Gotham Students Tackle Climate Change Through In-Class Projects and After-School Enrichment
Gotham Avenue School’s sixth grade students are exploring the global challenge of climate change through dynamic, real-world learning experiences that connect science, literacy and civic engagement.
In the classroom, the sixth graders are taking on the role of advocates and changemakers as part of a culminating environmental science project. After studying topics such as renewable energy, human impact and climate, they are now investigating pressing issues like plastic pollution, fast fashion and food waste while also exploring sustainable practices. Using their research, students are writing persuasive letters to community leaders, businesses, politicians and school decision-makers, where they clearly explain environmental concerns, support their claims with evidence and propose solutions.
Beyond the classroom, students are deepening their understanding through participation in the after-school Model United Nations program. Across the district, fifth and sixth graders in Model UN are focusing on climate change as this year’s unifying theme. Representing countries such as Chile, Mexico, India, South Sudan and China, the delegates examine each nation’s unique climate challenges, policies and priorities. Through this work, students craft and deliver speeches that address complex global issues while building skills in critical thinking and public speaking.
“This work empowers students to recognize that their voices matter and that they have the ability to create change in their own communities and beyond,” sixth grade teacher and Model UN adviser Lauren Asselta said. “Together, these experiences highlight our students not only as learners, but as informed, thoughtful individuals who are actively engaging with one of the most important challenges facing our world today.”
