Driving school climate education through the Science Learning Hub
GNS Science has partnered with the Science Learning Hub to share our Drive it Down! carbon cycle education resources with teachers and students across Aotearoa New Zealand.
The Drive it Down! project used cutting-edge climate science to inspire school students and whānau to reduce their school-run CO2 emissions. GNS carbon cycle scientists installed atmospheric sensors outside schools measuring greenhouse gas concentrations during school holidays and term time. The students then embarked on a mission to create measurable differences in their emissions through active transport campaigns.
To support the students and teachers to interpret the results from the sensors, and to help demystify key carbon cycle terms and concepts, the Drive it Down! project team developed teaching resources. These are aimed at Years 5 & 6 and include a booklet, and activities such as discussion cards, a quiz, and an interactive game.
GNS PhD student Vanessa Monteiro, who led the development of the resources, says that scientists involved with greenhouse gas and climate research often observe gaps in people’s understanding of emissions and carbon cycle concepts.
"We’re all feeling the impacts of our changing climate, and it’s important for people to understand these concepts so they can make informed decisions and develop critical thinking about carbon emissions. We’ve tried to address this knowledge gap with the teaching resources."
Although there are existing carbon cycle teaching resources, Monteiro says that what makes the Drive it Down! resources unique is that they’re based on the real-world experiment that used the sensors to make greenhouse gases "visible" to the students. Using a case study about one of the schools (Meadowbank School) can inspire other schools to take climate action, even without the use of the sensors.
"The aims of these resources went beyond teaching about climate science and the carbon cycle. We also wanted to provide opportunities for teachers to help students develop an interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) subjects, by using real-life examples, and Meadowbank was a solid example of how well this approach can work," says Monteiro.
Following the success of the project, New Zealand’s Science Learning Hub – Pokapū Akoranga Pūtaiao has adapted the resources and released them on their online resource hub(external link). The website holds more than 11,400 resources curated into topics and concepts, and is widely used by teachers across Aotearoa New Zealand and globally who use the resources to help them develop engaging and relevant classroom science programmes.
Dr Cathy Buntting, Director of the Science Learning Hub Pokapū Akoranga Pūtaiao, says, "The Hub is funded by Government to connect New Zealand school students and teachers with the work of our nation's scientists."
"We love working with researchers like Vanessa, who are already collaborating with local schools but who are keen for their work to have wider impact. With over 4 million visitors to the Hub each year, we can help with that!"
Rachel Douglas, Hub Director of Media says that the Drive it Down! resources have a range elements that teachers look for.
Climate change and climate anxiety are issues that are huge for schools to manage. These resources will support teachers to engage their students in meaningful learning that draws on science.
"They have been field-tested, are linked to the school curriculum and beautifully illustrated, and they include te reo Māori terms for bilingual learning."
Monteiro says that having the resources featured on Science Learning Hub is an exciting boost that will provide a lasting legacy for the project.
We hope that by making the resources available through the Science Learning Hub, we can engage more teachers and students with climate science, and empower them to take action to reduce their own emissions.
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More about Drive it Down!
- Drive it Down! is funded by the Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment through the Unlocking Curious Minds fund.
- Greater Wellington and Enviroschools were partners for the Wellington phase of the project, and SustainableSchools (Auckland Council) and Mana Ora for the Auckland phase and Meadowbank pilot, along with Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington and CarbonWatch-Urban.
- GNS Science’s carbon cycle research is building a comprehensive picture of Aotearoa’s carbon emissions and sinks, developing high-resolution information to inform and evaluate the effectiveness of mitigation measures and climate action. Our flagship research programme is CarbonWatch-Urban.