Does melting sea ice cause sea levels to rise? This was just one of the conundrums Y6 pupils at Lydgate Junior got to grips with as they worked in small groups to make a “Climate Fresk”. Volunteers from around South Yorkshire came to the school for two days to work with small groups of children for half a day each.
A Climate Fresk has three stages; head, heart and hands. In the head section participants learn about the science of climate change by working cooperatively to arrange a pack of cards so that they show the many causes and effects of our changing climate. Participants are asked throughout to explain why they have arranged the cards as they have, increasing their confidence to talk about the science. Then when the science is understood we move on to the heart- how has this made the participants feel? It’s important to recognise and get to grips with the emotions that follow from understanding the scale of this complex threat to everyone’s well-being. Finally, in hands, students make an action plan and consider what they, the school and the local community can do to address the issues. It’s no good feeling sorry for ourselves- we have to get out there and improve the situation!
Stephanie Holden, teacher at Lydgate Junior, explained
“The year 6 children started science week with workshops on Climate change. Trained volunteers, via Schools’ Climate Education South Yorkshire (SCESY), lead discussion groups. Each group built a ‘Fresk’ of pictures which the children linked together and discussed. This really helped their understanding of the causes and effects of climate change. The children very much enjoyed the workshops and this was a great catalyst for the whole school Climate Action campaign, with year 6 having a focus on Global Goal 7: Affordable and clean energy.
This work led to a whole school climate rally.
Caroline Leary who coordinates Climate Fresk in Sheffield explained “Climate Fresk is a powerful tool for providing a quality climate education. It is accessible to anyone and can be scaled quickly within an organisation or community. There is a simpler version for children and a more complex one for adults.
Climate Fresk is recommended by researchers, politicians and business leaders. It began in France-fresk means fresco. Over the last 2 years it has grown exponentially around the world, involving 150,000 people and 6000 facilitators in 45 countries. This is just the beginning!
Imagine if we can help millions of people in South Yorkshire to understand that we must change society to avoid catastrophe. The climate is changing- so can we!”
Schools, community groups or groups of interested adults or young people wanting to be part of a Climate Fresk workshop, please email carolyn.leary@btinternet.com
Did you get the answer to the conundrum? Melting Sea Ice does not lead to rising sea levels! If you imagine an iced drink filled to the top, it won’t overflow as the ice melts, because the melted ice has the same volume as the ice. What makes the sea level rise is hotter temperatures which cause the seawater to expand and the melting of ice from the land such as the ice caps and mountain glaciers, which eventually drain into the sea.
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