Stop Burning Fossil Fuels

Title of Project: Stop Burning Fossil Fuels

Schools and Teachers

Lincoln Orens Middle School Teacher: Shannon Reda

ENL Proficiency Level | ENL Program | Standards | Technology

Emerging, Transitioning, Expanding, Commanding | Stand-Alone, Integrated ENL/ELA | 6R8, 6W1, 6SL4 / 7R8, 7W1, 7SL4 | Canva, Flipgird

Assessments

Formative & Summative: Students were assessed through reading and vocabulary quizzes, rubrics for research notes, the written speech and the multimedia presentation. Students also participated in a positive critique of each other’s final speeches through the Flipgrid message feature.

Description

In this unit, students garnered inspiration from Greta Thunberg’s quest to stop climate change. They conducted research to write their own speeches about the dangers of burning fossil fuels. Then they created Flipgrid videos to present their speeches to “lawmakers.”

Content

I can analyze the development of an argument and identify specific claims in a variety of texts.

Language

I can use precise language and content-specific vocabulary to argue a claim.

Technology

I can create a multimedia project incorporating video, graphics, text, and images.

Student work

Procedure

Throughout this unit, students were introduced to climate activist Greta Thunberg and her campaign against fossil fuels. Students followed the journey of Greta Thunberg with a variety of articles and videos from News-O-Matic and Newsela. In addition, we learned about and researched the dangers and negative effects burning fossil fuels has on the earth. Students were introduced to and utilized content specific vocabulary. Students researched the impact of burning fossil fuels on animals, climate, the atmosphere, etc. Teacher provided students with material, articles, and websites that were leveled to their individual lexiles, and in some cases bilingual. Students also researched sources of alternative energy. For the culminating project, students used their research to write opinion speeches persuading lawmakers to pass laws restricting the use of fossil fuels. The length of the speeches were differentiated based on the required number of claims used for evidence and support. Also, some speeches were bilingual. Students typed their speeches in Canva and then recorded their speeches using Flipgrid. (We followed the Teachers College: Up the Ladder - Opinion Unit of Study, Bend III: Persuasive Speeches to Make a Real-World Difference).

Resources and Other Materials

Canva (for final project)
Flipgrid (to record videos of speech presentations)
News-O-Matic: “Kid of the Year: Greta Thunberg"
NewsELA:
- Greta Thunberg Scolds Leaders About Climate Change in U.N. Speech
- Boat trip: Greta Thunberg, climate activist, plans travel to UN summits
- Youth on every continent united in strikes to demand climate action
- Students blame governments for inaction on climate change
- Drilling deep for knowledge about fossil fuels - power and pollution
- Earth is a "living planet" and all life depends on one another to thrive, report says
NASA Climate Kids- https://climatekids.nasa.gov/climate-change-meaning/
Climate Change (according to a kid) Video- https://youtu.be/Sv7OHfpIRfU
Scholastic Study Jams - Renewable Fuels- http://studyjams.scholastic.com/studyjams/jams/science/energy-light-sound/renewable-fuels.htm
Fueling Extinction - How Dirty Energy Drives Wildlife to the Brink https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/publications/papers/Fueling_Extinction.pdf
Mentor Text - Transcript: Greta Thunberg’s Speech at the U.N. Climate Summit
Video - Greta Thunberg’s Speech at the U.N. Climate Summit- https://youtu.be/TMrtLsQbaok
Teachers College Posters Deliver Powerful Speeches
- Is My Speech Easy to Read
- Opinion Writing Checklist
- Some Phrases to Help Set Up Evidence
- Transition Words and Phrases
- Thought Prompts

Reflection

This unit was an in depth look at both climate change activist Greta Thunberg, and the causes and effects of climate change on the earth. Students were engaged and amazed by the fact that Greta Thunberg was so young and so influential.

The lessons worked well in combination with the Teachers College - Opinion Writing Unit. However, I expected students to have a bit more background knowledge about climate change and pollution. In the future, I would create a unit on pollution to teach before this unit.

Students enjoyed utilizing the variety of technological resources throughout the lesson.They especially enjoyed designing their final projects on Canva. They also enjoyed being able to view their classmates projects on Flipgrid and provide positive feedback.

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