Yale Program on Climate Change Communication

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Question Bank

Filed under: Audio Story,
Grade: Introductory,

Use this Question Bank as a guide to discuss any of our 90-second daily podcasts! These questions can help start a full class conversation, be used in small group discussion, or function as writing prompts.

For Educators Download Educator Page (.pdf)
For Students Download Student Page (.pdf)

Background

Climate change is a complex scientific issue. In order to teach climate change effectively, we must make the topic concrete for students and connect it to students’ everyday lives. Yale Climate Connections does just that: YCC aims to help citizens and institutions understand how the changing climate is already affecting our lives. It seeks to help individuals, corporations, media, non-governmental organizations, government agencies, academics, artists, and more learn from each other about constructive “solutions” so many are undertaking to reduce climate-related risks and wasteful energy practices.

Through articles, videos, and daily 90-second stories broadcast on hundreds of radio stations nationwide, YCC “connects the dots” between climate change and energy, extreme weather, public health, food and water, jobs and the economy, national security, the creative arts, and religious and moral values, among other themes. The radio stories are a great way to spark discussion about climate change with your students. Please see the Educator Page for tips on how to incorporate these stories into your instruction using our Question Bank.

Goals and Standards:

  1. Analyze a climate change story to gain a greater understanding of a climate change topic.
  2. Construct a written or oral argument using evidence.
Common Core ELA Standards: RH.6-8.1, RST.9-10.8, RST.11-12.8, WHST.6-8.6, WHST.9-10.6, WHST.11-12.6,
NGSS Performance Expectations: MS-ESS3-3, MS-ESS3-3, MS-ESS3-3,
NGSS Science and Engineering Practices: Analyzing and interpreting data, Engaging in argument from evidence, Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information,

Resource Links

Yale Climate Connections
More Activities like this

Connecting Data to Storytelling

Advanced Audio Story

There are many ways to tell stories. We can write, speak, or even use art to tell a story. Data can tell a story, too. In this activity, students will draw connections between a Yale Climate Connections radio story and data from the Yale Climate Opinion Maps.

Re-representing a Climate Change Story

Intermediate Audio Story

Stories can build understanding around a topic and can also help students explore connections between classroom content and their own lives. In this activity, students will get to be the storyteller and will choose how they would like to retell one of our radio stories.

Climate Change Jigsaw

Introductory Audio Story

This Jigsaw exercise offers two ways in which students can discuss our radio stories as a team to deepen thinking around climate change issues.
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