1.1.3 Adaptations, hope and solutions (local to global relations)
It is important to focus on teaching learners how to adapt to change including becoming aware of the change expected by climate variations. Adaptation and decision making is discussed in the following Life Orientation sections.
Discussing climate change and the proposed psychological impacts it will have on our society is difficult. Drawing upon the solution-teaching approach gives teachers and teacher educators the necessary tools to address serious issues in a responsible and healthy manner.
If this kind of solution-focused lesson opening leads to examining the effectiveness of a fascinating innovation, its possible transferability and global application, the next step is to deal with the dimensions, causes and effects of the global challenge from the perspective of the solution. This stimulates the desired creativity, future and solution-orientation, but also critical thinking, which are among the key competencies to be developed in the context of Education for Sustainable Development. The associated pedagogical-psychological effec is enormous, because the students perceive themselves in an open thinking space in which they can develop their own creativity and take on the challenges posed in a solution-oriented manner and, depending on the lesson design, also experience a sense of self-efficac From an educational-psychological perspective, the strongest argument in favour of this approach is that, when appropriately designed, it does not encourage depressive moods or a sense of hopelessness. This is true even if an initial fascinating idea or the proposed solution can only partially or under extreme conditions overcome a global challenge. In such situations, it has been noticed that most students ask: How do we solve the remaining problem(s)?
Ask your students or learners to develop their own Action Plan on how to adapt and respond to climate change and it’s impact on their community.