Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has been accused of watering down government pledges on climate change. The ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030, and new gas boilers from 2025, has been pushed back to 2035. The government says the decision was made to reduce costs for working people, but environmentalists, businesses and even some Conservative MPs have reacted badly to the news.
This resources pack includes an article from First News, along with a sheet of activities designed to get children thinking, talking and writing about what the story means to them.
Oracy
So, the Government has changed the deadlines for environmental targets. Isn’t this a terrible decision for the planet? Aren’t we running out of time to deal with climate change? Shouldn’t we be making stricter deadlines rather than pushing them back? Or is it important to alter our priorities if needs be? Shouldn’t we be dealing with the hardships people are feeling now? Surely it won’t matter all that much if we push our environmental actions back a few short years. What do you think?
Writing skills
Imagine that planet Earth has a bad fever so has gone to visit the doctor. Write a dialogue between Earth and Dr Sunak, who knows what medicine the planet needs but won’t prescribe it for a week or so. How would Earth feel? How would Dr Sunak respond? Be as serious or funny as you like but remember to use the features of a playscript.
Or
Write a set of up to ten rules for Prime Ministers, outlining how you think they should behave. Try to put the most important ones first and remember to use imperative verbs.
Investigate
Research and briefly detail three to five signs that climate change is a problem which needs addressing urgently.
What is First News?
Launched in May 2006, First News is the most trusted weekly newspaper for young audiences, covering global headlines and empowering children with an understanding of the world in which they are growing up.
To find out more about how First News could help your school unlock the power of news-based learning, through high quality, weekly resources alongside the print and digital newspaper, visit the First News Education website.