As an undergraduate Psychology teacher, you can use this set of computer-based tools to teach Stress and Coping. This lesson plan will help students to learn about stress: its nature, its causes, and its consequences for individuals. Students will also view and discuss a resource that reports on the impact of climate change—as a causative factor of stress—on the lives of people globally.
Finally, students will participate in a group activity to examine the various characteristics and causes of stress, as evidenced in the lives of these individuals. Thus, the use of this lesson plan allows you to integrate the teaching of a climate-related topic with a core topic in Psychology.
The tools in this lesson plan will enable students to:
Here is a step-by-step guide to using this lesson plan in the classroom/laboratory. We have suggested these steps as a possible plan of action. You may customize the lesson plan according to your preferences and requirements.
Reading (90 min)
Introduce the topic of stress and coping by using the chapter Health, Stress, and Coping (Chapter 16) by Jennifer Walinga, from “Introduction to Psychology – 1st Canadian Edition” by BC Open Textbooks.
Use this reading to:
Note: Use the included sub-chapters to study these topics by:
Video (~30-45 min)
Play the video, “The human face of climate change” by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to explore the effect of climate-related factors and perceived climate change as a stressor in people’s lives.
The video features individuals—from different parts of the world and various walks of life—talking about the impact of climate change on their lives.Classroom Activity(~45 min)
Engage the students in a role play activity called “A Day in the Life Of”; in this activity, teams will imagine and play out a day in the life of the persons from the above video to understand the nature and consequences of stress experienced by these individuals. For example, someone could play the role of Jessica Petsch, an 11-year-old schoolgirl from the Bahamas, who was affected by severe floods. Each team can be given 10 minutes to choose a character from the video and to build a story around a day in the life of this individual. In this activity, students will engage with the topic at a deeper level, thus enabling them to reflect on and empathize with the lived-out experiences of individuals impacted by climate change.
Suggested questions/assignments for learning evaluation
Use this lesson plan to help your students find answers to:
| 1 | Reading | A reading from the “Psychology and Climate Change” booklet (Section 4, pg. 52 – 62) by the American Psychological Association (APA). The chapter discusses adaptation to and coping with the perceived threat and real impacts of climate change |
| 2 | Reading | A short-fiction anthology of short stories, “2047: Short Stories from Our Common Future”, by Tanja Rohini Bisgaard et al. gives the authors’ perspectives on how the world around us could change by the year 2047 as a result of climate change. Only the first story, “Still Waters” by Kimberley Christensen, is accessible for free. The links to access the introduction to the book and the first story (and for book purchase) This can be accessed here. |
| 1 | Reading, “16. Health, Stress, and Coping” | Written by Jennifer Walinga. Chapter 16 from “Introduction to Psychology – 1st Canadian Edition” by BC Open Textbooks |
| 2 | Video, “The human face of climate change” | From the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) |
| 3 | Additional Resources | “Psychology and Climate Change”,, American Psychology Association (APA)“2047: Short Stories from Our Tanja Bisgaard et al. Common Future” |
| 4 | Image(s) | COOL CLASSES: “Environmental Psychology and Conservation” |
Here is a step-by-step guide to using this lesson plan in the classroom/laboratory. We have suggested these steps as a possible plan of action. You may customize the lesson plan according to your preferences and requirements.
Reading (90 min)
Introduce the topic of stress and coping by using the chapter Health, Stress, and Coping (Chapter 16) by Jennifer Walinga, from “Introduction to Psychology – 1st Canadian Edition” by BC Open Textbooks.
Use this reading to:
Note: Use the included sub-chapters to study these topics by:
Video (~30-45 min)
Play the video, “The human face of climate change” by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to explore the effect of climate-related factors and perceived climate change as a stressor in people’s lives. The video features individuals—from different parts of the world and various walks of life—talking about the impact of climate change on their lives.
Classroom Activity(~45 min)
Engage the students in a role play activity called “A Day in the Life Of”; in this activity, teams will imagine and play out a day in the life of the persons from the above video to understand the nature and consequences of stress experienced by these individuals. For example, someone could play the role of Jessica Petsch, an 11-year-old schoolgirl from the Bahamas, who was affected by severe floods. Each team can be given 10 minutes to choose a character from the video and to build a story around a day in the life of this individual. In this activity, students will engage with the topic at a deeper level, thus enabling them to reflect on and empathize with the lived-out experiences of individuals impacted by climate change.
Suggested questions/assignments for learning evaluation
Use this lesson plan to help your students find answers to:
| 1 | Reading | A reading from the “Psychology and Climate Change” booklet (Section 4, pg. 52 – 62) by the American Psychological Association (APA). The chapter discusses adaptation to and coping with the perceived threat and real impacts of climate change |
| 2 | Reading | A short-fiction anthology of short stories, “2047: Short Stories from Our Common Future”, by Tanja Rohini Bisgaard et al. gives the authors’ perspectives on how the world around us could change by the year 2047 as a result of climate change. Only the first story, “Still Waters” by Kimberley Christensen, is accessible for free. The links to access the introduction to the book and the first story (and for book purchase) This can be accessed here. |
| 1 | Reading, “16. Health, Stress, and Coping” | Written by Jennifer Walinga. Chapter 16 from “Introduction to Psychology – 1st Canadian Edition” by BC Open Textbooks |
| 2 | Video, “The human face of climate change” | From the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) |
| 3 | Additional Resources | “Psychology and Climate Change”,, American Psychology Association (APA)“2047: Short Stories from Our Tanja Bisgaard et al. Common Future” |
| 4 | Image(s) | COOL CLASSES: “Environmental Psychology and Conservation” |
