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Socratic Circle and Climate Change Phenomena

Student structures created in this unit. From left to right; a KidWind wind turbine, a posterboard with a green space and a blue waterway that has tiny home models incorporated, and a student model of a playground. In the back is a Powerwheel.
Phenomena: Starfish Die-off

Phenomenon: Students engage with a phenomena related to local starfish and die-off.

Learning Goals:

  1. Creativity and innovative thinking are essential life skills that can be developed. (VA: Cr1)
  2. Designers develop excellence through practice and constructive critique, reflecting on, revising, and refining work over time. (VA: Cr3)
  3. The interconnections and interdependency of ecological, social, and economic systems. Demonstrate understanding of how the health of these systems determines natural and human sustainability of local, regional, national, tribal, and global communities. (Washington State ESE Standard 1)
  4. The knowledge, perspective, vision, skills, and habits of mind necessary to make personal and collective decisions and take actions that promote sustainability. (Washington State ESE Standard 3)
  5. Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W 4.10
Materials List

Classroom Supplies

  • Sticky Notes
  • Pencils

Important Links

Lesson 1 of 7 / Time: 50 mins

This lesson appears as a part of the following:
– Water Power Implementation Toolkit

As an introduction to the Renewable City Unit or a standalone lesson, students begin by analyzing their own ideas about climate change and sustainability using a Socratic Circle discussion. Next, an investigation of the phenomena of planet earth and local starfish helps students further relate to climate change. Finally, by contributing to a sticky note wall in response to the question, “What do we know so far about systems which help care for our planet?” students’ ideas help shape their unit and how their Renewable City model will develop in the weeks to come. The lesson also introduces students to their goal of creating a model of an equitable, sustainable city.

 

 

Renewable City

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