THE CURRICULUM
Intersections Structure
Intersections is designed to be as engaging as possible for high school students by tying in two mechanisms for learning: video and discussion. Throughout 7, 1-hour periods, students will watch approximately 3.5 hours of video material (stemming from the Bending the Curve lectures), and engage in 3.5 hours of discussion connected to the video materials they watched.
Each day presents a different piece to understanding the multifaceted climate movement, allowing students to holistically learn about climate change. Additionally, the use of moderated discussion (guided by provided discussion questions) helps students become more active participants in the curriculum and concepts.
All material is presented during class time so students aren’t burdened by having extra material or work outside of school. The videos range from 15-25 minutes, leaving half an hour of discussion about content per day. The program’s structure is tailorable to schools’ schedules, and the amount of discussion time, or the way the material is parsed, can be altered to be more effective in different educational settings.
Sample Schedule for a 7-Day Module Curriculum
Day 1: Why is the Climate Changing? & How do we slow it down? (19:25)
Day 2: Why should I care?
Day 3: Why haven’t we fixed it? (Challenges to Solutions)
Day 4: Why is climate change a social issue too? (27:43)
Day 5: What is the most effective way to talk about climate change? (16:59)
Day 6: What is decarbonization and why is it important? (19:52)
Day 7: How does climate change disproportionately affect minority groups? (27:00)
Specific Module Information
Climate change is a transdisciplinary issue, as such the solution should be transdisciplinary too, our course is reflective of this idea. Each day contains a topic question which experts then dissect from various perspectives.
Day 1 is “Why is the Climate Changing? & How do we slow it down?”. It is focused on the science behind climate change to give students basic foundational knowledge. However, this is one of two days that talk about science as students are normally most well versed in the science compared to the other parts of climate change.
Day 2 is “Why should I care?” and focuses on the impacts that climate change can have on individuals to engage students and show them how it is both a community and individual issue with implications for both. Part of the lecture addresses the connection between mental health and climate change, an area that isn’t discussed often.
Day 3 addresses the challenges to solutions and what is hindering the movement. Day 5 is all about communication, how to productively talk to people who have different opinions and views as well as government climate movements such as the Paris Agreement. Day 6 talks about two specific solutions to climate change, nuclear energy and carbon sinks to give students examples of potential solutions.
Day 4 and Day 7 address the social aspect of climate change by defining climate justice and injustice, analyzing the successes and failures of different past social movements, and exploring the intersection between faith and climate change.
Sample Discussion Questions
Day 5 is about ways to effectively talk about climate change, in general, but also more importantly, with climate skeptics.
This is an example set of discussion questions that students could pull from to discuss and reflect on their experiences talking to people who may be what Professor Somerville calls an “Uncle Pete” (someone who repeats climate myths as a way to try and prove climate change is fake). Students will also have the opportunity to work collaboratively to brainstorm ways to have meaningful and productive discussions with the “Uncle Petes” in their lives.
Somerville claims that “Uncle Pete” attacks climate science but his real target is the climate policies he disagrees with. Drawing on Han’s claim that creative strategy is key to social movements and your knowledge of climate policies, what do you think are some ways the climate movement could shift their policies and approaches to answer the concerns of the Uncle Pete’s of the world?
Have you experienced Uncle Pete in your life? If so, reflect on the interaction. Were you able to have a level-headed conversation or was it difficult to not get upset or frustrated? How do you think you can shift your method to maybe have a more productive conversation?
Play a game in which some students take on the role of Uncle Pete, who does not accept the findings of climate change science, and other students take on the role of climate scientists who attempt to persuade Uncle Pete that climate change science is correct.