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Children are bombarded with information about problematic issues relating to global climate change from many well-intentioned sources. They hear about it on television, from parents and teachers, in magazines written for children, in advertisements, and many other places as well. Earth is in crisis, and people who care want to do something about it. What is the job of an elementary educator with regards to teaching about global climate change?

Decidedly, kindergarteners through fourth graders are not developmentally ready for the abstract conceptual thinking required to understand global climate science. The research is conclusive: it is detrimental to a child’s long-term perspective to teach abstract problems at too young of an age. Thus, many books on the subject, while written for younger children, are not developmentally appropriate. It is also debatable whether fifth and sixth graders are ready for this burden-laden topic. However, if your fifth- and sixth-grade students are asking for more information about climate issues, consider using the books we’ve reviewed in this article. The authors focus on tangible information that fifth and sixth graders can understand. Once you embark upon the subject, carefully monitor the level of despair that your class is experiencing and make sure you focus on solutions to problems rather than on the dying polar bears. Whenever possible, in addition to reading about the issue, try to do something about the problem so that students are empowered rather than discouraged and disheartened.

If you decide that your fifth and sixth graders are ready, here are a few books we have reviewed that will help you tackle this difficult subject.

How We Know What We Know About Our Changing Climate: Scientists and Kids Explore Global Warming

By Lynne Cherry, and Gary Braasch. Dawn Publications, Nevada City, CA, 2008. ISBN: 1584691034. Grades 5 and above. Also available in paperback.

If you had to purchase one book on global warming for your classroom, this is the one we recommend. You can trust this award winner to educate and inspire your students. As the title implies, kids are actually featured engaged in issues and inquiry about global warming. The book succinctly presents how diverse scientific research topics contribute to evidence pointing toward climate change.

Students will also read about individual researchers studying amphibian populations, tree rings, penguin and krill, ice caps and glaciers, sea levels, CO2, and mud and ice cores, as well as scientists who compile data from diverse sources to model climate change.

Have your students heard about citizen scientists? The book features research scientists who actually work with citizens to acquire data to cover broader territory and gain a greater understanding about climate change. These active citizen scientists are documenting “phenology,” how nature changes with the seasons. Citizens collect data like bird migration, flower blooming, and butterfly appearances. They provide data to clearinghouse organizations such as the Thousand Eyes Project and BirdWatch.

The book, and the wonderful collection of classroom learning resources at its conclusion, will give students a strong understanding of the basics of climate change.

The Down-to-Earth Guide to Global Warming By Laurie David and Cambria Gordan. Orchard Books, New York, 2007. ISBN: 0439024943. Grades 5–8. X-Games pictures, quotes by Jennifer Garner and Leonardo DiCaprio, details about how Coldplay produced a carbon neutral album, chapter titles such as “CO2: The Big Kahuna,” and ridiculous jokes are some of the ways this book entertains and educates fifth— to eighth— grade readers on the science of global warming. Winner of the Green Earth Book Award, it is factually accurate, visually appealing, and most importantly, inspires action with realistic things students can do to make a difference. It is written in a way that fifth and sixth graders are totally going to get into.

Global Warming (Protect Our Planet) By Angela Royston. Heinemann Library, Chicago, 2008. ISBN: 143290924X. Grades K—3. Do you have struggling readers in your class? This book, with its simplified text, could be the missing piece for some of your fifth and sixth graders, allowing all of your students to read independently. Royston wisely dedicates about half of the book to solutions that students can feel good about or take part in.

How the Earth Was Made:
A History Channel Series

By Sue Jagoda, FOSS Developer

Beginning in the fall of 2008, the History Channel began broadcasting a series entitled How the Earth Was Made. I got hooked on the show and tried to make it my Tuesday night television destination. Each episode focuses on a question about Earth’s history and looks for evidence to answer the question at various intriguing geologic sites around the world. The findings of well-known scientists help provide the latest answers to the questions. The producers of the show have done a good job of showing the process of science, from asking questions to searching for and using evidence to answer questions, as well as critiquing new ideas and stimulating new questions.

For example, one episode focuses on the Great Lakes, the largest expanses of fresh water on the planet. Geologists continue to search for clues to explain how they were formed, and the episode suggests that the Lakes’ evolution is far from over.

The Alps were the subject of another episode. The Alps span seven countries and are Europe’s most important natural landmark. The question is posed, “How did marine fossils get into the rocks that form the Alps seven thousand feet above sea level?”

The photography, special effects, and animations are amazing and provide important visual images to help you understand many of the concepts in geology that are hard to interpret through just the written word.

A website is also available that includes a photo gallery and clips from several episodes, http://www.history.com/content/how-the-earth-was-made.

The complete Season 1 DVD set is now available for purchase via the History Channel website and other online stores. The second season is in progress and includes topics like Grand Canyon, Yosemite, the Ring of Fire, and the Sahara. You might want to particularly encourage your students studying the FOSS Landforms Module and Earth History Course to watch the new episodes as they become available. You can find the schedule online at www.history.com.