The tone of climate change (US)

In this lesson, students explore the emotions that climate change evokes and examine the tones used in messaging around climate change. Students compare and contrast headlines and videos that use a range of tone. In doing so, students evaluate the effect that different tones have on the audience.

Students then create their own messaging around climate change. Students use class data, through surveys, to find out which messaging was most effective.

Level of teacher scaffolding: Medium – facilitate class discussion.

Learning intentions:

• Students will understand how tone is created through author choices
• Students will understand that tone impacts on audiences in different ways
• Students will create their own messaging with a variety of tones

Credits and acknowledgements:

Cool.org prepared the 2040 Curriculum Guide. Together Films adapted these lessons for US educators and will do an annual review of these resources to ensure they are still in line with the US Curriculum.

US Educator Note: Australian educational standards have been adapted and aligned by discipline, and when possible, to US standards.

Cool Australia, GoodThing Productions and Regen Studios would like to acknowledge the generous contributions of Good Pitch Australia, Shark Island Institute, Documentary Australia Foundation, The Caledonia Foundation, Global Health Film and our philanthropic partners in the development of these teaching resources.