Primary Sources Lesson: Climate Migrants
Lesson Plan
1 hour 30 minutesGrades9, 10English Language Arts
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Written by Christina Cawdery
About this lesson
In this lesson, students identify primary and secondary sources and create informational posters about climate migrants.
Step 1 - Inquire: Students listen to and respond to a poem by a Marshallese woman seeking climate justice for her country.
Step 2 - Investigate: Students learn to identify primary and secondary sources by analyzing short videos and articles about climate migrants.
Step 3 - Inspire: Students create informational posters about climate migrants using both primary and secondary sources.
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Everything you need to teach it
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Positives
- This lesson aligns with Hawai’i’s Nā Hopena A'o HĀ-BREATH Framework.
- Students gain skills that are applicable in multiple disciplines, such as identifying types of sources, finding the main idea of an article, and determining the best sources for their informational needs.
- Students draw connections between creative poetry and nonfiction texts.
- Students gain experience in researching and creating texts to inform others.
Additional Prerequisites
- There is a discrepancy between the text of the poem "Two Degrees" (Jetn̄il-Kijiner's website, Student Document) and the version performed by Kathy Jetn̄il-Kijiner in the video linked in the Inspire section. The official text from Jetn̄il-Kijiner's website is on the Student Document.
- Students should be familiar with primary and secondary sources. If the class needs more detailed discussion, this video provides further explanation.
- Teacher should preview resources and be familiar with the poem before the class discussion.
- Students will need to be adept at researching, opening links, and looking at resources on their own.
- Students need access to laptops or tablets and must have a connection to the Internet.
Differentiation
- Many parts of the lesson can be done individually, in pairs, or in groups, such as reading the articles or creating the posters.
- Students could also write a poem or add some creative elements to their posters.
- The two videos in the Investigate section can be cut. Students can still read the two articles in the Investigate section.
- In order to cut down on research time, the teacher can provide a list of resources, such as the ones below.
From the scientist review
This lesson introduces students to the concept of climate migration and the effects it has on the Pacific Small Island Developing States. The videos and instructional materials on climate migration will also help them determine the sort of data source (primary or secondary) and how these data sources spread the message to a larger audience. Most significantly, students will learn presentation skills for delivering facts regarding climate migration and its effects and ways to amplify the voices, climate stories, and perspectives of the Indigenous peoples to a variety of audiences on posters. We fact-checked the instructional materials, and this lesson passed our science review.
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About the teacher writer
Christina Cawdery
Middle School Teacher
Christina Torres Cawdery is a middle-grade English educator at Punahou School in Honolulu, HI. In addition to teaching, Christina is a writer whose work has appeared in places like ASCD, Edutopia, Learning for Justice, NCTE's Council Chronicle, and Education Week. She is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in English at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa.
