Hundreds of school pupils engage with climate change project
More than 500 P4 and P5 pupils from six Glasgow primary schools have taken part in the first phase of the Caledonian Club’s new COP26: STEM Project.
Consisting of three online sessions, supported by in-class resources and follow-up class activities, this initial phase aimed to raise the pupils’ awareness of environmental issues and their understanding of key terms, such as climate change, global warning and carbon footprint.
The pupils carried out experiments, collecting and reporting on their findings, and researched news sources on the different ways climate change is affecting different parts of the world. During one activity, the pupils reflected on what makes up their carbon footprint and how they could reduce their carbon emissions.
Caledonian Club Development Officer Gabrielle Reid said: "This new project provides vital curriculum support for teachers while engaging pupils with important climate change messages. It has been so encouraging to see these resilient young people excited to learn about climate change and ask questions about what they can do to make a difference."
Feedback on the project from teachers and pupils has so far been extremely positive. When asked about their pupils’ learning experiences, one teacher said: “My pupils were enthusiastic and engaged at all times. What was amazing for me was to reflect on their writing, drawings and oral responses. Wow! The engagement was awesome, advanced and realistic.”
The project will continue to work with the same pupils after the summer break. Building on their learning from the first phase, phases two and three will see the pupils learn more about the environmental impact of food, hear from experts about current and future practices within the food industry, and explore how, as responsible citizens, their choices can affect change.
Gabrielle said: “We are looking forward to continuing our project in the next academic year as COP26 comes to Glasgow and builds momentum for global change.”