The alternative to this is to make use of “inoculation the- ory.” Educators can help students anticipate arguments that are based on deliberate attempts to misinform them, thereby “inoculating” students against those misinformation attempts. Research has shown this to be an effective way of protecting the public from politically motivated misinforma- tion campaigns. If detecting bias in the media and preparing students for


online misinformation sounds out of the scope of a science classroom, this may be an opportunity for cross-curricu- lar engagement. English or social science teachers have a lot of experience in this area and could be enlisted to come up with a joint activity or assignment. John Cook, one of the researchers responsible for the widely cited 97% figure, draws cartoons that illustrate the logical fallacies of climate skeptics’ arguments. Students could be tasked with design- ing their own illustrations along the same vein. Additionally, students can play the online “Fake News Game” where they try to amass followers by using misleading tactics, thereby learning to spot misinformation strategies for themselves. Researchers have shown that playing the game acts as a type of inoculation, making players more resistant to future misinformation2


. Teachers following ageing curriculum guides or textbooks


can also be led to teach climate change in a way that is incon- sistent with the values practiced in other subjects. A science textbook written for the current Ontario curriculum reads, “Not all the projected effects of climate change are negative … As the sea ice on the Arctic Ocean melts, the Northwest Passage shipping route will be open water every summer… Cruise ships can sail farther north than before, so tourists can follow in the wake of Arctic explorers such as Henry Hudson and John Franklin”3


. While it is true that climate change will


create some minor benefits, it is also true that smoking ciga- rettes will cause minor benefits (weight loss, temporary stress relief, etc.), and yet health teachers are unlikely to deliver these pieces of information to students. If teachers still intend to discuss the benefits of climate


change, it is reasonable, then, to also discuss the harms, so that students are able to make a fair comparison. Presenting the table below would allow students to make up their minds about whether climate change is going to be a net positive for their lives.


Some benefits of climate change cited in Canadian science textbooks


Thawing Arctic sea ice means shorter shipping distances and increased Arctic tourism


Longer growing season for farmers in some regions, such as Ontario


We can fix it The students that I’ve worked with are naturally interested in “We can fix it” — they want to know how they can help solve an issue that will have major ramifications for their own lives. Luckily, it’s fairly straightforward to work solutions into a student-centered classroom. Students can weigh the pros and cons of different mitigation options, evaluating ways to reduce emissions in their own regions, schools, or personal lives. In the past, educators and governments have focused on low-impact actions like recycling or changing lightbulbs8 This approach might have made a lot of sense in 1990, but


. Some anticipated harms of climate change


Accelerated species extinction risks threatening one in six spe- cies on Earth4


Greater risk from droughts and sea level rise, as well as greater heat-related mortality5


The destruction of most of the world’s coral reefs6


Increased wildfire risk with accompanying harms to respiratory health in the United States7


Hundreds of billions of dollars in economic losses every year by the end of the century for the United States alone, under current trajectory7


Green Teacher 121 Page 23


Photo by pixabay.com/ omar1848


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