The Climate Crisis has the power to evoke the widest spectrum of emotions you can possibly imagine, from anxiety and fear to hope and empowerment. These feelings profoundly impact how we approach the topic in educational settings. In a recent webinar with National Geographic Learning, I explored strategies for addressing climate emotions in the English language classroom and discussed how to use the LEARN framework alongside the Climate Emotions Wheel to guide our approach.
Want to learn how to integrate sustainability into the English language classroom while still supporting your students’ language development? Register for our upcoming webinar, “Sustainable Life: Combining Project-Based Learning and Problem Solving in ELT,” with Harry Waters and Kayleigh Buller!
Understanding Climate Emotions
Anxiety about the future, fear of ecological collapse, and sadness over environmental damage are just a few examples of emotions that the Climate Crisis can stir up. Recognizing these emotions is absolutely crucial for helping students process their feelings and find constructive ways to address them.
To better understand and manage these emotions, we turned to the Climate Emotions Wheel from the Climate Mental Health Network. This tool categorizes climate-related emotions into four different zones, such as ‘Sadness’ (e.g., anxiety and grief), and ‘Positivity’ (e.g., hope and interest) By identifying where students’ emotions fall on the wheel, educators can tailor their approaches to address specific feelings and foster a more supportive learning environment. This wheel of emotions can be particularly helpful for younger students or students who might have more difficulty articulating their feelings about the climate crisis.
Potential Triggers for Climate Emotions
Discussions with secondary-aged students and young adults have revealed many reasons for big climate emotions. Below are the four most common factors that amplify big climate emotions, influencing how students experience and react to the climate crisis:
- Lack of Government Action: When students perceive inadequate responses from governments and leaders, it can lead to feelings of frustration and helplessness. Highlighting successful policies and grassroots initiatives in class can counterbalance these feelings.
- Insufficient Climate Education: A lack of comprehensive climate education can leave students feeling unprepared and anxious. Integrating climate education into the curriculum helps students understand the issues and their role in addressing them.
- Experiencing Ecological Events: Direct encounters with climate-related disasters, such as wildfires or floods, can intensify feelings of fear and grief. Providing support and creating spaces to discuss these experiences in class is essential for helping students process their emotions.
- Perceived Personal Responsibility: Students might feel overwhelmed by a sense of personal responsibility for solving climate issues. Encouraging collective action and highlighting community efforts can alleviate these pressures and foster a sense of shared purpose.
The LEARN Framework: A Guiding Approach
To address climate emotions constructively, we can use the LEARN framework, which stands for Listen, Encourage, Amplify, Respect, and Nurture. This framework helps create a supportive environment for students as they navigate their climate emotions.
- Listen: Actively listen to students’ concerns and emotions about climate change. Creating a space where they feel heard and understood is crucial for processing their feelings and fostering a sense of security.
- Encourage: Encourage students to express their thoughts and emotions openly. Provide reassurance that their feelings are valid and important. This approach helps students feel more comfortable discussing climate issues and exploring potential solutions.
- Amplify: Amplify positive climate actions and success stories. Highlighting examples of individuals and communities making a difference can inspire students and shift their focus from despair to hope and empowerment.
- Respect: Show respect for diverse perspectives and emotional responses. The Climate Crisis affects people differently, and acknowledging these varied experiences can foster a more inclusive and supportive classroom environment.
- Nurture: Nurture students’ capacity for action by providing them with tools and opportunities to engage in meaningful climate initiatives. Encouraging hands-on projects and community involvement can help students translate their emotions into positive, proactive behaviors. Read more on project-based learning in the next section!
Practical Strategies for the Classroom
There are many ways to incorporate classroom activities that help students articulate and reflect on their climate emotions. This could include journaling, group discussions, or creative projects.
Journaling
For older students, journaling can facilitate deep self-reflection. Encourage them to write about their climate-related concerns and emotions, perhaps using the Climate Emotions Wheel for guidance. For younger students, journaling can be simplified through drawing or guided prompts, where they illustrate what makes them feel hopeful or anxious about climate change.
Group Discussions
Facilitate structured group discussions with older students, using the Climate Emotions Wheel to connect their feelings to broader climate issues and explore collective responses. For younger students, use informal discussions or role-play activities, helping them express their emotions through storytelling or character exploration.
Creative Projects
Older students can create multimedia presentations, posters, or videos to express their climate emotions, drawing inspiration from course materials like those in Life,Third Edition. This ‘Sustainable Life’ project-based lesson from Life encourages students to address a climate-related issue through research and action. Students start by learning about National Geographic Explorer Octavio Aburto’s mangrove conservation work. The lesson then guides them through steps to develop a research project about our relationship with water, an action plan to protect the body of water, and finally a presentation sharing their work.
For younger students, creative projects can include creating emotion wheels or collages to represent their feelings about climate change, making abstract concepts more tangible. These projects will allow students to apply their understanding of climate change practically. Consider initiatives to help students get involved in their community, such as organizing local clean-ups or creating awareness campaigns.
Encouraging Positive Climate Emotions
It’s so important we realize it isn’t simply about addressing “negative” emotions; it’s crucial to cultivate positive climate emotions in the English language classroom. By fostering hope, connectedness, and empowerment, we can help students build resilience and adopt a proactive mindset.
The LEARN framework and the Climate Emotions Wheel together provide a structured approach to achieving this, ensuring that students feel supported and motivated to contribute to climate action. In addition to these resources, programs like Life, Third Edition bridge solution-focused climate change education with English language learning and help students develop a positive global mindset in class.
Conclusion
Addressing climate emotions in the English language classroom involves more than just managing fears—it’s about embracing and channeling these feelings into meaningful action.
By utilizing the LEARN framework, the Climate Emotions Wheel, and integrating practical classroom strategies such as the projects in Life, Third Edition, we can help students navigate their climate emotions effectively and make a positive impact both inside and outside the classroom.
Let’s continue to explore and implement these strategies, turning our climate concerns into a powerful catalyst for change. Together, we can empower a more informed, hopeful, and proactive generation ready to tackle the biggest challenges of our time.
Watch Harry’s webinar for more strategies to help your English language learners channel their big climate emotions into positive action!
