35

Discover Climate: Activities from NOAA

oceanservice.noaa.gov

During the last 100 years, Earth’s average surface temperature has increased more rapidly than at any other time in the 

last 10,000 years. Global average temperature is expected to 

continue to increase over the 21st century, probably more 

than it did during the 20th century. Human activities are 

the primary cause of most of the ongoing increase in Earth’s 

average surface temperature. Specifically, human activities that 

increase greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are causing rapid 

changes to Earth’s climate. Heat waves, droughts, and floods 

are becoming more intense and happen more often. Global sea 

level is rising as a result of warmer temperatures. These changes 

will affect global economies, human and environmental health, 

and national security.

Humans are at least partially responsible for the global climate 

change that is happening now (http://www.ipcc.ch/publications_

and_data/ar4/syr/en/spm.html), but humans also are able to 

take actions to reduce climate change and its impacts. Reducing 

greenhouse gas emissions is the key. Burning fossil fuels for 

energy is a major source of increased greenhouse gases in 

the atmosphere. Since everyone uses energy, everyone can 

be part of the solution. Most people use electricity almost 

constantly (even when they are asleep!) for heating, cooling, 

transportation, cooking, working, entertainment, and many 

other activities. Practically everything we touch required energy 

for manufacturing and distribution. Most of the energy for all 

these things comes from burning fossil fuels.

Unfortunately, many people are not climate literate, do not 

understand how human activities have caused climate change, 

and do not know what they can do to reduce climate change 

and its impacts. This is why communication is an essential part 

of climate literacy. 

How It Works

At this point, you know a lot about Earth’s climate, how it is 

changing, and how human activities are involved with these 

changes. In fact, you probably know a lot more about these 

subjects than many people! A very important part of Climate 

Literacy is communicating accurate information so more people 

will understand what is happening and how they can personally 

respond to Earth’s changing climate.

Big Idea

A climate-literate person communicates about climate and climate 

change in a meaningful way.

What You Will Need

Depends upon how you decide to 

communicate your message.

Activity 9: Communicate!

What You Will Do: Create a unique message about climate change

 Signs of Climate Change Source: http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/kids/impacts/signs/index.html
oceanservice.noaa.gov 36

Discover Climate: Activities from NOAA

Believe it or not, students who communicate about 

serious subjects often receive more attention 

than adults. One reason for this is that students 

think of creative ways to communicate. In school, 

written papers, oral reports, and posters are 

common methods for communication. All of 

these communication techniques are also used 

by professional scientists to share their ideas and 

information, because communication is an essential 

part of science. There are many other ways to 

communicate, and unusual methods can help get 

people’s attention and lead them to think about 

the information in the message. This Web page 

describes several different kinds of communication 

projects: http://games.noaa.gov/seaturtle/

digitalprojects.html. Table 1 lists some additional 

ideas.

These ideas are only a starting point; you can 

probably think of even better ways to communicate 

information about Climate Literacy to your own 

audiences!

How to Do It

1. Choose your message. Select one or two ideas 

about Earth’s climate from the other activities in 

this book. Be sure to include a few things that 

people can do personally about climate change. 

For some ideas, check out the Student’s Guide 

to Global Climate Change (http://www.epa.gov/

climatechange/students/solutions/index.html).

2. Choose your audience. Ask yourself, “Who is 

supposed to receive this message?” It may seem 

that the answer should be “Everybody,” but the 

problem with that answer is that different people 

communicate in different ways. Focusing your 

message toward a particular audience makes it 

more likely that your message will be understood.

3. Choose your communication technique. This is 

where you can be really creative! Think about 

things that are likely to attract the attention of 

the audience you identified in Step 2. Then think 

about unusual ways to present those things, 

because humans are much more likely to notice 

unusual events and objects than things that are 

familiar. Sometimes “unusual” just means that 

familiar things appear in unusual places. Look 

over the list of Communication Ideas, think about 

whether these give you some ideas of your own, 

then select the technique that you think is most 

likely to get the attention of your audience. 

Remember to consider your personal talents and 

interests as well. Perhaps you can sing, act, dance, 

play a musical instrument, paint, sculpt, enjoy 

making things, or have other skills. Think about 

ways to use these to help deliver your message. 

Your interest and enthusiasm are powerful tools 

for communication, because they are likely 

to attract the attention and interest of your 

audience.

4. Plan a strategy to deliver your message, including 

a brief statement of what your message is, 

who your audience is expected to be, which 

communication techniques you will use, when 

you will present your message, and who will be 

involved with the presentation.

Effects of Climate Change Source: http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/kids/impacts/effects/index.html
37

9. Communicate!

Steps to Climate Literacy: A climate-literate person communicates about climate and climate change in a meaningful way.

Table 1: Some Communication Ideas

Banners

Blogs

Cartoons

Cell ringtones

Computer screen savers

Dance

Ebooks

Electronic newsletter

Games and Competitions

Letters

Musical performances

Newspapers

Photography

Postcards

Radio (see http://www.hobbybroadcaster.net/ for 

more information)

Simple robots (see http://www.instructables.com/

id/Robots/ for ideas)

Scientific posters (see http://colinpurrington.com/

tips/academic/posterdesign; http://www.ncsu.

edu/project/posters/NewSite/)

Stories

Theatre (plays, industrial theatre, ambush 

theatre, street theatre)

Videos

Wall Magazines (periodical publications that 

appear in public places such as bulletin boards 

or notice boards)

Water bottles

Wearable items (T-shirts, caps, badges, 

wristbands, pins, jewelry)

Websites

 Solutions: Alternative Technologies Source: http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/kids/solutions/technologies/index.html

 My Communication Ideas: