Explore, Learn and Have Fun with The Story of Climate Change

Climate change has been an issue constantly in the news. While the public opinion diverge about global warming being real and if it is a natural phenomenon worsened by human activity or not, scientific evidence and recent events (Texas floods, Thailand drought, Heat waves in South Asia) show that there is no reason to remain skeptical and unaware of impacts of climate change on the environment and human life. In fact, EPA’s latest report on the Benefits of Global Action calls for global action on climate change and show numerous benefits – social, economic, and environmental – of trying to avoid the temperature rise. Despite of so many articles warning about the consequences of climate change, a study published on July 27th showed that about 40% of the world’s adult population is still unaware of this pressing issue. Interestingly, in the U.S., education is one of the key predictors of awareness. So what’s a better way to educate children about climate change? According to Theo Watson, a partner at Design I/O, a studio specialized in creating interactive installations, children learn better when they are allowed to explore things by themselves, and a great resource for that is the computer, with which it is possible to simulate and experiment fast and easily. That is why digital textbooks are such a valuable tool. They not only feature the expected content of a book, with readings and potential activities, but it also allow students to explore videos, music, animations, and jump with only one touch on the screen to a valuable website. Students are able to interact with the content in many different ways, leading to a better learning when compared to using a printed textbook. To teach middle school students about climate change, the causes behind it, and what can be done to reduce its effects, this week Earth Day Network is releasing The Story of Climate Change. The novelty here is that the material is in iTextbook format, and features rich multimedia content and varied interactive activities. Students will be able to learn through readings, videos, graphs, maps, hands on projects, and will find out how this “school subject” is so present in their daily lives and how they can act on it. Let’s make our future adults aware of the problem that is already upon us by teaching climate change in a fun and interactive way! Stay tuned for the release of the free iTextbook, The Story of Climate Change, in August! Maria Izabel Martinez da Matta, Intern