YRE Lessons
Guide pupils through the process of creating a report over six lessons.
These lessons will guide young people through the process of deciding on an environmental topic to report on, starting with investigating issues, researching good sources and creating and sharing their work.
Each lesson has a goal and consists of a short video input, a discussion and a short activity for pupils to complete. By the end of the six lessons, pupils will have created a report to enter to the YRE competition.
Note: although the plans consist of six lessons, the amount of time you take for this is up to you and what works best for your class.
These six lessons are based on the Elements of the YRE programme.
Resources
Videos
Video 1: The Environment & Your Rights
We’ll start our journey into environmental advocacy with a discussion about rights. Many pupils will have heard about the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) through work on programmes like Rights Respecting Schools, but what many people are not aware of is that these rights include the right to a healthy environment.
Video 2: Constructive Journalism
Constructive journalism is different because it focuses on solutions instead of problems and on curiosity rather than outrage. This is something that is missing from most news stories we see every day, which focus on problems and create a steady stream of bad news. Constructive journalism spreads awareness of issues and encourages others to take action. This is a good way to combat the anxiety we might feel about environmental issues.
Video 3: Good Sources
To determine whether a source is trustworthy, we use the SIFT Method, developed by digital literacy expert, Mike Caulfield, from the University of Chicago. Other models are available, but this one is particularly clear. SIFT stands for Stop, Investigate, Find and Trace.
Video 4: Good Reporting
You can craft your Call to Action in three different ways: A Photo Story, a Written Article or a Video Campaign. Here's how to make the most out of your report no matter which format you choose.
Video 5: A Call to Action
A Call to Action is a short description of what you want your audience to do and a good one quickly grabs the attention of your audience. Asking for behaviour change can be tricky, but remember the 4 Rs!
Video 6: Disinformation
Disinformation is: False information that is meant to manipulate, cause damage, or guide people in the wrong direction. Explore the effects of disinformation on climate action, how to spot it and what to do about it. This video is an extension for Secondary pupils.
Video 7: Roles for Creating Video Reports
Everyone has a role to play in creating a video entry, both on camera and behind the scenes. Explore the suggested roles of Director, Producer, Actor and Editor, which questions they ask, and what tools they use.
We support the 