Craft a Climate Op-ed
Lesson Plans
Grades9, 10, 11, 12English Language Arts
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Provided by The All We Can Save Project
What it is
- In this rich and well-crafted writing activity, students will learn about op-ed writing and write about a climate topic that is meaningful to them.
- Students will learn about the reasons people write op-eds, how to write an op-ed, what makes this writing form unique, and the power of op-eds to create change.
Teaching tips
Positives
- This resource is an excellent introduction to writing op-eds.
- Students will enjoy the lesson because they get to choose a climate topic they care about.
- This activity calls for at least two days or sessions, but can easily be scaled up into a more lengthy writing unit.
- The lesson plan provides links to the OpEd Project website and to two excellent video lectures, which will help prepare students for the lesson.
Prerequisites
- Students should be familiar with persuasive writing techniques.
Differentiation & Implementation
- Science or social studies classes can use this lesson during units on climate change or creating change in communities.
- While some of the components of the lesson are designed for students to do outside of class, teachers can use them in the classroom. This may be especially helpful for students who have had little experience with persuasive writing.
- As an extension, teachers can provide students with a way to share their op-eds with a larger audience, like the school or local newspaper.
- Other related resources include this writing activity on writing to members of Congress, this activity on writing persuasively about climate change, and this video on talking effectively about climate change.
From the scientist review
The resource provides a guide to writing op-eds for climate conversations. The lesson will develop students' skills for effective communication and thought leadership and give them a new perspective on raising their voices for climate justice. This is recommended for the classroom.
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