Database Provider

NPR

Authors

Lauren Sommer, Malaka Gharib

Grades

3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th

Subjects

Science, Social Studies, English Language Arts, Social-Emotional Learning

Resource Types

Article
Digital Text, 4 pages

Regional Focus

Global, North America, United States, USA - West

Format

PDF

A Kid's Guide to Climate Change

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Synopsis

This graphic novel tells the story of a young person in Colorado who learns about climate change, including the causes of climate change and what can be done about it.
Students will learn ways they can cope with big feelings surrounding climate change and how to become climate activists in their own communities.

Teaching Tips

Positives

This comic is engaging and relatable to kids and also features real-life characters who are climate activists.
A link is provided to a PDF that can be printed at home or at school.

Additional Prerequisites

This resource states that it is designed for children ages 6-12, but can be adapted for people of any age.
Teachers should be sure to read the additional information, including "Methodology" and "Why We Made This", as background information before using this graphic novel.

Differentiation

Elementary level teachers could treat this story as a read aloud, using turn-and-talks, thinking aloud, and planning thoughtful, open-ended questions for students while reading.
Upper elementary or middle school language arts classes could extract meaning from the text by using close read strategies with a printed version of this novel, so that they may annotate the text.
Provide students time to read more about the real people featured in this comic, potentially using the Denver Public Schools for Climate Action website as a resource.
Consider using these posters that support action for the environment and have students display ways that they can get involved in their own communities.
Give students the opportunity to read the other three articles that are listed below as additional resources.

Scientist Notes

Climate anxiety is a documented issue, especially amongst children and teens. This comic shows children that it is normal to have those feelings and how to take action. The scientific claims in the comic are all accurate and backed by peer-reviewed research. This resource is recommended for teaching.

Standards

This resource addresses the listed standards. To fully meet standards, search for more related resources.

English Language Arts

Reading: Foundational Skills (K-5)
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.4.4 Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.

Reading: Literature (K-12)
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.2 Determine a theme or central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.3 Describe how a particular story's or drama's plot unfolds in a series of episodes as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems at grade level text complexity or above, with scaffolding as needed.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.8.3 Analyze how particular lines of dialogue or incidents in a story or drama propel the action, reveal aspects of a character, or provoke a decision.

Reading: Informational Text (K-12)
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.1 Cite textual evidence and make relevant connections to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

Language (K-12)
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.3.3 Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.

Science

ESS3: Earth and Human Activity
- 4-ESS3-1. Obtain and combine information to describe that energy and fuels are derived from natural resources and that their uses affect the environment.
- 5-ESS3-1. Obtain and combine information about ways individual communities use science ideas to protect the Earth’s resources and environment.
- MS-ESS3-4. Construct an argument supported by evidence for how increases in human population and per-capita consumption of natural resources impact Earth’s systems.

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