Geoscience Pathways Project
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Christies Beach High School
Christies Beach High School taught the Year 10 Climate Change unit developed by our Geoscience Outreach Officer.
Student Experience
I enjoyed having lessons in the Geospace as it was out of our usual classroom. I learnt about how to create a more sustainable house and could see this in how the space was built.
A highlight was learning about albedo and exploring this using temperature guns. I did not know that different objects outside would measure different temperatures in the sun.
I found this unit less boring because it was about things I can relate to.
I liked that we did more experiments not just book work. I enjoyed learning about ocean currents and using the fish tank to make them.
These lessons were better than others because it felt like we were learning things that could make a difference.
I learnt about the impact my lifestyle has on the environment and a few changes I could make to reduce my impact by being more sustainable. I found this more interesting as I could see how this relates to the real world.
EES Activities
Student work
Students investigated the impact different colours have on the Albedo (reflectivity) of a surface. This property partly determines how different materials will then heat up in the natural environment when exposed to sunlight. The application of this knowledge can be implemented when designing urban spaces to minimise the Urban Heat Island Effect.
Student work
The assessment for this unit allows students to explore an issue caused by climate change or human impact that matters to them and identify solutions to address this issue. The below student focused on the impact Styrofoam (microplastics) are having on the environment and what solutions exist to reduce the impact.
Teacher Experience
We found the sequence of resources and lesson notes valuable as a starting point to adapt to the cohort of students in my classes. I especially liked the data that was provided as it created multiple entry points for students to discuss possible climate issues, causes and solutions. The data provided from reputable sources also allowed for explicit teaching of the importance of unbiased data.
An area of growth identified across multiple learning areas was in students ability to represent data in graph and table form. This growth point was acknowledged to have started in year 10 science classes from the preparation for and participation in this unit.
We would improve the unit by allowing for more opportunities for students to self explore these topics. We adapted part of unit to involve sustainable housing kits that Christies Beach High School has access to explore the greenhouse effect and albedo. This was an opportunity we identified due to the resources available at CBHS. I acknowledge this may be different at other sites.