Carbon Free Thinkers
Carbon Free Thinkers is a new program (managed under the Climate Change Education Department of Clean Nova Scotia) that engages youth in creative, critical thinking programs to help imagine a carbon-free Nova Scotia. It offers formal, educational, curriculum-linked workshops to classrooms in schools within Nova Scotia and also provides informal education on climate change and sustainability through youth outreach and community events.
In celebration of the launch of this new program, we are having a festival and a launch party to celebrate! For more information on the Free Thinkers Festival and Carbon Free Thinkers launch party click here.
Climate Change Classroom Workshops
The Carbon-Free-Thinkers team is currently providing free, interactive, educational workshops within schools across Nova Scotia. Our workshops link with school curriculum to support the good work of teachers in the province, while engaging students on the subject of climate change. We currently have three main workshops on offer, but our amazing team is working away to create new and exciting program material all the time (more workshops coming soon)!
Grades Two to Three
Title: ‘Needs and Wants’
Curriculum Links: Social Studies and Science (Grades 2-3)
Description: The grades 2-3 education program is a fun, interactive, one hour-long workshop for ages 7 to 9, consisting of four main activities. The workshop includes games which explore individual connection to nature and the ecosystem, what humans need to survive on the planet, and a look at how our actions can help Mother Nature and reduce global warming.
Grade Six
Title: Climate Change and Electricity
Curriculum Links: Science 6 (Electricity Unit) and Geography/Social Studies
Description: Our grade 6 program is 1.5 hours long and covers topics such as the earth’s atmosphere, greenhouse gases, renewable and non-renewable energy sources and how our actions can influence climate change. The main focus of the program is an interactive workshop component where students can estimate and measure the electricity needed to run a wide range of regular household appliances and discuss carbon emissions and energy use of different countries. Participants also take part in creating a class ‘pledge tree’ where they each commit to an action to reduce their carbon emissions at home, at school and with friends.
Grade Twelve
Title: Climate Change and Global Geography
Curriculum Links: Global Geography 12
Description: The grade 12 program is 1.5 hours long and looks at the causes, impacts and solutions for climate change. This interactive workshop is based on a participatory style of learning and allows students to discover facts as they go and learn from each other. The program begins with an interactive and engaging ice-breaker game where students can vote with their feet to agree or disagree with controversial statements made about climate change. An ideas session quickly follows, which records the class’s knowledge of climate change issues. Students are then split into small groups to role play ‘United Nations Climate Talks,’ where they compare statistics for a diverse range of countries and attempt to come to a resolution. Before debriefing the workshop as a whole class, students also play a game which focuses on local climate change stories allowing them to each role play a character representing diverse stakeholder interests. The workshop provides insight and reflection into the complexities of both global and local climate change issues.
