and processes encountered in their daily lives. They provide teacher professional development and develop relevant, comprehensive resource kits with all the materials needed to carry out engaging science lessons – including on climate change. The bilingual kits are delivered to schools using a subscription based library system. Learn more at www.houseofscience.nz

Rangi - weather and climate lessons for teachers | NIWA

Rangi is designed to offer intermediate age students an engaging and interactive way to learn about Aotearoa’s weather and climate.

This is a series of 14 lessons. Each lesson contains a teaching resource package with background information, videos, activities, experiments, and quizzes. You can also download each lesson as a PDF or PowerPoint presentation.

Lesson topics include:

• An introduction to weather and meteorology
• Wind
• Weather forecasting
• Extreme weather
•  Introduction to climate 
• Climate drivers
• Climate in Aotearoa
• Climate and weather extremes
• Ngā Tohu o te Taiao - Māori environmental indicators
• Our planet is warming
• Understanding past climate can help predict the future
• Computing the climate
• Becoming a climate solver
• Rangi: weather and climate glossary

Climate Ready Classrooms - Keep New Zealand Beautiful (knzb.org.nz)

Climate Ready Classrooms is a series of four teacher-led workshops that cover:

• An introduction to climate change
• The carbon cycle and biodiversity
• The greenhouse effect and carbon footprints
• Climate action

These workshops are designed to be adaptable and be delivered flexibly. All materials, including PowerPoint presentations, background information, and activity sheets, are supplied in a format that’s prepared for immediate use.

This resource aligns with the New Zealand Curriculum with links for levels 1 through 8 and the programme also maps to 12 of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Upon completing the course, students receive a certificate of completion acknowledging the climate actions they have committed to take.

Climate Change Learning Programme | Resources by NZAEE

‘Huringa Āhuarangi: whakareri mai kia haumaru āpōpō | Climate Change: prepare today, live well tomorrow’ is a science-based, integrated learning programme. It focuses on Earth’s systems, the interconnectedness of the living world, and the impacts of anthropogenic climate change. It encourages learners to interpret, analyse and engage with science, and to understand that science knowledge changes over time.

This programme consists of eight modules. Each module includes learning intentions and success criteria, background information for teachers and kaiako, teaching and learning sessions, and extension activities and supporting resources.

Recommended age:  Level 4 learning programme targeted for Years 7-8. However, it can be adapted for Years 5-6 and Years 9-10.

https://www.learnz.org.nz/climatechange221

A LEARNZ field trip provides students with a virtual experience that allows them to explore locations around NZ and beyond through videos, audio, and interactive activities. 

This field trip explores how experts are already working together to monitor, manage and build resilience to climate change in the Canterbury region. 

Travel online with LEARNZ along the Rakaia awa in Canterbury to:

• Investigate the impact of climate change on our landscape and lives.
• Explore the science and mātauranga behind climate change.
• Discover positive stories about research and response.
• Meet the experts who are helping to build community resilience.
• Find ways to reduce the impacts of climate change in your own rohe.

A Call to Climate Learning | The World's Largest Lesson (globalgoals.org)

This video is an excellent resource to spark meaningful discussions about climate change in your classroom. It’s an inspiring call to action, showing young individuals that they have the power to create meaningful change, no matter their age.

Weather And Climate | NASA Climate Kids

The NASA Climate Kids website is designed to be accessible and engaging for children ages 8 and up. It offers a variety of games, activities, videos and articles that make climate science understandable and interesting for young learners.