1. Recognize how climate change impacts human health in society in an unequal way.
2. Use knowledge of human biology systems to describe with detail how the body is affected by climate change.
3. Build science literacy and civic engagement through a civic engagement assignment.
4. Find relevant ways that communities can reduce the impacts of climate change.

This activity was designed for 10 weeks of a 100-level Human Biology or Environmental Science course at a community college. I introduce it over the last month of the quarter, scaffold the work using formative assignments, and culminate with the scientific poster as a summative assessment. It could be adapted to other introductory biology and environmental courses at a 4-year college or university. The class size was 28 to 35 students and requires introducing each assignment over four class sessions, followed by homework. I have used it as an in-class activity and online. When in-person a poster session is held and online the posters are shared in a Canvas learning management system (LMS) discussion.

Four sessions of class time are needed to implement this activity in the classroom with about 30 students.

Implement In Class With Small Class Size (~30 Students):

Descriptions for each class session are provided below and include Instructor class preparation, a brief description of the assignment, and a Word file for each assignment. Each assignment has been "TILTed," using the Transparency in Learning and Teaching framework to promote student success.

Class Session 1. Climate Justice and Health Discussion (30-50 min).

Instructor Preparation: Check the StoryCorps YouTube video links, create an instructional PowerPoint and/or handout that includes discussion prompts, create out-of-class assignment on discussion board.

Viewing the StoryCorps: Health, Climate Change, and Equity documentaries and soliciting student responses requires about one hour of class time. The ten videos (available on YouTube) are about 4 minutes long. I allow 20 minutes for the videos and a follow-up discussion of 20 to 30 minutes, depending on student engagement. Prompts about how students felt, their concerns, and motivations after viewing the videos are used to stimulate student thoughts. Student responses are gathered in a Canvas LMS discussion. Any LMS discussion board would work.

Assignment File: Step 1. Climate Justice and Health Discussion.docx (Microsoft Word 2007 (.docx) 19kB May27 23)

1. After an introduction to the activity, students select and watch one of the ten StoryCorps: Health, Climate Change, and Equity documentaries on YouTube. Each video is about 4 minutes. This can easily be adapted to be completed before class to reduce the amount of class time needed for this activity or in-class as a group, depending on the preference.
2. An in-class discussion lasts from 10 to 30 minutes, depending on student engagement. Students post on a Canvas LMS discussion board during our in-class discussion to give them time to reflect on their own after discussion with other students.
3. Students post responses on the discussion board to the following prompts.

• When I learned about the social aspects of climate change and its impacts on human health, I felt ____.
• When I found out about this issue, I felt the following emotions____.
• When I found out about this issue, it brought up the following questions or concerns ____.
• It made me want to do this action____.

Class Session 2. Topic Research Discussion (50 min).

Instructor Preparation: Create an instructional video demonstrating how to search for a combination of key words using Google or the library search engine at your college or university (their human health topic, climate change, and a specific type of resource), create out-of-class assignment on discussion board.

I like to find at least one resource for each student and this takes 2 hours of class time with a small class. Topical research is guided by the instructor as it can be challenging for students to think about the connection between the human body and climate change. I begin by demonstrating in-class how to locate an appropriate article for one of the student topics. Usually a google search using "climate change,"the topic." Then I look at the source of the article to delineate whether it is peer-reviewed, from a science magazine, from the government, or a non-profit organization. This takes about 10 or 15 minutes. I like to spend 5 minutes or so with each student and help them find one appropriate resource. Therefore, topical research is typically during a 2-hour lab class time. But I also have met with students online and had them email me about their topics, then I email them some information back and tell them how I searched for that information. The results of the students' topical research is shared with classmates in a Canvas LMS discussion board.

Assignment File: Step 2. Topic Research Discussion.docx (Microsoft Word 2007 (.docx) 24kB Dec20 23)

1. Demonstrate in-class how to effectively and efficiently use Google or a library search engine to find resources for the combination of the student's human health topic, climate change, and resources that represent different perspectives. (15 minutes). I also provide an instructional video of the search technique that students can refer to later. I encourage students to choose a topic about the body and/or human health that they are sincerely interested in learning more about. Topics can be diseases, disorders, or just questions like "Why do we have freckles?". The important thing is that students select something they are wondering about. Then I require resources from at least three different perspectives (peer-review, a science magazine style, government, and/or non-profit).
2. Students post their topic, citations, and abstracts on the discussion board. This allows students to collaborate by sharing information and quickly learn about multiple ways climate change is impacting human health. This allows me to give students feedback on their ability to find the information they are looking for from a diverse set of resources and properly citing those resources. It is part of the scaffolding and used as a formative assessment.

Class Session 3. Creating the Climate Justice and Human Health Science Poster (20 min class time; 2-weeks outside class).

Instructor Preparation: Prepare Science Poster template, examples and grading rubric to show students in class, create out-of-class assignment file.

For the scientific poster, I provide a formatted and over-sized powerpoint slide template that students can edit and insert their information and graphics. The poster is completed by each student on their own, outside of class over a two-week timeframe. A draft of the scientific poster is required to be submitted in the Canvas LMS as an assignment. I comment on each draft poster to guide their critical thinking and the layout. Then the final version of the poster can be shared during a one-hour session. Each student is required to comment on two other student posters using a feedback rubric. Posters have also been shared in a Canvas LMS discussion for online courses, and with other college students and faculty during a campus-wide poster session.

Assignment File: Step 3. Creating the Climate Justice and Health Final Poster.docx (Microsoft Word 2007 (.docx) 27kB May27 23)

Grist Article: Medical journals warn of an even bigger health threat than COVID | Grist.pdf (Acrobat (PDF) 2MB Dec20 23)

Poster Template File: Blank CJ Health Final Poster Template 7 2023-.ppt (PowerPoint 162kB Aug10 23)  

Poster Examples:

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Provenance: Student in Biology 108 course.
Reuse: This item is offered under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ You may reuse this item for non-commercial purposes as long as you provide attribution and offer any derivative works under a similar license.

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Example poster by Biology 108 student on how climate change impacts human health.

Provenance: Student in Human Biology course.
Reuse: This item is offered under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ You may reuse this item for non-commercial purposes as long as you provide attribution and offer any derivative works under a similar license.

Poster Grading Rubric: Science Poster Rubric.docx (Microsoft Word 2007 (.docx) 115kB May27 23)

1. Introduce the Science Poster to students in-class by showing the assignment and provide examples (see below). Explain to students the different sections that they should include in their poster: title, introduction, connection to two or three human body systems, conclusion, key message.
2. Give students 2 weeks outside-of-class to develop their posters. I offer students the opportunity to post a draft poster in a zero-credit assignment. Then I provide students with meaningful feedback as a way to scaffold their work and provide formative assessment. This guides students and makes the final grading more straightforward at the end if I have already provided comments. 
3. Students also share posters with one another, either on a discussion board or in the classroom. I ask students to review two other posters using the rubric, then share those meaningful comments with the two other students. 

Class Session 4. Community Conversations. (30 min outside class time).

Instructor Preparation: Prepare the assignment file. Explain to students how talking about climate change with people they know clarifies the facts and can lead to change.

Assignment File: Step 4. Community Conversations.docx (Microsoft Word 2007 (.docx) 19kB Jul29 23)

1. Build science literacy and civic engagement skills by engaging in conversation with a friend, family member, neighbor, or co-worker about their poster. In the conversation, explain how human biology is being affected by climate change in a way that disproportionately affects certain people or communities. The discussion of climate change with others is important as it strengthens student understanding of climate change and just like in the classroom it lets them know they are not alone in their concerns. Yet students may feel uncomfortable starting the conversation. It may help to have students role-play or provide them with conversation starting prompts like, "Hi there, I have been studying how climate change impacts human health and wanted to share what I have learned with you." 
2. Reflect in the assignment and/or discussion and in the conclusion of the science poster on how storytelling is a form of activism.

I implement this at a community college with lower-level undergraduates as a Climate Justice & Health module in the Canvas LMS that runs for three or four-weeks. Students are 16 and older. It could possibly be done in a shorter time, with different age groups, and larger classes but I have not tried it.

Class Session 1. The video stories on climate justice are straightforward and very impactful for students. For years I assigned the climate and health poster and only recently included this climate justice perspective to introduce the topic. It was a great addition - the stories immediately engage students. They are emotional about the situations in which others are living. "I am sad" is a common response, so most students feel bad after hearing the stories and many want to make people more aware of how climate change is affecting peoples lives. One caution is be sure students are also informed of positive solutions. Feelings of helplessness, anger, and anxiety over climate change and human existence may overwhelm some students. "Climate change in the American mind", a poll by Yale taken in September 2021, reported that one-third of the participants were "very worried" and forty percent are angry (47%), outraged (45%), or hopeful (42%) about climate change. Remind students that positive actions do have an impact.

Class Session 2. This class begins with and introduction to the Climate Justice & Health Poster concept and examples of past posters, as well as, the poster template. Many instructors already have ways to demonstrate how to search for relevant and accurate science information. This is the process that I use.

1. When students are selecting topics I ask them to name a human health disease or question about the body that they are wondering about. This tends to give students more ownership and engagement.
2. Next is the most time-consuming part for me as it is challenging for students to research about how climate change is impacting the body. Students are still getting used to the idea that climate change is affecting not only the environment but also their health; and I ask students to find resources from at least three different perspectives. I create a video, demonstrate in class, and help each student find at least one resource. Then they are on their way to developing the poster.

Class Session 3. The poster tells a science story about how climate change is causing human health issues. It requires students learn about it and synthesize their knowledge. It is important to allow enough time for students to process the information discovered and reflect on the topic. Many students have not created a scientific poster. It can be difficult to sort out what information is most important, what details to include, and come to a conclusion of what individuals and society can do. I encourage students to create a draft for me to review. Then I give meaningful feedback on the drafts.

Project Drawdown's "Table of Solutions" is a good resource to show students climate change solutions that can be effectively implemented by individuals. If the table is sorted by emissions impact for either of the two drawdown scenarios, the top five solutions include reduce food waste, plant-rich diet, and tropical rainforest restoration.

Class Session 4. Students enjoy the community conversation with family, friends, and others. I allow them to have this conversation once they have submitted a reasonable draft poster. Here is a reflective comment from a student, "Through our conversation, my sister and I recognized the power of storytelling as a form if activism. I shared stored of individuals who have experienced respiratory allergies, asthma, or cardiovascular diseases exacerbated by climate change. These personal narratives brought the issue closer to home and made it more relatable. By connecting on an emotional level, we fostered empathy and a deeper understanding of the urgency to address climate justice.

In this section I describe how I assess each learning goal.

1. Recognize how climate change impacts human health in society in an unequal way. I use student responses about how they feel after watching Story Corps videos as a formative assessment. Later in the summative assessment (Scientific poster) I look for connections to climate justice in the introduction and conclusion about health impact is distributed across different social groups.
2. Use knowledge of human biology systems to describe with detail how the body is affected by climate change. In the summative assessment (Scientific poster) I evaluate the students' ability to clearly, accurately, and precisely describe the impact to human biology.
3. Build science literacy and civic engagement through a civic engagement assignment. I evaluate the students' ability to:
   
   1. Engage in a conversation outside of class.
   2. Correctly explain human biology concepts and climate justice issues.
   3. Reflect in the science poster conclusion on how story-telling is a form of activism.
4. Find relevant ways that communities can reduce the impacts of climate change. Students reflect and science poster presents relevant and doable solutions for climate change in the conclusion.

This work is supported in part by NSF-IUSE grant (DUE 2043535).

References:

Canva. 2023 retrieved. The ultimate guide to visual hierarchy. This website explains how color, contrast, typography, and spacing are used in design to convey a message. https://www.canva.com/learn/visual-hierarchy/

Leiserowitz et al. 2021. Climate Change in the American Mind. A survey report by Yale on how Americans think about climate change. https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/publications/climate-change-in-the-american-mind-september-2021/

National Institute of Health (NIH). 2023 retrieved. Climate Change and Human Health Literature Portal. This is a search database of global peer-reviewed research and gray literature on the science of climate impacts on human health. https://tools.niehs.nih.gov/cchhl/

Project Drawdown. 2023 retrieved. Table of Solutions. Project Drawdown offers a set of effective scientific solutions and strategies to lower heat trapping gases in the atmosphere. https://drawdown.org/solutions/table-of-solutions

RWJF x StoryCorps: Health, Climate Change, and Equity. 2023 retrieved. Ten documentaries with stories of how climate change affects different populations groups. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqF-bKPCi6CoQsvlAi8irY_11-wfnuBmP

U.S. Department of Human and Health Services (HHS). 2023 retrieved. Climate Change and Health Equity. A web resource that presents graphics on vulnerability to climate change. https://www.hhs.gov/climate-change-health-equity-environmental-justice/climate-change-health-equity/index.html

World Health Organization (WHO). 2021. Climate Change and Health. This web resource gives a brief overview of the threat of climate change to human health and identifies health risks. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/climate-change-and-health.