What is the role of the UN in climate action and sustainability?
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain how the UN is working to end the climate crisis.
Key learning points
- Climate change poses serious challenges to humanity, including health issues, people displacement and resource scarcity.
- The UN uses both hard and soft power to drive global change, despite facing political and practical challenges.
- The SDGs are 17 global goals set by the UN to promote sustainable development and reduce inequality by 2030.
- The UN’s work on the SDGs and peacekeeping shows its long-term influence, though action can be slow and complex.
Keywords
Climate action - efforts taken to combat climate change and its impacts
United Nations (UN) - an international organisation comprising most countries in the world which aims to promote peace, security and international cooperation
Sustainable Development Goals - the UN’s ‘global goals’ to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that by 2030 all people enjoy peace and prosperity
Common misconception
Climate change is a slow moving threat with limited impact on humanity so far.
Climate change is costing countries billions of dollars a year. There is already a cost to human life due to extreme weather events. Equally, governments are facing huge challenges to become more resilient to climate change.
Teacher tip
Encourage pupils to explore global and local perspectives on climate change. Use real-world examples, like rising sea levels or extreme weather, to show its impact. Highlight how low income countries are often most affected despite contributing least.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which of the following actions is an example of acting sustainably?
Q2.What is one function of the UN?
Q3.What do we call the sustained change in temperature and weather patterns?
Q4.Which of the following are fossil fuels?
Q5.If a person must leave their home due to climate change, they are considered to be what, a climate ?
Q6.What health condition may occur when the temperature is very high?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Match the terms to the correct definitions.
efforts taken to combat climate change and its impacts
using resources and making choices that don't harm the environment
an international organisation made up of most countries in the world
the UN’s ‘global goals’
Q2.What is an advantage of using fossil fuels?
Q3.Which of the following disasters may be a consequence of climate change?
Q4.Which of the following best describes the UN's approach to driving global change?
Q5.How many Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) do the UN have?
Q6.By what year do the UN hope to achieve their Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)?
To help you plan your 11 citizenship lesson on: What is the role of the UN in climate action and sustainability?, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 11 citizenship lesson on: What is the role of the UN in climate action and sustainability?, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 4 citizenship lessons from the How effective is the UN and SDGs on promoting sustainability? unit, dive into the full secondary citizenship curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.