Teach-Secondary-Issue-14.5

For years, when students have complained that they’re inheriting an environmental disaster, my stock response has been, “ It’s not my generation that caused this. We spotted the scale of the problem, and now I’m teaching you about it so that your generation can solve it. ” But now, I can go one better. I can explain to them that as a matter of fact, science is indeed solving the problem as we speak. Optimistic teaching In terms of your teaching, do you focus on those problems still inbound, or on solutions that are already working? Do you use up-to-date data? I personally use Kate Morley’s National Grid: Live website at grid.iamkate.com, which lets you browse an array of UK energy data captured just now, yesterday, last week or last year. You’ll be pleased to note that on sunny and windy days, only around 5% of our energy comes from fossil fuels, and that we no longer use coal or oil for energy generation at all in the UK. I’m anticipating the day in the very near future when our gas turbines won’t be ABOUT THE AUTHOR Kit Betts-Masters is a lead practitioner for science and produces physics, education and technology videos for YouTube under the username @KitBetts-Masters; for more information, visit evaluateeverything.co.uk BIODIVERSITYAND CONSERVATION We can make the area of biodiversity more relatable, while reminding students that science is something they can affect , not just study. Thanks to the community Big Hedgehog Map created largely by schoolchildren (see bighedgehogmap.org ), for example, urban hedgehog sighting records rose 39% between 2019 and 2023. ACID RAINAND PARTICULATES Real flue gases carry acidic oxides. In power-station scrubbers, those acids are neutralised by alkaline slurries. You can easily model this by bubbling a candle’s fumes through limewater, which locks the carbon down in the calcium carbonate solution. THE GREENHOUSE EFFECT AND SATELLITES Once you’ve explained the greenhouse effect (with reference to the absorption and emission of electromagnetic radiation at different wavelengths), you could discuss the European Space Agency’s FORUMmission, which will use satellites to accurately measure outgoing infrared signals from Earth – thus providing yet more proof that better data drives better climate action. Source: ESAMission Factsheet, 2024 DEFORESTATIONAND BIODIVERSITY You’ve probably heard the stat about how ‘an area the size of Wales’ is lost from the Amazon each year. That was true in 2019. However, with new government monitoring policies involving the use of satellites, rangers and indigenous teams having taken effect, the rate of Amazon forest loss fell 55% last year. Source: INPE PRODES report, 2024 “We spotted the scale of the problem– now I’mteachingyou about it, so that your generation can solve it” required either. Can you provide your students with any examples of local individuals, or even alumni of your school, who are currently working in the environmental science sector? Can you tell stories about local areas where wildlife has returned, or habitat regeneration projects that have proved to be huge successes? Reflect with your students. We want them to feel less anxious about the future, and to know that what we’re teaching themnowwill equip them to join in with the next wave of breakthroughs. Below, I’ve pulled out areas of GCSE content addressing environmental science, and suggested some optimistic spins you could put on them in your lessons. Forwardmomentum The ‘good news’ stories are already on our rooftops and driveways. My daughter’s excitement when her school commenced solar power generation and installed a new heat pump led us to install photovoltaic panels and buy an electric vehicle ourselves. Our roof now exports power, while our car charges on low-carbon electricity – proof that classroommessages can lead to real-world action. Let’s make sure we imbue our science lessons with similar forward momentum. Point students towards upbeat, aspirational YouTube explainers – like Cleo Abram’s ‘’Huge If True’ show, and Simon Clark’s optimistic look at our climate future. Both are real science channels painting a very different picture to the lost cause that many people seem to think climate science has now become. So make a point of updating those pie charts, celebrate the UK’s climbing share of renewables – and above all, remind your students that their future careers can accelerate the shift. Our lessons aren’t foreshadowing impending doom– because science is already in the early stages of identifying a solution. 53 teachwire.net/secondary S C I E N C E