The world is getting hotter, and humans are causing it. There’s now no disputing these facts. The climate change crisis has become even more pronounced as extreme weather events have become more extreme and more common. This summer saw the heat dome in the Pacific Northwest, wildfires in Oregon, California, British Columbia and Greece, exceptional flooding in Germany and China, rising shorelines and more. Recent surveys show attitudes among younger people favor strong actions, such as favoring alternative energy sources, even at the expense of economic growth. However, significant differences exist not just between generations but also political beliefs, race and ethnicity.

Key question: What are your students doing about climate change?

• How is climate change affecting your community?
• Conduct your own survey using questions similar to the Pew Research Center to determine the opinions of people in your school community.
• What are the actions your school is taking to teach about climate change and to take action to mitigate the effects of climate change?
• Interview local elected officials about their stance on proposals to curb climate change.
• Who are the people at your school most engaged on issues of climate change? What are they doing about it?
• What are ways students can take action — small to large?

• A Major Report Warns Climate Change Is Accelerating And Humans Must Cut Emissions Now (NPR, Aug. 9) — “There is still time to avoid catastrophic warming this century, but only if countries around the world stop burning fossil fuels as quickly as possible, the authors warn. The message to world leaders is more dire, and more unequivocal, than ever before.” Read the report from the IPCC.
• Key findings: How Americans’ attitudes about climate change differ by generation, party and other factors (Pew Research Center, May 26) — “It finds that members of Generation Z [born after 1996], as well as Millennials (those born between 1981 and 1996), are more open than older Americans to some of the farther-reaching policy proposals related to climate change.”
• On climate change, Republicans are open to some policy approaches, even as they assign the issue low priority (Pew Research Center, July 23) — And there are differences in views within the GOP, with moderates and younger adults generally offering higher levels of support for action to address climate change than conservatives and older adults.”
• What is the EU’s plan to tackle global heating – and will it work? (The Guardian, July 14) — “On Wednesday, the European Commission published a dozen legislative proposals to ensure its climate and energy laws fit the ambition of a 55% cut in emissions by 2030, compared with 1990 levels. From phasing out the internal combustion engine to forest protection, no sector of the EU economy will go untouched.”
• A Battle Between a Great City and a Great Lake (The New York Times, July 7) — “Climate change has started pushing Lake Michigan’s water levels toward uncharted territory as patterns of rain, snowfall and evaporation are transformed by the warming world. The lake’s high-water cycles are threatening to get higher; the lows lower. Already, the swings between the two show signs of happening faster than any time in recorded history.”
• Heat Wave Killed An Estimated 1 Billion Sea Creatures, And Scientists Fear Even Worse (NPR, July 9) 
• Pacific Northwest heat wave was ‘virtually impossible’ without climate change, scientists find (The Washington Post, July 7)
• How Bad Is the Bootleg Fire? It’s Generating Its Own Weather. (The New York Times, July 19) — “Unpredictable winds, fire clouds that spawn lightning, and flames that leap over firebreaks are confounding efforts to fight the blaze, which is sweeping through southern Oregon.”

The list reflects what I have read, heard and seen in my own media diet, so it comes from my perspective. Chicago is also over-represented because that’s where I live and work. The list is not meant to be comprehensive or exclusive of other ideas. Many of the stories were covered by multiple outlets, but links here lean toward sites available without a subscription, particularly nonprofit news sites like NPR and The 19th.

Critical race theory is the study of how racism shapes laws, policies and society. Over the last several months, officials nationwide have raced to enact new laws and introduce new policies meant to shape how students discuss the nation’s past — and its present. Track legislation and policy proposals here. (via Chalkbeat)

Key question: How has your school responded to the recent national debate on how to teach about race and racism in the United States?

• How did your school react to the movement to prohibit the use of critical race theory? Was there a push to make changes at the state or local level? Was there a response?
• Do members of your school community understand the existing curriculum and how teachers teach about race and racism? What are the misconceptions?
• What do teachers and administrators think should be in school curriculum, and how do they think it should be taught? Aside from the curriculum, are there other ways to teach about race and racism?
• How does your school’s curriculum compare to other schools nearby or in neighboring states?

• What is critical race theory, and why do Republicans want to ban it in schools? (The Washington Post, May 29) — “Critical race theory is an academic framework centered on the idea that racism is systemic, and not just demonstrated by individual people with prejudices. The theory holds that racial inequality is woven into legal systems and negatively affects people of color in their schools, doctors’ offices, the criminal justice system and countless other parts of life.”
• WATCH: What is critical race theory? (PBS NewsHour, June 29)
• How Nikole Hannah-Jones’ 1619 Project ignited the critical race theory backlash (Chalkbeat, July 19)
• The Brewing Political Battle Over Critical Race Theory (NPR, June 29) — “Many Republican lawmakers, who are fighting what they label as the teaching of critical race theory in schools, contend it divides Americans. Democrats and their allies maintain progress is unlikely without examining the root causes of disparity in the country, although they push back on the idea that critical race theory itself — a scholarly undertaking — is being taught on the K-12 level. The issue is shaping up to be a major cultural battle ahead of next year’s midterm elections.”
• An exodus of educators: Resignations hit schools amid furor over critical race theory (Yahoo! News, July 12) — “Against the backdrop of hostility to discussions of race in schools — and as five states have passed laws limiting how teachers can address “divisive concepts” with students — administrators and teachers across the country say they have been pushed out of their districts. Some have opted to leave public schools entirely, while others are fighting to save their career. The result in these districts is what educators and experts describe as a brain drain of those who are most committed to fighting racism in schools.”
• As states place new limits on class discussions of race, research suggests they benefit students (Chalkbeat, July 8) — “ A handful of recent studies have found that students are more engaged in school after taking classes that frankly discuss racism and bigotry — just as some educators like [Mackee] Mason fear such discussions could be threatened by a wave of broad state laws designed to limit the teaching of what some are calling “critical race theory.”
• Parents group launches campaign for ‘true diversity of thought’ in New England private schools (Boston Globe, July 11)

Other curricular developments

• Illinois Has Become The First State To Require The Teaching Of Asian American History (NPR, July 13) 
• Connecticut will become the first state to require high schools to offer Black and Latino studies in fall 2022 (CNN, Dec. 9, 2020)
• After years of debate, California finally adopts ethnic studies model curriculum (CNN, March 22)
• Texas Senate Votes to Remove Required Lessons on Civil Rights (Bloomberg Law, July 16)

The list reflects what I have read, heard and seen in my own media diet, so it comes from my perspective. Chicago is also over-represented because that’s where I live and work. The list is not meant to be comprehensive or exclusive of other ideas. Many of the stories were covered by multiple outlets, but links here lean toward sites available without a subscription, particularly nonprofit news sites like NPR and The 19th.