Facing Calamity: Climate Change Facts and Fictions

Identify a writer's claims in a text and explain how they support those claims, as well as how they respond to conflicting viewpoints.

“Understanding Climate Change (G8, U5)”
Anticipation Guide (G8, U5, L1)

Standards

RI.8.6RI.8.8

Identify the central claim of Greta Thunberg's argument about climate change and evaluate how she uses relevant evidence to support her claim.

“Transcript: Greta Thunberg's Speech”

Standards

RI.8.1RI.8.8

Identify a writer's claims in a text, explain how they support those claims, and evaluate whether the evidence provided is relevant and sufficient.

“Climate change sets people on the move”

Standards

RI.8.1RI.8.8

Explain how the author uses figurative language to establish tone and develop meaning in a short story.

“Field Notes”

Standards

RL.8.4RL.8.9

Explain how authors' specific words and phrases develop tone and meaning across genres.

“The Marshall Islands”
“Dear Matafele Peinem”

Standards

RI.8.1RI.8.4RL.8.1RL.8.4

Analyze the central claims of informational articles and evaluate the evidence given to support them to determine the role that corporations play in contributing to climate change.

“Just 57 companies linked to 80% of greenhouse gas emissions since 2016”
“Survey finds that 60 firms are responsible for half of world's plastic pollution”

Standards

RI.8.1RI.8.8

Identify claims made in an informational article and assess the relevance and sufficiency of evidence provided to support those claims.

“As Rising Heat Bakes U.S. Cities, The Poor Often Feel It Most”

Standards

RI.8.1RI.8.8

Explain how authors' specific words and phrases develop tone and meaning across genres.

“It's Not Climate Change—It's Everything Change” — [end at " . . . because you may be needing it" (para. 19)]

Standards

RI.8.4RL.8.4

Analyze the central claims of informational articles and evaluate the evidence given to support them to determine the role that Indigenous peoples play in the fight against climate change.

“Indigenous knowledge is crucial in the fight against climate change—here's why” — (ending at "How is UNDP supporting Indigenous Peoples and their knowledge?")
“Indigenous climate efforts vital to fight against environmental destruction”

Standards

RI.8.1RI.8.8

Explain how the author uses figurative language to develop meaning in a short story.

“Half-Eaten Cities”

Standards

RL.8.2RL.8.4RL.8.9

Research the possible impacts of climate change and begin to brainstorm aspects of setting for climate fiction narratives.

“World After Water”

Standards

W.8.3W.8.8W.8.9

Draft two paragraphs vividly describing the setting of your climate fiction narrative.

“World After Water”

Standards

W.8.3W.8.3.aW.8.3.bW.8.3.d

Draft a short climate fiction scene.

“World After Water”

Standards

W.8.3W.8.3.a

Provide and incorporate peer feedback into cli-fi narratives.
Explain the purpose and impact of hyphens and dashes; add at least one em-dash to writing.

“World After Water”

Standards

L.8.2L.8.2.aW.8.3W.8.5

Compare and contrast the central arguments of two articles about climate change, and explain how the authors acknowledge and respond to viewpoints that differ from their own.

“What the new report...”
“Focusing on how individuals...”

Standards

RI.8.6RI.8.9

Analyze the central claims of an informational article and evaluate the evidence given to support them to determine the role that young activists play in the fight against climate change.

“Gen Z on How to Save the World: Young Climate Activists Speak Out”

Standards

RI.8.1RI.8.2RI.8.8

Delineate arguments made about climate change and assess whether the evidence provided is relevant and sufficient.

Book excerpt: Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power"

Standards

RI.8.2RI.8.8

Socratic Seminar

Engage in a Socratic Seminar with peers, responding directly to others by rephrasing and delineating arguments, determining the strength of evidence, and posing clarifying questions.