Wings of Change

Workshop Outline
Developed by the Canadian Youth Climate Coalition Summer 2011 Table of Contents
Introduction to the Workshop Workshop Summary Introduction + Ice Breakers Basic Climate Change Science 2 4 5 6

Climate Change Impacts Climate Justice - The CO2 Game

7 8

Debrief of CO2 Game - Root Causes of Climate Change Climate Change Aerobics The Importance of Social Movements

10 11

Wigs of Change The United Nations in Durban

12 13

Conclusion

14

Appendices Draft Letter to teachers Classroom sign-up sheet GHG Diagram Carbon Cycle Diagram Template for cutting out feathers (to do) Instructions (with sketches) for assembling wings (to do) PPT/printouts for visuals (electronic version) 15 16 18 19

Introduction to the Workshop Description This interactive, skills-based workshops is part of a larger campaign facilitated by the Canadian Youth Climate Coalition called the Wings of Change. The Wings of Change workshop links the hard science of climate change to practical, community based alternatives and strategies for collective action. At the end of the workshops, participants will be asked to use words and pictures to represent the kind of Canada that they want to be living in 20 years from now. Their plans for a more sustainable Canada will be recorded on pieces of cloth that will become the feathers of giant bird puppets who will converge on Parliament Hill carrying messages from thousands of young people across the country. The workshop is unique in that it moves beyond simply informing young people about the issues by encouraging participants to nd their political voices and providing them with the opportunity to be part of a larger movement. It combines principles of pageantry, theatre and collective artistic expression to deliver messages directly from young people to decision makers. Importantly, the project itself models the type of action that young people can take to challenge existing paradigms. Your job as a facilitator is to a facilitate an interactive workshop that engages participants, challenges them to question the status quo, produces feathers for the Wings of Change convergence on Parliament Hill, and ideally inspires young people to become actively involved in the youth climate movement. Materials: - Black Board and chalk OR Flip chart stand, paper and permanent markers - Laptop, PPT projector and screen OR Poster-sized photocopies of ppt slides - Cloth feathers Before you arrive in the classroom: Ask the teacher to make sure they arrange for an introductory lesson to climate change science, impacts and adaptation before you facilitate the workshop. You will be reviewing the basics, but not spending a whole lot of time on the details, so the students need to be adequately prepared. Workshop logistics: - 60 minutes in length - Scheduled for the 2nd period of the day on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday - 30 participants maximum - Push the desks up against the wall and create a circle with the chairs Strategies: - Interactive games, activities and discussions - Brainstorming and Story telling - The art of questioning - the answers come from the participants General Tips for Facilitators (READ ME):

- It is deceptively easy to get hung up in the climate change science and impacts section of the workshop. Remember, all that the students need is a basic understanding of the science. The purpose of this workshop is to convince students that major changes are needed to avoid catastrophic climate change, that these changes are entirely possible, and that they have an important role to play in making this change a reality. Avoid going into too much detail on the science, and focus on the other sections of the workshop - If the students have tonnes of questions about the science aspect of climate change, acknowledge the importance of their questions, but let them know that this workshop will be focusing on how we can create change as opposed to how the science works. Encourage them to write down their questions and do some independent research after the workshop. They can even send you an email and you can answer any additional questions they may have - Be prepared to adapt the workshop depending on where the group is at. Different groups will connect with different aspects of the workshop, and you need to be ready to be exible. Remember, this package is intended to provide you with guidelines, not a rule book. - Some participants will be more eager to participate than others. Leave that extra couple of seconds for the rest of the group to digest your question and consider an answer, rather than picking the rst hand that shoots up in the room - Whenever possible, take time to debrief with the teacher after the workshop and ask for their feedback - this workshop is meant to improved, and their feedback can be an important part of making it stronger. - Have fun!

Workshop Summary
Total Time: 60 minutes Workshop section Introduction and ice breakers Basic Climate Change Science Description and materials Select and icebreaker and get the group up and moving around the room Materials: ppt or print outs Black board or ip chart stand, paper and markers Materials: ppt or print outs Black board or ip chart stand, paper and markers Materials: Volunteers CO2 cardboard circles (10) Fake money (10 bundles) Materials: ppt or print outs Black board or ip chart stand, paper and markers Materials: Permanent markers Cloth feathers Materials: ppt or print outs Black board or ip chart stand, paper and markers Materials: ppt or print outs Materials: Contact sign up sheet Scrap paper for evaluation Time 10

Climate Change Impacts

10

Climate Justice - the CO2 game

Root Causes of Climate Change (time permitting, depending on where the group is at) Wings of Change

10

The Importance of Social Movements

CYD in Durban Conclusion + Evaluation

5 5

Classroom checklist

Feathers Contact Info (yours) Contact info (theirs) Conrmed teacher interest in COP materials

Introduction
Introduce yourself: Who you are, where youre from, and why youre here. Ask the participants to introduce themselves: their names, and one thing they know about climate change

Ice breaker (Select one of the following, or use your own, with a climate-change twist)
The North Wind Blows Description: Participants all stand in a circle, and either remove a shoe, or use something to mark their place in the circle. The facilitator stands in the middle and explains the exercise. Whoever is in the middle calls out The North Wind Blows on... and nishes the sentence with a characteristic, activity or feeling that is probably shared by a number of people in the circle. For example, The North Wind Blows on anyone who has blue eyes or is wearing black or has never been to BC. Everyone that the statement applies to has to run out into the middle of the circle and nd another place. Whoever is left without a place becomes the new person in the middle who calls out the next The North Wind Blows statement. Tips for facilitators: - Encourage statements about climate change. Ex: whos noticed we get less snow than we used to. Body Sculptures Description Participants are instructed to walk around the room, mingling with each other in no particular order. The facilitator then calls out, in groups of ____, create ____!). Participants use their bodies to create sculptures that respond to the theme called out by the facilitator. They have between 15 and 30 seconds to put together their creation, and then several of the groups are invited to present their sculptures to the larger group. Everyone then continues to move around the room, until the facilitator calls out another number and theme, and the exercise is repeated several more times (depending on the responsiveness of the group and the amount of time you have for the exercise). The last call-out should bring everyone together in one large group to make a giant sculpture rather than dividing into smaller groups. Suggested sequence: - In groups of 3, create something that is contributing to climate change - In groups of 5, create an alternative energy technology (ie wind, solar, geothermal, biofuel, etc) - In groups of 10, create an example of sustainable transportation - As one big group, create a solution to climate change

Tips for facilitators: - If the group needs a little coaching, remind them that there are no right or wrong answers - When asking participants to describe their sculpture, ask them what their sculpture represents, and what they think this theme might have to do with climate change. - If the last sculpture dissolves into chaos, thats ok! Remind participants that climate change is a big challenge, and we hope that by the end of the workshop theyll have a clearer idea of what to do about it.

Basic Climate Change Science

Description: Provide a brief introduction to the science of climate change. Review the Greenhouse Effect diagram, either using the powerpoint presentation or the printouts. Ask participants to turn to their neighbour and make a list of different human activities that release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Afterwards, make a list together on the blackboard. Let the participants know that there are viable alternatives to each of these activities, and that we will be returning to this list later on in the workshop. Potential Answers: - Burning fossil fuels: - Cars - Airplanes - Heating homes - Large scale agriculture - Landlls - Deforestation Tips for facilitators: - Ask questions! In all likelihood, the participants are familiar with both the Greenhouse Effect and the Carbon Cycle - you just need to coax the knowledge out of them - Remind participants that the Greenhouse Effect and the Carbon Cycle are both extremely important - without either of them; planet earth would not be able to support life as we know it! However, a lot of stuff that human beings have added to the atmosphere, especially since the Industrial Revolution, have changed these cycles (and not in a good way...) - We will be returning to some of the root causes of climate change later on in the workshop - It is deceptively easy to get hung up in the climate change science and impacts section of the workshop. Remember, all that the students need is a basic understanding of the science. The purpose of this workshop is to convince students that major changes are needed to avoid catastrophic climate change, that these changes are entirely possible, and that they have an important role to play in making this change a reality. Avoid going into too much detail on the science, and focus on the other sections of the workshop - If the students have tonnes of questions about the science aspect of climate change, acknowledge the importance of their questions, but let them know that this workshop will be focusing on how we can create change as opposed to how the science works. Encourage them to write down their questions and do some independent research after the workshop. They can even send you an email and you can answer any additional questions they may have

Climate Change Impacts

Description Provide a brief summary of the impacts of climate change. Use pictures, either the powerpoint or printouts, as well as stories to illustrate the examples you provide. Start with a signicant impact that climate change is going to have on their community, and then alternate between Canadian and international examples of climate change impacts, nishing with a last example of how climate change will impact them personally in their community. Provide examples of young people roughly the same age as the participants in other countries as well as other communities, and discuss how their lives are being and will be even more severely impacted by climate change. Suggested Sequence: - An example from your local community that will resonate with the workshop participants - Water scarcity in the Andes - Many Andean communities rely on glacier-fed rivers and streams for their water supply. Once those glaciers are gone, so is their water supply (Climate Change Impact: Glacial Melt) - Climate change impacts in the North - discuss increased storm intensity, coastal erosion, shrinking sea ice, shifting animal migration patterns, decreased reliability of ice roads, and/ or impacts on Aboriginal communities, traditional knowledge and capacity to live off of the land, etc.. (Climate Change Impact: Food Security, Traditional Knowledge, Biodiversity, Infrastructure) - Sea level rise in the Republic of Maldives (link this to low lying costal areas in Halifax and Vancouver) (Climate Change Impact: Sea Level Rise) - More frequent, severe and unpredictable weather patterns result in ice storms, tornados, - Projected 30% decrease in crop yields in Saskatchewan, the breadbasket of Canada - An example from your local community that will resonate with the workshop participants - + Any other impacts that they can think of and would like to discuss Tips for facilitators: - This section is going to require you to do a little research. Weve provided you with some stock examples of Canadian and international examples, but dont forget to bring it back to the local level and connect them to impacts that they are and will be experiencing in their own communities. - Start with a question: What kind of climate change impacts will we be experiencing here in Canada? Here in this community? In other parts of the world? Some groups will be able to come up with a whole list of answers all on their own, and youll just need to ll in the blanks. Others will need a little bit more coaching - Continue to ask questions and keep the participants actively engaged: can you think of other climate change impacts that Canadian communities will be experiencing?, or can anyone give me an example of how you and your family will be impacted by smaller harvests out on the prairies? - Ask participants to tell you what is wrong with each picture that you show them, and to guess what this might have to do with climate change - Know your facts! If you dont feel comfortable speaking to a particular climate change impact, and you havent had time to do your research, skip it! Its better to provide less,

but more factual information than to fudge on your facts. - If youve travelled in Canada or internationally and witnessed the impacts of climate change rst-hand, nows the time to bust out your stories. Stories can really hook participants and help them to connect with the issues, even if they havent personally witnessed the same climate change impacts

Climate Justice - The CO2 Game

Description The purpose of this activity is to illustrate the gross inequity in the world in terms of whos producing the carbon, and whos paying the consequences of climate change. You will need 10 volunteers, 10 pieces of card with CO2 written on them (big enough for one person to stand on), and 10 wads of fake cash (ie monopoly money) Script for the activity: You 10 represent the world population of? (ask group... about 6 billion). The C02 you are standing on represents the amount of carbon we produce globally. Who remembers some of the sources of carbon that we discussed earlier in the workshop? (ask group... cars, planes, industry, cow farts, industrial agriculture, etc.) The money represents the global GDP. Whats GDP? (ask group...) So, of the 6 billion people in the world and the worlds wealthiest nations - which are? (ask group... Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Russia, USA, UK, Japan, Canada) Exactly. But, only 12% of the worlds population is part of these countries. So who wants to represent the rich nations? (ask that person & their C02 to move a little aside) Now, 48% of the worlds GDP is made by the worlds wealthiest countries (take 4 peoples cash and hand it over to the person representing the rich nation (RN)) The worlds wealthiest countries also produce 62% of the worlds CO2 emissions (take 5 C02s from the other countries and give them to the person representing the RN to stand on. Everyone else has to squish onto the remaining 4 CO2s.) Theres a reason a few countries make almost half the worlds money. Those same few countries also are home to 98% of the worlds multinational corporations (hand over all but 1 wads of cash to RN) The International Panel on Climate Change is an international body that provides the world with the most respected scientic data on climate change. They have reached a consensus that we need to reduce global carbon emissions by 60-80 % below 1990 levels by 2050 to avoid catastrophic climate change. So based on what you see here, who has both the nancial resources and would have the biggest impact by cutting down on their CO2 emissions? (hopefully everyone points at RN) So, the scientists tell us that we need to reduce our global greenhouse gas emissions by at least this much (have the person representing the rich nations hold up all six of their CO2s) And we know that since rich countries have the most money (hold up the wads of cash) And produce the most emissions (point to the 6 CO2s) Even though they only represent 12% of the worlds population, the rich nations - and remember, that includes Canada - are in the best position to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. How much do you think Canada has committed to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions? (have the participants guess) Anyone? (pause) 25% below 2005 levels (IPCC recommends 60%-80% below 1990 levels) And based on our governments current policies here in Canada, what kind of GHG emission reductions are we actually going to accomplish? (have the participants guess) Anyone? (pause) Pembina Institute: we would be lucky to reduce our emissions from business as usual by only a few percent with current plans. (Chuck little scrap of carbon

away) So, rest of the world. How are you feeling about developed nations? (Riot ensues yay!... or folks ask for RN to give some back..or not much happens!) Thank everyone and they will sit back down.

Debrief: Root Causes of Climate Change Purpose: The goal of this debrief is to challenge the participants to move beyond the physical causes that are leading to climate change (burning fossil fuels) into some of the underlying factors that have brought us to this point - overconsumption, disposable lifestyles, etc. Ask participants the following questions: After completing this activity, what have you learned about the root causes of climate change (probing question: So weve talked about the physical causes of climate change (point to list of causes on the board) but who are the people who are contributing the most to climate change?) What about the rich countries is different from the developing countries Does everyone in the rich countries contribute equally to climate change, or do some people contribute more than others Who makes the decisions about these things the rich countries (potential answers: governments, rich people, corporations, oil companies) What are some of the things that we can do to change this? Tips for facilitators: - Challenge participants to make the link between individual actions (composting my apple core) to collective action (lobbying the city to expand city-wide composting programmes to include apartment buildings) - Remember, your primary task as a facilitator is to ask questions! Try not to provide them with the answers! Instead, ask leading questions to draw the knowledge out of the group (for example, is burning fossil fuels the only way to power our vehicles? or what sorts of things could governments be doing to encourage these alternatives? or do you think that the way we design our cities has anything to do with how we get around town? What could we be doing instead?.

Climate Change Aerobics Description At this point in the workshop, energy may be a little bit low, so its time to get everyone up and moving around so the blood can ow back to their brains! Assemble the entire group into a circle standing up and facing inwards. Instruct the group to watch you and follow your instructions and actions and then start this sequence: Reach your hands up to the sky - Creating a clean, just and sustainable future means that we have some high and lofty goals, and we need to reach for those goals, and always keep reaching! Reach down to the ground - But we need to remember that these goals are connected to and depend on our communities and the grassroots, so we need to reach deep and connect with them Spinning arms (windmills) - And when we do we can feel the winds of change blowing, bringing in solutions like these windmills! Hard work (do the mash potato) - But we need to remember that this is going to be hard work! So lets work hard... Shake it all off - And were going to end up shaking off the old system, replacing it with a newer, better one!

The Importance of Social Movements

Description At this point in the workshop, there are probably some sceptics in the room, who may or may not have voiced their opinion about how realistic it is for us to shift as a society towards a more just, sustainable world. Its time to challenge their belief that the status quo is inevitable. Ask participants to: Stand up if you or someone in your family makes at least minimum wage Stand up if your mom can vote Stand up if you can sit anywhere on the bus that you want Stand up if you can go to the doctor without paying thousands of dollars rst Point out that all of these are things that were accomplished by social movements, and were at one time hugely controversial and dismissed as impossible by the vast majority of society. Its because people were willing to come together and ght for a common dream that we now have these rights. What are some other things that have been accomplished by social movements? Potential answers: Civil rights Gay rights Indigenous rights Etc. Tips for Facilitators: - If one of the participants points out that, for example, their mom cant vote because shes an immigrant, agree that we still have lots of work to do, and reinforce the importance of social movements in pushing our government and our society to do better. - Make sure to emphasize that all of these are things were won by social movements, and at one time, all of these things were considered impossible by the status quo (use example of women being ridiculed for demanding the right to vote, as women are obviously incapable of making important decisions. - Avoid getting into a debate about different things that have or have not been accomplished through social movements. If there are any problematic statements, acknowledge the answers, and suggest that you speak further after the workshop.

The Wings of Change

Description Distribute pieces of cloth and permanent markers to everyone in the classroom. Instruct the participants to use words or pictures to describe the kind of Canada they want to be living in 25 years from now. Ask them to consider what we are currently doing to contribute to climate change, and what we could be doing instead to build a more just, sustainable country. Explain that this same workshop is being facilitated in classrooms across Canada, and that their messages will be joined by messages from thousands of other Canadian youth to form the feathers on giant wings to symbolize our hope for a better future than the one our parents generation is currently negotiating on our behalf. These wings will be delivered directly to decision makers on Parliament Hill as a powerful declaration of the world we intend to inherit. Its time for Canadians to start changing their politics, and stop changing our climate. Tips for facilitators - Some participants are going to be more into the activity than others. Make sure that you walk around the room and interact with the participants. Ask them what they are drawing, comment on things that you like, and make suggestions for participants that seem a little stuck - Remind the participants that this isnt about art skills - its about ideas. They can use words, or pictures, or a combination of both to illustrate the Canada they want to be living in 25 years from now - This is a great time to circulate the sign up sheet for participants to sign up to receive additional information about the Canadian Youth Climate Coalition and how they can get involved.

The United Nations Climate Change Negotiations in Durban

Description Explain to participants that at the end of November, 20 young people from communities across Canada will be travelling to Durban, South Africa to participate in the 17th round of Climate Change Negotiations at the United Nations, where countries from around the world will be meeting to agree on greenhouse gas emission targets. The Canadian Youth Delegation is the voice of the Canadian youth climate movement at international United Nations climate conferences. While in Durban, they will be your voice the voice of a generation who will be forced to live in a future we too often do not have a voice in creating. They will be joining forces with youth from around the world to challenge our leaders inaction while reporting back to you on what is happening on the ground (good time to encourage them to follow us on twitter, facebook, the CYD blog and the CYDaily). In the lead-up to Durban, members of the delegation will be organizing in their communities (through activities like this workshop) to build the empowered movement we need. The CYD will also strive to work with our allies from communities who are most impacted by climate change in order to amplify the voices too often left unheard or underrepresented in international decision-making forums like these UN meetings. BUT WE REALLY, REALLY NEED YOU because we wont be able to stop climate change in the halls of any international meeting until we create a mass, self-empowering, grassroots movement that is demanding and building a more just world. We need as many people as possible creating the change they want to see in their own communities. Were hoping to stay in touch with you and keep you up to date on what were up to in Durban. Share your contact information, and well send you lots of info about how you can get involved here in Canada.

Conclusion
Description Its likely that by this time in the workshop, time may be tight, but if its possible, make sure that you allow time for questions. Hopefully a number of the students have also signed up to receive additional information about the CYCC. Also, take the time to hand out pieces of scrap paper and ask the participants to complete the following sentences: I liked... I learned... Next time...

Appendices
Draft E-mail to Teachers
Hi (insert name of teacher), My name is (insert your name) and I received your contact information from (the rst name of the individual) from (the name of the partner organization that shared the teachers contact info). (name of individual from referring organization) suggested that I get in touch with you because he/she knows that you have an interest in environmental issues and like to bring guest speakers and facilitators into your classroom. I am working with the Canadian Youth Climate Coalition, a youth led organization that is working towards building a more just, sustainable future. Weve developed a dynamic, interactive workshop that challenges high school students to consider the impacts of climate change on their community, and to identify their role in becoming part of the solution to climate change. As part of the workshop, each student will have the opportunity to create a message about the kind of Canada that they want to be living in 25 years from now. These messages will be delivered directly to decision makers in Ottawa as part of a colourful, creative event that will reframe the conversation about climate change. There are strong links between the workshop content and curriculum for geography, science, social science and civics classes, including climate change, social justice and civic engagement I would be available to come into your classroom any time during the next 6 weeks (preferably on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday) to facilitate. The workshop is approximately 60 minutes long, and I would be happy to facilitate in more than one classroom while I am in the school. Let me know if you have any questions, and please feel free to share this e-mail with colleagues at (insert name of high school) or teachers at other high schools throughout (insert name of community) who you think might like to have me in to chat with their students. Looking forward to seeing you soon, (Your name + contact information)

Yes! I would like to receive regular updates from the Canadian Youth Climate Coalition!
Name E-mail Address

GHG Diagram
If you do not have access to a powerpoint projector, make sure you print off this diagram to illustrate the Greenhouse Effect.

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Carbon Cycle
If you do not have access to a powerpoint projector, make sure you print off this diagram to illustrate the Carbon Cycle. SHAPE \* MERGEFORMAT

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