Increasing Climate LiteracyIncreasing Climate Literacy

Tamara Shapiro LedleyTamara Shapiro LedleyTERCTERC

Cambridge, Massachusetts, USACambridge, Massachusetts, USA

Essential Principles of Essential Principles of Climate ScienceClimate Science

Endorsed by 13 US Federal Agencies and 24 Science and Educational Partners

What Is Climate Science Literacy?What Is Climate Science Literacy?Climate Science Literacy is an Climate Science Literacy is an

understanding of the understanding of the climate’s influence on your climate’s influence on your

and society and your and society and your influence on climateinfluence on climate

A climate-literate person can:A climate-literate person can:• assess scientifically credible information about climateassess scientifically credible information about climate• communicate about climate & climate change in a communicate about climate & climate change in a meaningful waymeaningful way• make informed and responsible decisions concerning make informed and responsible decisions concerning actions that may affect climateactions that may affect climate

• Diverse group of approximately 85 stakeholders Diverse group of approximately 85 stakeholders across the US interested in the implementation across the US interested in the implementation and adoption of the Climate Literacy: Essential and adoption of the Climate Literacy: Essential Principles of Climate Science (CLEP)Principles of Climate Science (CLEP)

• Listserv – Listserv – climateliteracynetwork@list.terc.educlimateliteracynetwork@list.terc.edu

• Web site: Web site: www.climateliteracynow.org www.climateliteracynow.org

• Meets virtually weekly since January 2008Meets virtually weekly since January 2008– Shares information on climate science & climate literacyShares information on climate science & climate literacy– Focus on educational contexts (formal & informal)Focus on educational contexts (formal & informal)– Discussions on policy decisions, impact on community Discussions on policy decisions, impact on community

groups, and ordinary citizensgroups, and ordinary citizens

• White PapersWhite Papers• Climate and Energy Literacy Initiative Climate and Energy Literacy Initiative • Education for a Green EconomyEducation for a Green Economy

CLN – Climate Literacy NetworkCLN – Climate Literacy Network

National Science Digital Library’sNational Science Digital Library’sClimate Literacy and Energy Awareness Network Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness Network

CLEAN Pathway: CollectionCLEAN Pathway: Collection• RResources selected to address esources selected to address

Climate Literacy: Essential Principles Climate Literacy: Essential Principles of Climate Science (CLEP)of Climate Science (CLEP)

• Resources to be reviewed both scientifically and Resources to be reviewed both scientifically and pedagogically pedagogically

• Resources aligned withResources aligned with– National Science Education StandardsNational Science Education Standards– AAAS Project 2061 Benchmarks for Science AAAS Project 2061 Benchmarks for Science

LiteracyLiteracy– NAAEE Excellence in Environmental Education NAAEE Excellence in Environmental Education

Guidelines for LearningGuidelines for Learning– Latest science Latest science

CLEAN Pathway: CLEAN Pathway: Community & Professional Community & Professional DevelopmentDevelopment

• Virtual / Online workshops Virtual / Online workshops – Two-hour teleconference-online workshops on Two-hour teleconference-online workshops on

the use of specific activitiesthe use of specific activities– Multi-day events for faculty on teaching aspects Multi-day events for faculty on teaching aspects

of Climate and Energyof Climate and Energy

• Building and facilitating online communities using Building and facilitating online communities using Web 2.0 social networking toolsWeb 2.0 social networking tools

• Facilitate and expand the Climate Literacy NetworkFacilitate and expand the Climate Literacy Network

Climate Literacy Network

Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness Network

(CLEAN) Pathway

Climate Literacy: Essential Principles of Climate Science

Climate Literacy Network

Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness Network

(CLEAN) Pathway

Climate Literacy: Essential Principles of Climate Science

CLEAN New England

Climate Literacy Network

Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness Network

(CLEAN) Pathway

CLEANRocky Mountains

CLEANMidwest

CLEANSouthwest

CLEANSoutheast

Climate Literacy: Essential Principles of Climate Science

CLEANNew York

CLEANTexas

CLEAN New England

CLEANNorthwest

CLEAN- New EnglandCLEAN- New Englandclean-ne@terc.educlean-ne@terc.edu

• StatesStatesMassachusetts Massachusetts Rhode IslandRhode IslandConnecticutConnecticut New HampshireNew HampshireVermontVermont MaineMaine

• AudienceAudience• High-School to College/University ConnectionHigh-School to College/University Connection

• Universities are nodes of the networkUniversities are nodes of the network

• High school and college students reach out to High school and college students reach out to and serve their larger communitiesand serve their larger communities

CLEAN- New England CLEAN- New England Programming ActivitiesProgramming Activities

• Student Speaker’s Bureau and Student Speaker’s Bureau and Community Ambassadors Community Ambassadors

• Student Energy AuditorsStudent Energy Auditors

• Annual Regional MeetingAnnual Regional Meeting

CLEAN-New England CLEAN-New England Volunteer and Workgroup Set-upVolunteer and Workgroup Set-up

CLEAN-NECoordinating Group

ProgrammingWorking Group

FundraisingWorking Group

ImplementationPartners

Working Group

Donors andFriends

Climate LiteracyNetwork

CLEAN Pathway

Cognitive Challenges to Understanding Cognitive Challenges to Understanding Climate ChangeClimate Change

• Earth System Science /Integrated Global Earth System Science /Integrated Global System ScienceSystem Science– Understanding the interconnectedness of Understanding the interconnectedness of

all of the components of the systemall of the components of the system– Changes in one component Changes in one component

can have large and can have large and unanticipated impacts on unanticipated impacts on other componentsother components

Cognitive Challenges to Understanding Cognitive Challenges to Understanding Climate ChangeClimate Change

• Change Over Time on Multiple and Embedded Change Over Time on Multiple and Embedded Time ScalesTime Scales– Daily, seasonal, annual, Daily, seasonal, annual,

interannual, interannual, decadal, century, decadal, century, longer…longer…

– Long-term change Long-term change manifested as manifested as impact on shorter impact on shorter cycles cycles

Addressing These Cognitive Challenges Addressing These Cognitive Challenges to Understanding Climate Changeto Understanding Climate Change

• Developing understanding by starting the Developing understanding by starting the learner from what is familiarlearner from what is familiar

– Earth System Science – Exploring Earth Earth System Science – Exploring Earth system connections – Spatial scalessystem connections – Spatial scales

Local Regional GlobalLocal Regional Global

http://serc.carleton.edu/earthlabs

Addressing These Cognitive Challenges Addressing These Cognitive Challenges to Understanding Climate Changeto Understanding Climate Change

• Developing understanding Developing understanding by starting the learner by starting the learner from what is from what is familiarfamiliar

– Change over Time on Change over Time on Multiple and Multiple and Embedded Scales Embedded Scales

http://serc.carleton.edu/earthlabs

Examples of Federally Funded ActivitiesExamples of Federally Funded Activities

• Developing Coordinated ProgramsDeveloping Coordinated Programs– National Academy of Science: Roundtable on National Academy of Science: Roundtable on

Climate Change EducationClimate Change Education

• Informal Science EducationInformal Science Education– Conference on Promoting Climate Literacy in Conference on Promoting Climate Literacy in

Informal Science Learning SettingsInformal Science Learning Settings– Enabling TV Meteorologists to Provide Viewers Enabling TV Meteorologists to Provide Viewers

with Climate Change-related Science Educationwith Climate Change-related Science Education– Earth – The Operators ManualEarth – The Operators Manual

Examples of Federally Funded ProgramsExamples of Federally Funded Programs• Formal Science EducationFormal Science Education

– Climate, Adaptation & Mitigation e-Learning Community Climate, Adaptation & Mitigation e-Learning Community – Earth System Science: A Key to Climate LiteracyEarth System Science: A Key to Climate Literacy– Beyond Penguins and Polar BearsBeyond Penguins and Polar Bears– Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness NetworkClimate Literacy and Energy Awareness Network

• Teacher Professional DevelopmentTeacher Professional Development– Inspiring Climate Education Excellence (ICEE)Inspiring Climate Education Excellence (ICEE)– Climate Change Educator Professional Development Climate Change Educator Professional Development

NetworkNetwork