Resources — Toolkits
This is Cooler: Educator & Families Conversation Guide
The year 2023 was the hottest on record. Students and schools across the country felt the effects–from flooding in Maine to extreme heat days in Colorado. It is clear that the impacts of climate change are happening now, and many students are concerned about what the future will hold.
To help students process and understand the world around them, we know educators are looking for engaging, inspiring, and hopeful content. This is why, with Planet Media, we teamed up with the Nature Conservancy to distill key scientific facts about climate change into 4 essential climate principles for young learners:
Earth is our home.
It’s getting hotter because of us.
It’s changing now and it’s impacting us.
But, together, we can make the changes we need for a brighter future.
From award-winning production company Encantos, This is Cooler is a video intended for 7 through 12 year olds that features Gloria Estefan and a group of teens who explore the four essential climate principles and manage to poke some fun at grown-ups. Through song and dance, This Is Cooler helps move young people away from doomerism towards advancing climate solutions.
This video can be shown in the classroom or shared with parents and families to help facilitate conversations at home. Educators and parents can ask questions such as:
What do you like most about living on Earth?
What surprised you, or what was something new you learned watching This Is Cooler?
What do we (humans) do that adds carbon pollution to our environment?
How do you see climate change impacting our school, neighborhood, or community?
What are some things we should do at home, at school, or in our community to take action? What solutions do you want to see?
What are the biggest questions you have about climate change? What do you want to learn more about?
For more information about how to engage students in learning about climate change, check out our Educational Guide, the K12 Climate Action Plan, and lesson plans from Subject to Climate.
Thank you for your commitment to shaping the next generation of leaders we need, and remember: Our world is changing, but, together, we can make the changes we need for a brighter future.
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