Grade 8 and 9 students participated during a day in out-of-school activities on the theme of climate-related risks with a focus on flooding. The day was part of a participatory action research project on climate education, in collaboration between science education researchers and teachers at three lower-secondary schools. One of the activities was based on the game Riskville, where a model of a city is built with wooden blocks on a felt carpet. Students working in small groups were first asked to make the city an attractive place to live in and were then confronted with climate-related events, such as flooding due to torrential rain. Students were instructed to show on the carpet the consequences of such events, and discuss how they could be addressed or prevented. Video analysis of the activity shows that students were engaged in building an attractive city, assuming a perspective of their age group, such as building bicycle paths between residential areas and recreational activities. They could identify locations and buildings that are vulnerable to flooding, such as areas close to a river or viaducts, but had difficulties finding ways to avoid flooding. The results show that Riskville gives students opportunities to concretise their understanding of local climate-related risks and how they can be treated. Through collaboration and negotiation, they are allowed to explore different scenarios with the model. Overall, the activities provided a societal focus on adaptations that goes beyond the typical focus on mitigation, reduction of students’ individual carbon footprint, in climate education.
Presentation in the symposium The role of biology education inpreparing for a warming world, organised by Carola Garrecht, IPN, Kiel.