For the first time ever, national educational standards for grades K-12 will link global warming trends to man-made emissions, or gases and particles put into the air by humans.
Teachers across the U.S. are struggling with this because while they want to teach science-related topics in their classrooms, global warming is a very controversial and political topic.
According to reports, a recent survey by the National Science Teachers Association, teachers say they're facing skepticism about climate science; 82 percent of science teachers say they faced it from students, and 54 percent say they faced it from parents.
Parents like Renee Domico of Colorado, a mother of five, is one of these parents.
"My biggest concern is that my kids are going to come home from high school and say: The world is warming up. We're too industrialized. We drive too many cars. We have too many people. And human nature is polluting the world," said Domico.
Teacher Cheryl Manning knows this skepticism firsthand.
According to Manning, she had students looking at data sets that were published online by international science organizations and some of her student's parents were very upset she was teaching this.
"And it was at that point where I realized what I was up against with this group of parents, and I knew that I needed to get some help, " she said.
Manning sought help from Susan Buhr. Buhr directs education outreach for CIRES, a cooperative environmental science research institute between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the University of Colorado, Boulder.
To help teachers respond to concerns from students and parents, Buhr and colleagues have developed climate change workshops, even curriculum and lesson plans on how to keep the science in the classroom and the political controversy out.
"The science classroom is about using science -- fundamental principals, fundamental principals of science and our ability to look at evidence and analyze it and draw evidence-based conclusions. It's not about talking about policy debates. It's not about whether something is socially acceptable. It's evidence, " said Roberta Johnson, National Earth Science Teachers Association.
But not everyone agrees with these principals. A well-known conservative think tank, the Heartland Institute, doesn't trust the science behind the upcoming standards. Instead, they will try to influence teachers directly. The institute has announced they will create their own K-12 climate science curriculum.
Quotes
"My biggest concern is that my kids are going to come home from high school and say, 'the world is warming up . . . human nature is polluting the world," - Renee Domico, Colorado
"Teachers in science classes are always going to want to talk about the science. And, increasingly, it's difficult for them to do so because of resistance from parents or from students to hearing about the evidence of climate science and climate change,"
Warm Up Questions
1. What is climate change?
2. What is global warming?
3. Do you discuss these topics in school?
Discussion Questions
1. Why do you think teachers are having a hard time balanivng
2. Do you think the Earth's weather changing, or is the weather we have seen this year and in recent years just part of the Earth's natural weather cycle?
3. Assume the weather is changing. In your opinion what is causing these changes?
Additional Resources
Lesson Plan: ARE THE WORLD'S WEATHER AND CLIMATE CHANGING?
Climate in The Classroom: Teachers Share Their Stories
Join a Live Chat Thursday: How Do You Teach Climate Change in the Classroom?
