Activity 1: An opinionative essay essay on climate change – a truth or just an inconvenience? Theme The students will research research and write write an opinionative essay presenting presenting a point of view about about climate change.
Key learning/Subject areas/Year level(s)
Personal Development Health and Physical Education Science Studies of Society and the Environment English/Literacy Personal Learning
Detailed curriculum lin!s are included at the end of this document"
Possible Year levels Duration
#ears #ears $% & and '( )p to * periods% depending on the e+tent of research re,uired re,uired
bjectives -n completion of this activity students will be able to understand the !ey arguments for and against climate change identify e0ective strategies for communicating their own points of view understand the importance of research research and !nowledge in decision ma!ing processes.
The output will be an opinionative opinionative essay
List their responses on the board under 9:; and 9<9. #ou could show them the documentary 97n 3nconvenient Truth; or #ouTube videos The Most Terrifying Video You’ll Ever See or Ho it all ends to stimulate their thin!ing. Ste' * !n"ivi"ual activity: 'lanning an" research -nce you have discussed the topic and the essay structure% give your students time to plan and then research the issue. #our students need time to research their arguments% using resources such as the 3nternet to 2nd supporting evidence refer to the e+tensive list in this activity to help get them started". This research may ta!e =<> periods. Ste' +, !n"ivi"ual activity: "evelo'ing your argument -nce the research has been done% each student should have decided which arguments they will use% and the supporting evidence to bac! up their point of view. This is the time for them to write up their essay plan and formulate each argument. Ste' - !n"ivi"ual activity: .nal 're'aration #our students need to draft% review and then 2nalise and 2nesse their arguments. Ste' hole class activity: submission an" class "iscussion -nce each student has completed and submitted their essay% spend some time re?ecting with your students on what they learned% both about the issue of climate change and about conveying e0ective arguments. hat0s net& -nce these activities have been completed% you could encourage the students to underta!e
htt!"##$acfonline$org$au#default$as!?section.id/+ Hotting up htt!"##ti0i$oneorld$net#glo%al.arming#climate&$html 1limate change < an 3ntroduction Part '" Provides a brief introduction htt!"##$eco0idsonline$com#!u%#eco.info#to!ics#climate#intro#inde1$cfm 1limate change < an 3ntroduction Part =" 1ontinues the previous the introduction htt!"##$eco0idsonline$com#!u%#eco.info#to!ics#climate#intro#climate-intro&$cfm 7n 3nconvenient Truth htt!"##$aninconvenienttruth$com$au#truth# The Bost Terrifying Fideo #ou4ll Ever See #ouTube" htt!"##$youtu%e$com#atch?v/234v*iad5 Ho it all ends htt!"##$youtu%e$com#atch? v/m6.anaVcC7g8annotation.id/annotation.)'&9:*8feature/iv S!eptical Science htt!"##$s0e!ticalscience$com#argument$!h!
or4sheet 1 $ints 7or riting an Argumentative 8ssay 7n argument consists of a number of connected statements used to establish a point of view or opinion about a particular topic. 7rgument is one way in which we attempt to persuade other people that our point of view is correct by supporting your arguments with factual evidence. 5ith essays of this sort it is essential that you support your arguments with supporting evidence. '. Plan your essay by organising 4ey i"eas or su''orting arguments into a logical order. 3nclude a. 3ntroduction 6 stating your point of view b. Aody of essay 6 a separate paragraph for each new idea% which could be a topic sentence% which is then supported by evidence/details c. 1onclusion 6 restating your opinion clearly and with conviction =. #ou should have a de2nite opinion about climate change that must be clearly stated in the intro"uction. This becomes the main argument or contention. >. Each !ey idea should become a to'ic sentence introducing a 'aragra'h% which contains evidence/e+amples/supporting details to support that idea. G. efer constantly to the ,uestion or topic as well as your plan while you are writing to ma!e sure you !eep to the point. *. Do not change from one point of view to the other. . #ou can brie?y consider some of the opposing arguments and your rebuttal of them in the second last paragraph.
9urriculum #in4s A9T
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Studies of Society and the Environment esponsibility for deciding the speci2cs of curriculum content resides with teachers. 3n Studies of Society and Environment essential learning about 7ustralia includes the features of selected 7ustralian natural environments% including how they function I patterns and processes producing 7ustralia4s environments and landscapes.
)sing the Essential Learning 7chievements a number of these could implicitly underpin a study of natural disasters% for e+ample the student ma!es plans and carries them out understands about 7ustralia and 7ustralians ma!es sense of world issues and events applies scienti2c understandings.
;eogra!hy Years 7-10 Strand 3ssues in 7ustralian Environments
Science
Strand Place and Space Cey concept Environments are de2ned by spatial patterns% human and physical
Lin! E+plicit 6 1auses of natural events and conse,uences for humans and other living things
S!ea0< listen< read< rite< vie and re!resent < responds to and composes te+ts for understanding% interpretation% critical analysis and pleasure
#evel:
Strand te+ts and conte+ts
Strand Systems
sophisticatedand sustained te+ts for
#evel: Year 1>
composes increasingly
understanding%
processes for
E+plicit Jatural phenomena across a range of scales have an impact on geographical patterns% features and human activity
responding to and
Science
interpretation% critical analysis and pleasure
composing te+ts < uses and critically assesses a range of processes for responding and composing
di0erent technologies =se language and communicate
S ta nda rd *
7t Standard G% towards the end of #ear $% the student
7t Standard *% towards the end of #ear '(% the student
-@1 #istens to a range o7 tets to eamine Key !"eas an" "iverse o'inions an" to un"erstan" the eect o7 'ur'oseB contet an" au"ience@ C!" CT C9 CK9*
@1 #istens to a range o7 tets to analyse an" com'are com'le i"eas an" "iverse o'inions an" ju"ge the eect o7 the interrelations hi' bet%een contetB 'ur'ose an" au"ience@ C!n CT C9 CK91
E+amples of evidence include that the student
Strand Earth and Aeyond 6 Scienti2c understanding can be used to model the past and predict the future of the earth and the universe
e+amines the purpose of the te+t eg to be entertained by peers" TM 1M C1'M
#evel:
responds to te+ts to demonstrate understanding eg restates information to clarify meaning in a report by a community spea!er" TM
< responds to and composes te+ts in
ST7JD7D G
;eogra!hy
Cey concept Systems underpin the relationships% the connections% the human interactions and movement between places within spaces
< responds to and
Science#Earth and %eyond
Domain Health and Physical Education
-utcome Sustainability of life and wise resource use
Lin! E+plicit 6 Klobal patterns of change on earth and in its atmosphere can be predicted and modelled
#evel:
#evel: +,E
8nglish Stage +
Physical% Personal and Social Learning
Strand Earth and space Stan"ar": - (en" o7 Year ?)
Lin! E+plicit studying a range of geographical issues a0ecting 7ustralian environments e+plore issues a0ecting 7ustralian environments
< uses a range of 7lso see Essential Learning statements
Studies of Society and the Environment
E+amples of evidence include that the student
compares the purposes of spo!en te+ts eg a radio play% short story and 2lm version of a te+t" TM 1M C1'M
responds to the te+t to demonstrate understanding eg discusses the way a formal speech constructs
Lin! Jo e+plicit references. 3mplicit potential to broaden concept of haNards and ris!s and safety beyond health perspective 8nglish , #8;8# Students read and interpret te+ts that present some challenging issues. They compare te+ts that e+plore similar themes and ideas% and recognise that writers can e+press views and values other than their own. They develop a critical understanding about the ways that writers and producers of te+ts try to position readers to accept particular views of people% characters% events% ideas and information. They discuss the ways in which persuasive te+ts present opinions and evidence% Oustify positions and persuade. 3ea"ing 7t #evel B students read and view imaginative% informative and persuasive te+ts that e+plore ideas and information related to challenging themes and issues. They identify the themes and issues e+plored in these te+ts% and provide supporting evidence to Oustify their interpretations. They produce personal responses% for e+ample% interpretive pieces and character pro2les. They infer meanings and messages in te+ts% analyse how social values or attitudes are conveyed% compare the presentation of information and ideas in di0erent te+ts% and
1omponent Humans4 e0ects on physical systems (#evel ?)
Science as a Aody of Bnoledge – earth and s!ace
Strand Environment Study Bain idea 6 Earth space systems continue to be shaped by the changes they e+perience Lin!s
Lin! E+plicit < human resources use impacts on the Earth4s physical systems 1omponent Environmental change (#evel =)
Lin! E+plicit 6 trends in environmental change and populations and their e0ects on each other 1omponent 1onse,uences of humans4 e0ects of physical systems (#evel =)
Lin! E+plicit 6 conse,uences of changes to the atmosphere resulting from natural and human activities -utcome Earth forces and materials 1omponent 7tmosphere on Earth and beyond (#evel =) Lin! E+plicit 6 changes in the atmosphere and the conse,uences of them
-utcome Students demonstrate active citiNenship through their behaviours and practices in accordance with the principles and values of sustainability% social Oustice and democratic process Lin! 3mplicit 6actions to care for the environment
Stage = 6 E+plicit investigate some interactions between systems of earth and or space Stage 1* 6 E+plicit Describe some important interactions that occur% or have occurred in the past% within and/or between earth and/or space systems Stage 1 6 7nalyse and evaluate the evidence for past% present and predicted future changes to the earth and consider possible implications
Bain idea 6 Humans use the earth and this raises ethical and sustainability issues Lin!s
Society and the Environment – >ctive Citi2enshi! Early >dolescence Yr *-('@ 1omponent 7ctive 1itiNenship
Studies of Society and Environment -
Element Jatural Systems E+plicit investigate past% present and future climate Element Environmental 7wareness and 1are E+plicit research the historical and current positions 7ustralia has ta!en on maOor environmental issues research a local urban or community issue and devise/formulate an action plan
Science – Earth and %eyond - Band 5 / Band 5 Strand Earth4s resources and sustainability -utcome Learners )nderstand models and concepts that e+plain earth and space systems Lin! E+plicit e+plained in the theory of climate change e+plore the causes and conse,uences of global atmospheric changes use a greenhouse model to describe how humans have contributed to climate change predict possible trends in climate change
Stage 1* 6 E+plicit E+amine the long
Science as human endeavour Study Bain 3dea 6
Strand Earth4s resources and sustainability -utcome Learners e+tend their understanding of how scienti2c models and
