The climate crisis is omnipresent, and children sense that it is a topic that affects them. Still a common feeling is one of helplessness – in two distinct ways: „I have no chance to understand why everyone thinks there is a problem“ and „I won’t be able to do anything about it anyway“. This is fatal given the fact that today’s children will soon be the ones who will decide about their future and the future of their planet!

The FridaysForFuture and Scientists4Future groups in Mainz, Germany, jointly worked out and tested a school workshop for grades 3 to 6, corresponding to 8 to 12 year old pupils. In this workshop pupils first experience the basic principles connecting greenhouse gas concentration and Earth’s temperature. They then work in groups to analyze situations they encounter in their daily lives and evaluate the various options. The simplifications used to describe Earth’s climate system are appropriate for the age group, and they allow for connections to lessons on natural sciences or geography. Furthermore, since the model is scientifically correct despite its simplicity, it can easily be extended at a later stage, for example in physics lessons to incorporate a refined description of the spectrum of electromagnetic radiation. Thus, instruction in physics, biology, chemistry or geography can in later years refer back to the workshop, which will help to connect the different concepts and memorize them. No previous knowledge is required.