Early Childhood Education for Combating Global Climate Change – SDCamp | Join | Improve

Title of the training

Early Childhood Education for Combating Global Climate Change

Duration

38 days (152 hours)

Purpose and scope

The Early Childhood Education Program for Combating Global Climate Change aims to develop knowledge, awareness, attitudes and skills related to climate change, the effects of climate change, adaptation to climate change and climate change mitigation for children in early childhood (3-6 years). Before children develop a sense of helplessness in the face of climate change in a world where climate change is happening very quickly, they can develop a scientifically based understanding of climate change and adaptation to climate change with age-appropriate education and activities, attitudes and skills that will contribute to the prevention or reduction of climate change by reducing the ecological footprint. This program, integrated with early childhood education, focuses on developing attitudes, skills, awareness of climate change, and a perspective that empowers the child.

Target audience

The Early Childhood Education for Combating Global Climate Change focuses on supporting preschool children (3-6 years old) to develop their knowledge, awareness, attitudes and actions on climate change, the effects of climate change, adaptation to climate change and climate change mitigation. This training module is designed as a starting point for children to develop their knowledge, skills, attitudes and operational thoughts on climate change, global warming and sustainability at the most basic level.

Trainers

The Early Childhood Education for Combating Global Climate Change and the implementation process of the program are shared with early childhood education teachers and care givers by the trainers who prepared this program. The trainers who prepared the program consist of experts with field experience and teaching who stand out with their work in the fields of early childhood education, program development in early childhood education and global warming, climate change and sustainability education in early childhood education.

Early childhood education teachers and care givers who will implement the Early Childhood Education for Combating Global Climate Change in their schools or institutitons must have completed Climate Change, Adaptation, Mitigation and Climate Justice Training, and Teacher Training for Early Childhood Education for Combating Global Climate Change Program before starting to implement the program.

Objectives and learning outcomes

Children who have completed the Early Childhood Education for Combating Global Climate Change are expected to;

Name the weather phenomena and explain their characteristics.
Guess about the daily/weekly state of weather events.
Observe and express the change in weather during the day.
Name seasons and explain their characteristics.
Distinguish a season from others.
Make dressing preferences appropriate to the weather and the season.
Explain the concept of climate.
Understands the difference between weather and climate.
Tell the effects of climate on human, plant and animal species.
Give examples of different types of climates in the world.
Make explanations about the life of living things in different climates.
Compare the characteristics of different climates.
Tell the main features of the polar climate.
Talk about the characteristics of the houses of people living in the polar climate.
Talk about the features of dressing of people living in the polar climate.
Tell the characteristics of the means of transportation of people living in the polar climate.
Give examples of animals living in the poles.
Understand that glaciers are melting.
Explain the effect of temperature on melting phenomenon.
Tell the effect of the increase in air temperature on glaciers.
Explain what desert means.
Talk about the living creatures in the desert.
Tell the main characteristics related to the desert climate.
Explain what evaporation is.
Explain what drought is.
Understand the consequences of drought.
Explain the importance of forests.
Tell the possible causes of forest fires.
Give examples of measures that can be taken to prevent forest fires.
Explain the concept of climate change.
Understand the events that cause climate change.
Talks about the creatures affected by climate change.
Explain the damages of climate change to nature/human life.
Explain the ecosystem.
Understand the causes of environmental problems such as air, water, soil pollution.
Reduce unnecessary consumption to ensure sustainability.
Explain recycling.
Respect nature and the life of living creatures that exist in nature.
Understand the concept of greenhouse.
Know what greenhouse gas is.
Give examples of causes that lead to the greenhouse effect.
Explain the concept of ecological footprint.
Establish a cause-and-effect relationship.
Tell the importance of reducing the ecological footprint.
List recommendations for reducing own ecological footprint.
Use her/his recollections about climate change in new situations.
Explain what needs to be done in the fight against climate change.
Explain the correct consumption habits.
Explain the concept of saving.
Tell the meaning of the symbols used in the fight against climate change.

Content

The content of the Early Childhood Education for Combating Global Climate Change includes the following main topics:

Weather Phenomena
Seasons
Climates
Polar Climate
Melting of glaciers
Desert Climate
Drought
Forest Fires
The Concept of Climate Change
Ecosystem
Greenhouse Gas
Ecological Footprint
Ways to Combat Climate Change

Delivery and method

Teachers, trainers and institution managers who will implement the Early Childhood Education for Fight Against Global Climate Change begin to implement it with the guidance and support of the expert team after a 6-hour preparatory training. Implementation guidance and support continues throughout the course of one school year. Except for the fact that the institution requests additional support, at the end of the one-year preparation period, the institution continues to implement the activities on its own initiative.

The Early Childhood Education for Combating Global Climate Change is implemented in the form of face-to-face education. Basic information about the concepts covered in combating global climate change, climate change, adaptation to climate change, climate change mitigation and the reflections of climate change are presented using age-appropriate tools and materials. The teacher creates an appropriate environment for children to learn through interaction, brainstorming, discussion, small group work, interactive book reading, action-oriented activities and various activities in which families are involved in a way that facilitates learning and develops practical skills.

The principles to be considered in the implementation process of the early childhood education for combating global climate change are:

All activities of the program are integrated with early childhood education. Activities are not limited to science activities, but different types of activities in the preschool education program such as Turkish, play, art, drama and movement are used.
Child-centered education approach is adopted. Children are given the opportunity to wonder, encounter problem situations, ask and investigate questions, and think creatively and inquisitively.
Out-of-school learning environments (such as libraries, observatories, institutions and organizations related to environmental education) and outdoor activities are effectively utilized.
Values such as care, respect and responsibility are integrated into the program.
In order to increase the permanence of the objectives addressed within the scope of the training module, the relevant objectives are reconsidered within the scope of other activities of the training program.
The module should be used in conjunction with a family education guide that includes family engagement activities.
In the assessment dimension of the program, the pedagogical assessment approach is used.

Learning tools and materials

The Early Childhood Education for Combating Global Climate Change consists of activities organized under 13 topics and the necessary materials and educational tools for each activity are detailed in the program booklet.

Assessment

The main approach in the assessment of the training module is the “pedagogical assessment” approach. The essence of this approach is to assess the learning process and make learning visible to both the child and others.

The assessment tools to be addressed in this assessment approach include the easel, documentation panel and concept maps, “science diaries” that children will keep individually at the end of each activity.

Keywords

Climate Change, Global Climate Change, Climate Change Education, Early Childhood Education, Climate Adaptation, Climate Mitigation, Strategies to Combat Climate Change, Reflections of Climate Change