A Child Friendly Climate Change Handbook - UNICEF
A child friendlyclimate change handbookZIMBABWE
May 2017Published by UNICEF6 Fairbridge Avenue, BelgraviaP.O. Box 1250, HarareZimbabweThe information in this book can be reproduced with due acknowledgement.This booklet can be downloaded fromhtttp:/www.unicef.org/ZimbabweUNICEF Zimbabwe@UNICEF ZimbabweISBN: 978-92-806-4902-4AcknowledgementsOur gratitude goes to Jacquline Magwenzi andJoel Chikware (illustrations, design & layout) for putting together the material.(i)
A bout This BookThis book is a learning guide on climate change and how it is affectingeveryone. It is our hope that after reading it, users will have learnt thefollowing:1. What is climate change?2. How is it affecting us?3. How best can we deal with it?Cartoons and inforgraphics have been used in the book as a way ofcapturing the imagination and interest of children(ii)
ForewordThis book is a child friendly handbook meant to explain the concepts of climatechange in an easily understandable manner and language. It aims to linkbehavioural choices to the changes observed in our climate.The Children and Climate Change in Zimbabwe study of 2013 highlighted thegap in learning on the subject of climate change. Many children who participatedin the study could identify changes in their climate but lacked the knowledge onwhat to do about it. Thus they were powerless to change their circumstances.The country also underwent a curriculum review process during the same periodwhere the Primary and Secondary School curriculum was changed for the firsttime since independence. The new curriculum is more holistic and thus climatechange and the environment take prominence as they affect the well being ofchildren in many ways. This therefore presented opportunity to developresources for children on various topics previously limited in the curriculumincluding climate change.The Climate Change Handbook is about building a culture of environmentalstewardship from an early age. In this way it is aligned to the new curriculumwhich focuses on developing Learner Exit Profiles by developing different skillsets and attitudes through learning. As UNICEF we hope children will be able touse this handbook to help them learn more about climate change. We hope theywill also be encouraged to share the information and take action together withtheir communities to keep our environment clean, safe and healthy.Our Changing Climate: A Child-Friendly Climate Change Handbook wasdeveloped with the participation of children through pretest exercises. It wasdeveloped to be fun and engaging yet highly informative. This book has beenapproved by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education as additionalteaching and learning resource, under the subject environmental studies. Wetherefore take this opportunity to thank all the children, adults and the technicalteam including colleagues from the Curriculum Development TechnicalServices, a unit which helped in developing this handbook.This Child Friendly Climate Change Handbook book is appropriate for use byGrade 6 to 7 learners.Mohamed Ag AyoyaCountry RepresentativeUNICEF Zimbabwe(iii)
CONTENTSAcknowledgementsiAbout this BookiiForewordiiiContentsivGreetings1Chapter 1: The Earth and its climate3Chapter 2: Past and Present Climate9Chapter 3: Global Warming16Chapter 4: Climate Change32Chapter 5: Why Learn About Climate Change?64Activities67Key Terms72(iv)
GreetingsHello everyone! My nameis Chido and these aremy friends Sam and Thulani.We are climate changeactivists in our community.That’s right! An activist isa person who campaigns forsome sort of social changeactivists in our communityThank you for joining us in this book.I hope we will learn more about climatechange and how it is affecting us.1
Hello! I am ThulaniIt is true that climate change isbadly affecting us now and thereis need for us to do somethingabout it?Hello! My name is Sam. Inorder for us to know moreabout climate changelet s start by looking atthe earth and its climate.2
Welcome to Chapter 1The Earth and its ClimateIn this Chapter you will learn more about the following topics:1.2.3.The atmosphere and how it relates to the earthThe atmosphere and what it is made up ofThe difference between the weather and climateAt the end there will be a short activity to help you remember what youhave learned.SkillsThe intended skills to be developed in Chapter 1 include the following:1.2.3.Content MasteryRecognition of national symbolsCritical thinking3
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The atmosphere is the air thatsurrounds us. It covers hundredsof kilometres. The atmosphere hasmany natural and man-made gasesin it. There is also a layer of gasescalled the Ozone layer whichsurrounds the earth. The Ozonelayer is important. It helps tomaintain life on earth.Ozone Layer5
time and place.6
ClimateClimate is the average weather condition in a specific time andplace. It is usually measured over a 30 year period. Seasonssuch as summer, autumn, winter and spring are used to describeclimate.Overall climate in ZimbabweSummerAutumnWinterZimbabweSpringFor example, Zimbabwe is generally sunny with a warm wetsummer and a cold dry winter.I hope you can see the differencebetween weather and climate.Weather is the state of theatmosphere over a short period oftime. Climate is the average weatherover 30 years. Let us now look at a fewthings that tell us more about past andpresent climates.7
Activity PageThe Earth and its Climate – The true picture!Answer True or False1.Climate and weather are the same thing.True/False2.Zimbabwe's climate is generally cool throughout the year.True/False3.The air we breathe is part of the atmosphere.True/False4.The climate is the long term state of the atmosphere.True/False5.Wind, rain and temperature are elements of weather.True/False6.The Earth is the only planet known to have life.True/False8
Welcome to Chapter 2Past and Present ClimateIn this Chapter you will:1.2.Learn more about how rain and temperature, water supply, foodsupply, trees and vegetation cover can be used to show a changingclimate.Be able to compare the past and present climatesAt the end of this Chapter you will have a chance to develop your investigativeskills and draw conclusions in a short activity.SkillsThe intended skills to be developed in Chapter 2 include the following:1.2.3.Critical thinkingProblem solvingNational Identity9
Past & Present Climate1. Rain & TemperaturePast rainy seasons1. The main rainy season began inOctober and ended in December.2. Post rainy season began fromFebruary and ended in April.3. Winter showers began in Mayand ended in July.Present rainy seasons1. Unreliable rainfall patterns.2. Little rain in a short period of time whichsometimes come once in a year.3. Very harsh rains accompanied bythunderstorms and oods.Past temperatures1. Hot summers2. Cold winters3. Predictable temperatures.We could tell before hand whatthe temperature would be at acertain time in the year10Present temperatures1. Extreme temperatures2. Heat waves now common3. Hot days and very cold winternights
2. Water SupplyIn the past, rainfall wasenough to meet the needsof people and animals.Rivers flowed throughoutthe year.Nowadays water fordomestic and commercialuse is a serious problem.Domestic (for the home)Commercial (for business)Livestock and wildlifeare also affected.2015 was one of the worst drought yearsin Zimbabwe. A large number of cattle,domestic animals and wildlife died dueto shortage of water.11
4. Trees and Vegetation CoverPast Vegetation1. In the past there were largeforests with big and healthytrees.2.There were fewer veld fires.PresentVegetationPresentVegetation1. There are more veld firestaking place in the country.2. There are more areaswithout vegetation covernowadays.By looking at the past and present conditions, wecan see that there are changes in our climate.These changes are affecting our environment.What are some of the changes taking placewhere you live?13
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Activity PagePast and Present Climate – Back in time!It is easier to see changes over many years. The older the people are in ourcommunity, the more they have seen and experienced. This is true even for climatechange. For this activity identify at least 3 relatives from 3 generations(a generation represents all the people born and living at about the same time).In this case we will look at these generations:a. Your grandparents age groupb. Your parents age groupc. Your age groupAsk all three of them the following questions and write the answers down.Questions for the three relatives1. Temperaturea. What were the temperature conditions in winter when you were myage?b. What were the temperature conditions in summer when you were myage?2. Rainfalla. In which month did it start to rain and in which month did the rainsend.b. Did you have floods? If yes how often?c. Did you have droughts? If yes how often?d. Was the rain more or less than it is now?3. Vegetation and animalsa. Which wild fruits and plants did you eat and are they still found?b. Which insects and animals did they hunt and can you still find themnow?4. Harvestsa. Which crops did you grow and eat when you were my age?b. Were the harvests more or less than they are now?You can use the table overleaf to input your answers.14
Climate change trendsGrandparentParentMy ageWinterTemperatureSummerTemperatureRainfall startRainfall endFloods: How often?Droughts: How often?Wild fruits andplants that you ate?Animals and insectsthat you ate?Crops that you grewand ate?Were harvestsmore or less thanthey are now?Compare the answers from the 3 people interviewed and answerthe following questions.1. Has climate changed from the time your grandparents were young children?2. How reliable do you think this information is?15
Welcome to Chapter 3Global WarmingIn this Chapter you will learn more about:1.2.3.What global warming is and its causesGreenhouse gases and the greenhouse effect.The role of human activities in Global warming.At the end you will have a couple of activities to jog your memory and testyour comprehension of the topics covered.SkillsThe intended skills to be developed in Chapter 3 include the following:1.2.16Content MasteryCritical thinking skills
So what is causing thesechanges to our climate?Global WarmingScientists have discovered that changes to our climate arebeing caused by what is known as Global Warming which hasalways been there.Global warming is the average increase in the arth stemperatures.There are 2 kinds of Global Warming.1. Global warming from natural causes2. Global warming from human activities17
Global warming from natural causesVolcanic eruptions and natural fires are naturalevents which have always happened.They helped to keep the Earth warm.Global warming from human activitiesHuman activities are the main cause of the increase in globalwarming. The industrial revolution which began in the 18thcentury resulted in the use of a lot of fossil fuels. Use of fossilfuels released a lot of gases into the atmosphere. As a resultthis has led to the Earth getting warmer.Human Activities18Fossil fuels are fuels that form when organicmaterial (the remains of once-living things) isburied under great pressure and temperatureover millions of years. They take ages to formbut only a little time to burn.
But how does adding gases into theatmosphere result in global warming?For us to understand global warming, we need to understand thegreenhouse effect and what Greenhouse gases are.Greenhouse GasesGreenhouse gases are found in the ozone layer. They are sometimesknown as heat trapping gases. Examples of greenhouse gasesare, water vapour, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide andflourinated gases.SunHeat fromthesunSomis t e of tgre rappe he headenhous by th teegasesHeat comes backagain to earthafter failing togo through thegreenhousegasesPlanet EarthGreenhouse gases are natural or manmade gases in theatmosphere. They act like a protective blanket around the Earth.They trap heat to keep the Earth warm and this process isknown as the greenhouse effect.Water Vapour is the most abundantgreenhouse gas in the atmosphere.19
The Greenhouse EffectThe greenhouses used by farmers help us to explainthe greenhouse effect. Have you ever seen a greenhouse? In some areas farmers build a plastic houseto plant crops in. It is built so as to allow the sun'srays to enter. The purpose is to prevent the heatinside from going back into the atmosphere.In a way the Earth is likethis plastic house. Theplastic on the greenhousetraps heat causing thetemperature inside thegreenhouse to increase.In the same way thegreenhouse gases trapheat in the Earth'satmosphere causing theearth's temperature toincrease. This increase intemperature is calledGlobal warming.Since these gases act like a blanket on earth, without them theearth would be too cold to live in. They give life to earth.However human activities are adding too many greenhouse gasesto the atmosphere making the blanket thicker. As a result, theearth is becoming warmer and warmer.Carbon dioxide is the leading cause of the global warminghappening today. This gas is produced when people andanimals breathe out and when certain fuels are burned.It is also used by plants for energy.20
When we burn fossil fuels, biomass and other harmful chemicals,greenhouse gases are released into the atmosphere. Thesegases add to the greehouse effect causing additional warmingto the earth.The following contribute to global warming;21
Activities that add toGlobal Warming1. DeforestationWhen we cut down trees to clear land for agriculture and otheractivities, we reduce the carbon sink available.Anything that acts to absorb carbon from the atmosphere iscalled a carbon sink.Trees are the most common carbon sink. When they are cutdown:(a) Carbon dioxide increases in the air as it is no longerabsorbed by trees.(b) Air temperature rises as heat is no longer absorbed.Trees are therefore very important and play a major role insupporting life.22
Veld fires and the use of wood for energy release carbondioxide and other greenhouse gases back into the air. Veld firesalso damage the carbon sink and the environment.In Zimbabwe 88 people died fromveld fires between 2008 and 200923
3) Open Fire BurningMost people in Zimbabwecook on open fires. Theymainly use firewood.Burning wood on an openfire releases a lot of gasesinto the air as smoke.Most of the energy islost throughthe open sidesThe smoke from open fires contains gases that cause illnessessuch as;Sore eyesAsthmaFlu & coughingThese gases also contribute to Global Warming.24
Most of us love gochi gochi or tshisa nyama, but theamount of firewood used in such places is leading todeforestation. This is contributing to global warming byreleasing large amounts of greenhouse gases.When we cook on open fires, a lot of heat is lost before itgets to the pot. It means we need more firewood to cook.This makes it an energy inefficient way of cooking.Energy efficiency is making use of thetotal energy produced.25
4) IndustriesWe add to global warming by buying goods which use a lot ofenergy to make and to use.Industry makesgoods that we use. Goodsneed energy to be madeGoods are deliveredto shops and get soldThe more we buy anduse these goods, thebigger the demand formore goods to bemanufactured byindustries. Whichmeans demand goesback to themanufacturer.We buy and take homethe goods sold in shops26Many industries are energy inefficient. They wasteenergy when manufacturing goods.
Goods need energy to workBelow are some examples of goods that use electricity to run inour me electrical goods that we use require too much power torun. These goods are not energy efficient. By using theseinefficient electrical goods we are indirectly adding to GlobalWarming.27
5) Energy UseHow does the use of electricalgoods add to global warming?If electrical goodsare all in use there is morepower being used.ElectricalappliancesPowerstationBy burning such fuels,more carbon dioxide isproduced contaminatingthe atmosphere.Demand goes backto the manufacturerThe high demand causes thepower station to increase generation ofelectricity by burning more fossilfuels in order to meet the demand.In Zimbabwe some of our electricity comes from HwangeThermal Power Station which uses coal.Therefore when demand for electricity goes up more coal isburnt in order to generate more electricity.As a result, more greenhouse gases are being released into theatmosphere because of the high demand for electricity.28
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Global Warming ActivityAnswer True or False1.The use of coal in power generation does notlead to global warming.True / False2.Trees are carbon sinks.True / False3.Global warming is causing changes to our climate.True / False4.The greenhouse effect is normal.True / False5.Global warming is the average increase in theEarth's temperature.True / False6.Climate and weather are the same thing.True / False7.The most abundant greenhouse gas is Oxygen.True / False8.Human activities do not cause global warming.True / False9.People in the past harvested more food than today.True / False10.Energy efficient activities cause global warming.True / False11.Burning waste releases greenhouse gases.True / False12.Global warming is a good thing.True / False30
Global Warming Crossword12345678Across94. Condition of the person who cannot cope withchanges brought by climate change.6. The acronym of a clean fuel that burns with ablue flame and does not pollute.7. Trees absorb this greenhouse gas and use it tomake food.8. Zimbabwe's Development Agenda9. Action taken to reduce the effect of climatechange.Down1. Using waste to make new products.2. Energy found from natural sources which doesnot pollute.3. The ability to live with changes brought byclimate change.5. Planting trees to make a woodlot or forest in anarea that had trees removed before.7. A way of making use of organic waste.31
Welcome to Chapter 4Climate ChangeIn this Chapter you will:1.2.3.Explore the link between global warming and climate change.Look at the climate change impacts at local and global levelLearn about how to fight climate change and what is being donelocally.You will find some fun activities dotted throughout the Chapter whichwill test your comprehension skills as well as a fun activity at the end ofthe Chapter to help you to make a self-assessment and take action inrelation to climate action.SkillsThe intended skills to be developed in Chapter 4 include the following:1.2.3.4.5.32Content MasteryCritical thinking and leadership skillsValues of discipline and Unhu/UbuntuSelf-management skillsInitiative and problem solving skills
So why is Global Warming a problem?Climate ChangeGlobal warming is a problem because it causes changes in ourweather leading to climate variability and over a long timecauses our climate to change. This is what is known asclimate change. Climate change includes major changes intemperature, rainfall or wind patterns among other effects.Small changes in the average temperature can result in bigchanges to the weather patterns and to the climate. As a resultweather patterns are changing due to climate change leading to:increased temperatures;increased incidence of extreme natural events such asdroughts and flooding;a gradual shifting of seasons;a changing of the worlds landscape.In 2016/2017 rainy season floodingoccurred which damaged more than75 schools in Zimbabwe.33
How isClimate ChangeNHOUSE GASESEEGREnergy that goes up istrapped in the atmosphereby the greenhouse gases.The greenhouseeffect becomesstronger (Globalwarming) causingheat to affect usseverely.Heat waves34
affecting us in Zimbabwe?Energy that istrapped assists informing clouds thatcause heavy rains.HeavyrainFloodingDrought35
Climate Change impactsClimate Change affects many areas of our lives as follows:1. AgricultureDue to the change
This book is a child friendly handbook meant to explain the concepts of climate change in an easily understandable manner and language. It aims to link behavioural choices to the changes observed in our climate. The Children and Climate Change in Zimbabwe study of 2013 highlighted the gap in learning on the subject of climate change.
Food Security and Nutrition 1.1.Climate Change and Agriculture Climate change shows in different transformations of climate variables that are causing significant economic, social and environmental effects. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), in 2002, has defined climate change as “any change in climate over time,
Gender and climate change – Women as agents of change. IUCN climate change briefing, December 2007 Gender, Climate Change and Human Security. Lessons from Bangladesh, Ghana and Senegal. Prepared for ELIAMEP for WEDO, May 2008 Gender and Climate Change. Gender in CARE’s Adaptation Learning Programme for Africa. CARE and Climate Change, 2011 –
Care needed: (check all that apply) Child #1 Child #2 Child #3 Child #4 Child #5 Preferred Location (Zip Code other than home) Full day Part day Evenings Overnight Weekends Special Needs: Child #1 Child #2 Child #3 Child #4 Child #5 Limited English Child Protective Services Severely Handicapped
Global warming is when Earth’s air and the water get warmer. Global warming is one part of climate change. This does not sound good! Climate Change in American Samoa You may have heard people talk about Climate Change or Global Warming. Do you know what these are? Uh-oh! 5 Fill in the blank spaces with words from the word bank: Climate change affects the climate of the entire _. Climate .
o Scientific basis of climate change o Impacts of climate change o Future risks of climate change o Options for adaptation to climate change o Mitigation of climate change 195 member countries Assessments written by hundredsof leading scientist from around the world Assessments reviewed by thousandsof experts (this is quality control)
International Public Opinion on Climate Change 6 1.2 The great majority of respondents think climate change is happening. After being asked about their current level of knowledge about climate change, respondents were given a short definition of climate change: "Climate change refers to the idea that the world's average
The role of science in environmental studies and climate change. - Oreskes, “The Scientific Consensus on Climate Change,” Climate Change, chapter 4 Unit 2: A Primer on Climate Change Science and Why It Is So Controversial Tu 2/10 Science 1: Climate Change Basics - Mann and Kump, D
the youth volunteers who participate in the annual Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes. I have been very impressed with their energy, good humour and spirit of service towards those on the pilgrimage who have serious health issues. The young, gathered from around the diocese show a great sense of caring and goodwill to those entrusted to their care over the days of the pilgrimage. Young people have .
