by Alister Doyle | 22 Nov 2023 | Decoder Replay, Educators' Catalog, Environment
For years, governments have engaged in marathon annual talks to try to end global warming. But they often fall frustratingly short. A giant sculpture tops the Museum of the Future in Dubai. Credit: Lyonerov CC by 4.0 Editor’s note: Beginning 28 November, some...
With COP28 beginning in Dubai this week (late November 2023), help your students contribute to the climate conversation with this article originally published in October 2022 ahead of COP27 in Egypt. Climate journalist Alister Doyle runs down what to expect with these global summits — and why they often fall short.
Exercise: Read the article with your class to cover the background and purpose of COPs. Then, have students find current media coverage of the event. How does today’s coverage compare to Doyle’s piece from one year ago? What, if anything, has changed? Is the general consensus on climate change mitigation more or less optimistic than it was a year ago?
by Enock Wanderema | 13 Oct 2023 | Africa, Educators' Catalog, Environment
To prove they have what it takes to combat poachers, Uganda rangers race 21 km in scorching heat. They vow: No species will disappear under their watch. A hippo in the Murchison Falls National Park in Uganda, September 2008. (Photo by Bernard Dupont, CC BY-SA 2.0...
Big problems can be addressed with outside-the-box, collective solutions. In this article from guest writer Enock Wanderema, we dive into the world of hippo conservation in Uganda. How can your students also engage locally to support causes that are important to them?
Exercise: After reading the article, students should brainstorm a couple of causes that they care about. Then, they should look up local events and organizations that work to support these causes. How can they get involved with these solutions-based actions? You may consider discussing the importance of civic engagement with your class as a follow-up to this activity.
by Tira Shubart | 9 Oct 2023 | Science, Space, World
For 50 years the folks who travel into space have cooperated above the borders that divide those on land. But as we find space not so empty will lines be drawn? Astronaut Donald K. Slayton and cosmonaut Aleksey A. Leonov are seen together in the Soyuz Orbital Module...
by Liana Hwang | 4 Oct 2023 | Educators' Catalog, Environment, Health and Wellness
To reduce your stress your doctor might prescribe a walk in the woods. Careful, though. This type of medicine is definitely addictive. A medicine cabinet includes a bottle that contains nature. Illustration by News Decoder. Photo on the medicine bottle of Comox Lake,...
In this text, ND correspondent and family physician Liana Hwang sheds light on the importance of spending time in nature as a way to promote positive mental and physical health. Plus, learn more about how spending time outdoors is an effective way to boost planetary health, too.
Exercise: Read the article with your class, then have students map out their schedule on a typical school day. How much time do they spend outdoors versus indoors? How can they intentionally carve out time to spend in nature? Have students set a SMART goal for increasing their time spent outdoors. SMART goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-Bound.
by Susanne Courtney | 22 Sep 2023 | Climate decoders, Decoders, Economy, Educators' Catalog, Environment, Politics, World
The small island nation of Barbados is leading the call for international finance reform needed to fight the impacts of global warming. The world is listening. From the left, Prime Minister of Barbados Mia Mottley, Netherlands’ Minister of Finance Sigrid Kaag,...
June to August 2023 were the world’s hottest months on record, meaning the stakes are high to address climate change for all. This is especially true for small island nations and developing countries who do little to contribute to climate change, but disproportionately suffer its consequences. Correspondent Susanne Courtney digs into Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley’s plan to level the climate financing playing field in this Decoder.
Exercise: Inequities in climate financing loom large. Read the article with students, then have them explore this interactive visualization of historical greenhouse gas emissions by country and region. How does your country or region’s emissions compare to those of the world’s largest emitters? Create an infographic depicting this information, including a call to action for students to promote climate action in their local communities.
by Gene Gibbons | 4 Sep 2023 | Environment
The idea of setting aside land back in 1872 has spread into a movement across the world. When a nation creates a national park, it is a gift to the globe. Yellowstone Falls in Yellowstone National Park. Photo by Gene Gibbons. This article was produced exclusively for...
by Susan Ruel | 29 Aug 2023 | Health and Wellness, Science
Revolutionary new cancer treatments are being tested. But to help people everywhere we will need to also revolutionize health care access. A scientist introduces liquid into a test tube at a laboratory in Bilbao, Spain on 23 May 2022. The biopharmaceutical company...
by Keya Dutt | 22 Aug 2023 | Contest winners, Educators' Catalog, School Year Abroad, Science, Student Posts, Youth Voices
Lots of people watch whales. But telling males and females apart and one whale from another takes special expertise. One researcher is using AI to do that. A whale leaps out of the water. Credit: Josianne Bouffard This article, by high school student Keya Dutt, was...
This piece, by youth correspondent Keya Dutt of News Decoder partner institution School Year Abroad, dives into the world of marine science and artificial intelligence. Through interviews with a veterinarian working with whales off the coast of Mozambique, the article discusses the implications of AI for experts trying to learn more about life under the sea.
Exercise: Artificial intelligence has varying effects on different groups of people. Help students adopt multiple perspectives by engaging in a “Circle of Viewpoints” activity after reading the article. In groups of five, students will each adopt a distinct persona to answer the following questions: Should artificial intelligence be allowed in secondary schools? What, if any, should be the limitations to using this tool? Personas may range from: student, school principal, parent/guardian, classroom teacher, AI developer in your local community. In each group, give students 10 minutes to independently brainstorm the pros and cons of using AI in the classroom, then 20-30 minutes to come to a consensus as a group. All groups should then share their final conclusions with the class and reflect on the process of adopting multiple perspectives.
by News Decoder | 25 Jul 2023 | Education, Environment, Journalism, Science, Writing's on the Wall
We’ve created a library of educational resources to decode climate science and face the crisis with journalism, activism and art. CO2 written on a blackboard. (Credit: Getty Images Signature) Teaching climate change is a daunting task for educators, whether for...
by Paul Spencer Sochaczewski | 20 Jul 2023 | History, Malaysia, Media Literacy, Science
What one correspondent learned by writing an “enhanced biography” of a little-known 19th-century teenager from Borneo. The 15-year-old Malay, known to history only as “Ali” is featured on this graffiti signboard in Ternate, Indonesia. The artist refers to Wallace’s...
