The Met Office and digital map developer Esri have created a new set of interactive resources for teaching climate change in schools.
Titled Climate Change in the UK, they have become available under Esri’s free schools programme and are aimed at children aged 7-16, with a strong focus on key stages two, three and four.
The resources involve three packs examining weather, climate and how climate change will affect key areas of life, including transport, agriculture, health and energy.
The Met Office’s UK climate projections from July 2021 have been used in the maps and dashboards to make complex analysis accessible and teachable.
Other teaching aids examine the chances of future heatwaves, droughts, major floods and wildfires across the UK.
Professor Jason Lowe, head of climate services at the Met Office, commented: “Climate change is happening, and it will increasingly impact the way we live in the UK over the next century.
“Ensuring teachers have good resources to teach children about the science and impacts of climate change is important as it will help them prepare for, and adapt to, these changes.”
Image: Temperature projection maps, from Esri