Weather Together: resource for environmental education
A toolkit to teach 10-16-year-olds about preparing for and coping with extreme weather events, including climate change teaching resources and weather learning activities on flood risk, heatwaves, and eco-anxiety.
- Age:
- 10-16
- Type:
- Teaching resources
- Subjects:
- PSHE, Geography, Tutor time
- Topics:
- Disasters and emergencies
Extreme weather in the UK is happening more frequently. Despite the increasing knowledge of a climate crisis, many of us wouldn't know what to do in the next heatwave or how to prepare when flood warnings are issued. The lack of environmental education around extreme weather in the UK has increased eco-anxiety among young people.
The Red Cross designed this toolkit for learning about weather and climate change impact, to equip learners with the skills and knowledge they need to prepare for and cope with extreme weather. The toolkit includes three topics:
- flood education
- heatwaves
- eco-anxiety
Learning objectives
Learners will:
- learn why everyone needs to prepare for extreme weather events
- apply learning around preparing for and coping with extreme weather
- share learning to help others prepare for and cope with extreme weather.
How do I use this teaching resource?
We recommend beginning by downloading and reading our "Weather Together" index. This essential resource provides crucial information on maximizing the features and functionality available in these PowerPoint files. It will also assist you in navigating swiftly through all the climate change teaching resources listed on this page.
The toolkit is structured so you can dip into each of the 3 topics (flooding, eco-anxiety, and heatwaves) and select the weather learning activities that you think best suit your learners and lessons. The toolkit has a learn, apply, share structure.
- learn activities: raise awareness
- apply activities: teach preparedness
- share activities: build community resilience.
For each topic, we suggest completing at least one learned and one applied activity before completing a shared activity.
The Weather Together award
To help build community resilience and support you with homework, the Weather Together award encourages learners to share what they learn in the weather activities with friends and family. The Weather Together award tracker can be used to log progress.
Download Weather Together awards
Thank you to the People's Postcode Lottery
The British Red Cross is grateful to players of People’s Postcode Lottery for raising funds that help us deliver this amazing teaching resource for young people.
Flooding education
Watch the video with Ellie Murtagh - the Climate Adaptation lead for the British Red Cross - and discover how the Weather Together toolkit can help you teach about flood preparedness.
Download the free flooding education resources below to use in your classroom after any starters and plenaries.
Heatwaves
Watch the video with Ellie Murtagh - the Climate Adaptation lead for the British Red Cross - and discover how the Weather Together toolkit can help you teach about heatwaves. Learn tips for hydration, shade, and community support to mitigate the impacts of climate change.
Download the free heatwaves resources below to use in your classroom after any starters and plenaries.
Eco-anxiety
Watch the video to discover how the Weather Together toolkit can help you teach about strategies to combat eco-anxiety among young people. Learn sustainable choices, community action, and mindfulness.
Download the free eco-anxiety resources below to use in your classroom after any starters and plenaries.
Teacher testimonial
- "Overall, a great resource and a really good way to get across the implications of changing weather patterns".
- "Very useful. I selected certain parts to do with the class that fitted with time and practicalities. Lots of great info and clear presentation".
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Image credits:
Worried girl about planet Earth (C) Getty images Credit: StockPlanets, Creative #: 1310566282, Collection: E+
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