Among all age groups, children are the ideal audience for the topic of climate change.’ My audience was comprised of 7 to 12-year-olds. I opted for this audience because it is at this age that they are developing their identities. Instilling appreciation and eco-friendly ideologies at this stage is likely to yield a generation that is more aware. Also, at that stage, most children become increasingly aware of their surroundings and are more eager than ever to make a difference. This audience comprises the leaders of tomorrow and citizens who will experience and combat the adverse consequences of this global menace in the future. The children of today and future generations will withstand a disproportionate share of climate change which will profoundly impact child well-being both directly and indirectly (Currie & Deschênes, 2016).
Children are still ‘green’ and mostly oblivious of matters of climate change, and thus most of my content centers on creating awareness about the issue as well as the countermeasures. Of essence is to enlighten them of the importance of our surroundings, for example, how the trees use up the carbon dioxide we breathe out, and how they bring rain, among others (Ojala, 2012) . The other crucial aspect entails exploring the role we play in our existence. I used an engaging approach, whereby I set up my presentation outdoors and began with a nature documentary. Using a natural setting and the nature documentary aims to foster their appreciation for the environment.
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For the young audience, I used a basic format and followed a systemic order. In addition, I applied a low but enlightening tone to avoid causing anxiety. Being basic is crucial, considering most of my content is mostly new to the audience. Additionally, it helps since the young ones will not be overwhelmed with too much or unnecessarily complex information. Similarly, being systemic ensures that my content is consistent for better synthesis and avoidance of confusion.
The best way to introduce objectives is by briefly presenting the outcome. For example, for such little ones, one could also throw in a question such as, “who wants to save the planet?” The question can then be followed by means to achieve the goal. For example, to save the planet, we must recycle plastics. Considering their age, a brief and direct statement of objectives is crucial. Moreover, since they tend to want to make a change, it is best to emphasize the positive change the strategies will offer, for example, the fact that planting trees saves the rivers.
A systemic format follows a step-by-step procedure, which means that the content is interrelated and interdependent. In other words, one topic affects the next and the subsequent one. The opening is supposed to foster some sort of appreciation for the environment (Ojala & Lakew, 2017). An ideal way of doing so for such an audience is by watching a nature documentary. The second part entails introducing the concept of climate change, which involves revealing the fact that the planet is in danger. Afterward, the idea is to examine how we contribute towards this change. The last part will focus on a keen exploration of the audience’s responsibility to counter the adversities of climate change.
For young learners, it is not necessary to use complex terms like greenhouse gases to avoid confusion or arousing anxiety. The ideal way to draw their attention is by planning outdoor activities and explaining simple terms like the weather as the state of surroundings at a certain time and place such as sunshine or wind, which changes often. Since the structure is basic, the climate could be defined as the average pattern of weather over an extended time. Being outdoors allows them to interact one on one with the concepts being introduced such as the weather.
In conclusion, one significant cluster to engage in the attempts to address climate change is the young generation. Understanding how the audience connects to this topic about is ideal for creating awareness and instilling a sense of engagement and efficacy concerning the menace. Therefore, planning the activities based on the audience’s receptiveness and age group is essential. The main aim of the program was to create awareness and foster a sense of responsibility for environmental issues among the audience.
References
Currie, J., & Deschênes, O. (2016). Children and climate change: Introducing the issue. The future of children , 3-9.
Ojala, M. (2012). Hope and climate change: The importance of hope for environmental engagement among young people. Environmental Education Research , 18 (5), 625-642.
Ojala, M., & Lakew, Y. (2017). Young people and climate change communication. In Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Climate Science .
