Climate Change Summit
                                                  By:  Jenison World History Department

Project at a Glance :

This project connects high school students to the impact of climate change on various regions. Students will have choice in their geographic locations based on interest and will collaborate in small groups to better understand the root cause of climate change and how we can collectively work together to combat a changing climate. Students will focus on generating solutions for their respective regions and share them out to a panel of stakeholders.
       
 
Driving Question:

How can we address the impact of climate change to create a more sustainable world?             

Standards:

• Michigan State Standards (PBL Climate Change) 

Team / Culture Building:

• Climate Change Survey (grouping students based on interest via Google Forms) 
• PBL: Group (Contract) 
• Hopes &  Fears protocol​​

​Entry Event:

• 4 Corner Activity (statements to agree, disagree, strongly agree, strongly disagree)
• Show the Before the Flood video from National Geographic.

Stakeholders:

• Building Leaders
•  High School & Elementary Teachers
• Students
• Parents
• Jenison community
•  Global citizens, etc.

Empathy Building:

• Stakeholder Map ​​​

• Social Contract/Group Contract Expectations
• 6 Word Memoir
• Value Cards
• Creative DNA
• Empathy Map → Journey Map (individual spot light depending on location)

Inquiry / Need to Knows:

• Know/Needs to Know protocol (after entry event)
• Driving Question Board - (inquiry based learning - generate questions about the DQ) 
• Climate Change Resources (Resources for a starting point) 
• Research Guide (Identify & Quantify)  HW1
• Causes/ Consequences → Possible Solutions 
• HW#2 Stakeholder Map  

Incubation:

• The 5 Whys - help students get to the bottom of why things happen to deepen their understanding of climate change.​​

• What if _____ were _____. 
• Generates ideas related to various components of our driving question. 
• Idea Quota protocol - generate 100 ideas in 15 minutes.
• Rip, Slap, Pass protocol

Checking in:

•  Daily check ins with individual groups, peer to peer feedback on a weekly basis. 
• Daily Task Management log (Individual & Group) 
• Pass the Mic (check in with other groups) 
• Critical Friends protocol

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Solution Building:

• Fishbowl discussion
• PBL: HW#3 (Potential Solutions) 
• Kiss the Ground  documentary
• SWOT - Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats 

Critique and Revision: 

• Speed share ideas
• Top 10 list
• Gallery Walk 
• NUF TEST
• Elevator pitch solutions ideas to  Staff and students from other classes for feedback. 
• Critical Friends with other groups for fine tuning before publishing stage. 

Authentic Audience:

• Administration
• School Board Members
•  Other World History classes
•  College professors
•  Grand Rapids rep for Climate Change 
  

Final Presentation:

• Using a Town Hall Panel setup with students grouped by interest and voted geographic region to research they will share their final presentation design including a visual aid.​

Click here for teacher's full plan.

​Reflection and Feedback:

• Reference SWOT analysis
• Rubric  
• One page reflection summary - What went well? What did not go well, What could we improve for future PBL? 
• Partner evaluations, reflect on daily goals, project goals as a group, and as an individual. 

Click here for the teacher's Journey through PBL on Padlet . . .

Meet the Educator:
Dillon MCarthy, Christy Baar, Dylan Kohn, Rebecca Curran, Jason Veeneman, Tracey Mossburger and Kelly Krepps high school teachers at Jenison High School.
   
​     "PBL/Design thinking challenges students to collaborate with others in order to make real world connections with the content they are learning."