Pou and Miri Tackle Climate Change
by Dom Sansom
A story about a young boy, Pou, who lives on Iteni Island in the Pacific. One day he meets Miri – a fruit bat who has lost her home when a forest is chopped down to make way for a new road. Pou sets out to help Miri find her mother and a new home, and along the way he learns a great deal about how to tackle climate change. Key messages in the story are:
- reduce the cutting down of forests
- stop burning forest and bushland
- walk or cycle instead of travelling by car or bus
- practice agroforestry (putting plants and trees together on purpose to maximise growth potential)
- keep soil covered with trees and vegetation, especially on slopes
- look after and protect our mangroves
- keep coral reefs healthy
This book was nominated because it tackles issues of global warming.
Please note that these activities are suggestions which have not yet been trialled. We welcome any feedback on how they play out in the classroom (see the feedback section).
Activity: TACKLING CLIMATE CHANGE (Science/ Social Sciences) |
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Curriculum Level |
2 & 3 (see curriculum links at the end of the activity) |
NZC Key Competencies |
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Description |
This book was created to support the SPC/GIZ Coping with Climate Change in the Pacific Island Region Programme. It helps the reader to identify what they can actively do to slow down the process of climate change, as well as providing some good illustrations of what climate change is, and what it looks like.
1. Read the first page, which describes what climate change is, and gives some examples of what it looks like.In pairs or small groups, ask students to discuss:
2. Share ideas back as a class. As children come up with suggestions for how we might be able to help, write these up on the board. 3. Begin reading the story. Have children keep notes as you read. Ask them to write down ideas given in the story as you read, about how people can help to slow down climate change.
4. After reading, share back ideas “collected” by students in their notes. Add suggestions not identified earlier and make links between children’s initial ideas and ideas presented in the story. Hopefully students should have identified the following ways of helping to slow down climate change:
5. Establish that climate change and rising sea levels are a very real threat to people living in the Pacific Islands.
Although climate change is not affecting New Zealand in quite the same way (at this time), it is still a concern for us and something that we should all be aware of. We all need to take action where we can. 5. As a follow up activity, students could be divided into small groups and each investigate one action from the list in detail. They should use information provided in the story, as well as internet and library research to find out more. They could present their findings as a poster to be displayed in the classroom and around the school, thus encouraging others to take action against climate change as well. |
Materials |
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Curriculum Links |
SciencePlanet Earth and Beyond
Living World
Social Sciences
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Links to other PPBC books |
The Stuck There Forever Boat by Gillian Torckler– this book also deals with climate change and rising sea levels |