Autumn 2021 Global Learning Resources

At last, it’s half term! Put your feet up, get your phone out, and have a browse through some global learning resources we’ve put together for you.  Let’s think globally, beyond the misty mornings and classroom coursework 😊

Environmental Issues

COP26, the International Climate Change summit in Glasgow, is just around the corner from 1-12 November.  With all the media attention, it’s an ideal opportunity to engage with climate change issues and the positive impacts our actions can make. Have a look at the COP26 ‘More Climate Resources’ section here for some imaginative ideas for schools and individuals – from beekeeping to running your own climate negotiations summit in the classroom. The InterClimate Network has also created a teacher-friendly resource COP26 Climate Conference Resources › Global Dimension to get student teams to represent a range of countries. They have to research, present and debate their country pledges and climate challenges, then collaborate to raise global ambition for action.

It’s not all bad news. Costa Rica is a great example of how green policies can make a difference in a relatively short time. They’ve doubled their rainforest cover in the last 30 years, by cutting logging permits, paying landowners to conserve woodland, and investing in forest-origin pharmaceuticals and ecotourism.

This is an interesting story on how Gabon is planning on becoming a green superpower through rainforest preservation.

And in the UK, there are ingenious ideas like this peatland restoration project on our doorstep that are contributing to stabilising our climate.

Poverty Reduction

Reducing poverty through climate change mitigation in agriculture is something that Practical Action does remarkably well, for example floating gardens in Bangladesh.  They were mentioned recently on BBC Radio 4’s Costing The Earth, which investigated the impact of climate change in Bangladesh – definitely worth a listen on the BBC Sounds app.

Social Justice

With the recent influx of Afghan refugees into the UK, there has been much in the news about the situation in Afghanistan that led to the mass evacuation at Kabul airport at the end of August.

While the media have moved onto other topics, there are still many refugee families quietly trying to find safe homes and start afresh, and not just from Afghanistan. The British Red Cross has some very user-friendly resources on their website.  And the UNHCR has created an excellent downloadable activity guide to encourage critical thinking and empathy. This includes a lesson plan based around a video of the experiences of a Syrian refugee family from Homs.