First Class: An Introduction

Goal: Introduce the idea that kids can change the world and gauge student’s awareness

10 minutes

5 minutes

15 minutes

5 minutes

25 minutes

10 minutes

Introductions

Introduce the idea that kids can change the world

Ask questions to identify challenges

What are the challenges you face?
What are challenges other kids in your city may face?
What are challenges kids in other states may face?
What are challenges kids in other countries may face?
What are challenges kids in unindustrialized countries may face?

Share and rank problems that are prevalent

Divide into four groups based on top four problems

Come up with solutions to potentially solve these problems

Present solutions to the class

Second Class: Climate Change

Goal: Think about climate change and reflect on the impact our actions have on the planet

Videos to share before class: Greta Thunberg's UN Speech, Kids Crash Course: Climate Change

10 minutes

20 minutes

5 minutes

10 minutes

Talk in groups about the videos, and write down the themes they learned

Explain cause and effect in regards to climate change and discuss habits they have that could be contributing to causing climate change

Paper Making Activity: Recycle from old class papers/homework

Make a Terrarium using succulents

Regroup and discuss how little actions can make a difference

Make goals for themselves to change unsustainable habits and write it down

Third Class: Water Insecurity

Goal: Think about the reality of water insecurity and its effect on all areas of life, and reflect on how we use water

Videos to share before class: Ethiopian Water Crisis, Water Doesn't Come form a Tap, Kids Crash Course: Fresh Water Problems

5 minutes

10 minutes

5 minutes

35 minutes

5 minutes

10 minutes

5 minutes

Introduce Concept of water insecurity

Pass out questions, have them reflect on them as a group

How would life be different for you if we didn’t have safe water to drink right here at home or school?
What are all the ways you use water throughout the day?
How would you feel if you had to spend hours walking every day to get water for your family? Imagine having to spend so much time getting water that you didn’t have time to go to school.

Share facts about Water Insecurity. Eg: The average distance women and children in developing countries walk for water is 6 kilometers (about 3.7 miles) a day.

Read A Long Walk to Water

Have them discuss the story

Do a water activity, in which they have a competition trying to carry buckets of water from one location to another.

Talk about how much water we use everyday

Fourth Class: Food Insecurity

Goal: Experience solar cooking!

40 minutes

35 minutes

Solar Electric Cooking Presentation

Follow up:

- What’s the difference between solar cooking, and regular cooking methods?
  - Which is better?
    - List all the pros and cons of each
  - Talk about the pros and cons as a class
- How can we help people across the globe with different cooking methods?
- What else can we use solar power for?
  - How will this help people? Both in the U.S. and various other countries
  - How can we use this to stop global warming?
- What can we do to make people start using greener alternatives for energy?

Fifth Class: Exploring Other Problems

Goal: Explore Stereotypes, Talk about Obesity, and Learn about CRISPR

5 minutes

15 minutes

30 minutes

25 minutes

Introduction

We will be discussing some problems that are prevalent in today’s world (Issues that they brought up, plus some additional ones)
CRISPR

Introduction

Movie clip (Captain America transformation?)
CRISPR/CAS9 can quickly and efficiently tweak almost any gene in any plant or animal. Researchers already have used it to fix genetic diseases in animals, to combat viruses
Applications of CRISPR
Based on the introduction, ask them to draw/write what could be the good and the bad things that could result from using this technology
Discuss their responses

Social Justice and Racial Equality

Hand out sheets of paper and ask them to draw 1. A construction worker, 2. A nurse
- Count how many drew men for number (1) and female for number (2)
- Discussion: Why did they assign genders to these jobs? Do you think that that the opposite genders can work in these jobs? What are stereotypes? What are stereotypes based on?
Hand each person a tangerine. Ask them to study their tangerine and make sure that they would be able to recognize it.
- After 2 minutes. Ask them to put all the tangerines in a bowl and try to find theirs.
- Once they have found theirs, ask them if they had peeled it, would they have found theirs once more?
- Discuss: What do you think is the meaning of this activity? Do you judge people on their outward appearance? Do you sometimes make decisions or judgements based on people’s outward appearance? This in its core is the basis of racism, everyone is racist in a little way but it is up to us, how we act on it.

Obesity

Talk to the kids about the negative effects of obesity
Allow the kids to participate in an obesity based discussion
Solutions or ways to prevent obesity
Obesity Game: Zombie Tag