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PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS

2017: Project Foundation

The TROP ICSU project was initiated by the International Union of Biological Sciences (IUBS) as the lead partner with the International Science Council (ISC), and the International Union for Quaternary Research (INQUA) and 17 other partner organisations.

2019: Phase 1 Outreach

By the end of 2019, TROP ICSU had conducted 17 workshops for approximately 740 high school and undergraduate-level teachers in 10 countries across the globe and 4 workshops for approximately 54 climate experts.

2023: New Resources

The TROP ICSU project published over 530 Teaching Tools and 370 Lesson Plans across 10 disciplines. New additions include a Lesson Plan for every country in the world.

2019: Completion of
1st Phase
A total of 150 Teaching Tools and over 70 Lesson Plans were published across 10 disciplines by the end of Phase 1 of the TROP ICSU Project.
2022: Initiation of
Phase 2
Along with 25 partner organisations the TROP ICSU project began its new phase with Centre for Sustainability, Environment, and Climate Change (CSECC), FLAME University as the implementation partner

2017: Project Foundation

The TROP ICSU project was initiated by the International Union of Biological Sciences (IUBS) as the lead partner with the International Science Council (ISC), and the International Union for Quaternary Research (INQUA) and 17 other partner organisations.

2019: Completion of 1st Phase

A total of 150 Teaching Tools and over 70 Lesson Plans were published across 10 disciplines by the end of Phase 1 of the TROP ICSU Project.

2019: Phase 1 Outreach

By the end of 2019, TROP ICSU had conducted 17 workshops for approximately 740 high school and undergraduate-level teachers in 10 countries across the globe and 4 workshops for approximately 54 climate experts.

2022: Initiation of Phase 2

Along with 25 partner organisations the TROP ICSU project began its new phase with Centre for Sustainability, Environment, and Climate Change (CSECC), FLAME University as the implementation partner

2023: New Resources

The TROP ICSU project published over 530 Teaching Tools and 370 Lesson Plans across 10 disciplines. New additions include a Lesson Plan for every country in the world.

About Project

The TROP ICSU project was initiated by International Union of Biological Sciences (IUBS) and its implementation partner Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune to enable current and future citizens to initiate positive action in mitigating the effects of and reversing climate change through pedagogical intervention.

To achieve the overall objective, we are –

  • Collating a suite of Teaching Tools
  • Creating a suite of Lesson plans

The use of these teaching resources will enable educators to teach a topic in a particular discipline with the help of examples, case studies, and exercises related to climate change. These resources can be used globally by educators in the classroom/laboratory or by students for independent learning.

Such an integrated approach will help increase climate awareness among students.

Our aim is to ensure that these teaching resources

  • Have the options to use local data (Local Context)
  • Include team-based activities (Collaboration)
  • Enable the exploration of various possible solutions (Interactive Learning)
  • Reveal the interaction between different components of the system (Systems Thinking)
  • Facilitate the determination of suitable policies (Leadership Skills)

Vision

We aim to integrate relevant resources into the education system to help future citizens across the globe in improving their understanding of the science of climate change and in developing the necessary skills to mitigate its impact.

Strategy

We collate and curate digital/ICT-based teaching resources that integrate climate studies across the curriculum of Science, Mathematics, Social Sciences and Humanities. These teaching resources are locally rooted in their context, but globally relevant for their science.

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Education for Sustainable Development

SDG Wheel_Transparent_WEB

UNESCO mentions education as a key instrument to achieve the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs). TROP ICSU subscribes to this thought and aligns with the Action Plan of UNESCO to promote Education for Sustainable Development by aligning with the following Learning Objectives of ESD:

  • Objective 1.2.4 SDG 4 | Quality Education

Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all

  • Objective 1.2.13 SDG 13 | Climate Action

Take urgent actions to combat climate change and its impact

Methodology

Step 01

Identification of climate change-related resources as teaching tools or lesson plans from learning portals, education databases, and other sources.
• Mapping the resources to the most appropriate discipline-specific curricular topics
• Classification and categorization of resources based on where (classroom, laboratory, or field), how (individually or in groups, with or without supervision), for whom (school or undergraduate students), and by whom (teachers to teach or students as self-learning exercises) they can be used as teaching tools.

Step 02

Internal review of the feasibility of usage of the identified climate change-related resource as a teaching tool, including examining copyright policies. The main criteria considered here are:

• Mapping the resources to the most appropriate discipline-specific curricular topics
• Classification and categorization of resources based on where (classroom, laboratory, or field), how (individually or in groups, with or without supervision), for whom (school or undergraduate students), and by whom (teachers to teach or students as self-learning exercises) they can be used as teaching tools.

Step 03

Teaching Resource Development (Teaching Tools and Lesson Plans)

• Identify how the selected teaching tool could be used. The main criteria considered here are:
• Would the teaching tool being recommended here be attractive to the teaching community for use in the classroom? Will it help improve learning of discipline- specific topics and thereby be an incentive for teachers to use the suggested resource?
•Can the teaching tool being recommended here be used as a stand-alone teaching tool or does it need support from additional tools related to either climate-related topics and/or discipline-specific topics?
• While integrating a given resource, do we need to introduce the climate topic in the beginning of a lesson plan or somewhere in the middle or at the end?
• Does this tool introduce or discuss a location- or region-specific topic?
• Write a detailed, step-by-step guide for the teachers on how to use the teaching tool being recommended here. Clarity and simplicity are given maximum importance while writing these guidelines.
• Ensure seamless connectivity between the climate topic and corresponding curricular topic while preparing a detailed lesson plan.

Step 04

Internal review of teaching resource for scientific accuracy and ease- of-use in the classroom

• This is being done by the project team based on their own knowledge and experience, with the help of information available on the Internet and in libraries, and by consulting appropriate experts (in science of climate change and in discipline- specific topics) locally and globally.

Step 05

Publishing the teaching tools and lesson plans on TROP ICSU website for its global review.

Step 06

External review of teaching tools for their scientific accuracy by Climate Science experts. The project team would then edit/modify the teaching tools and lesson plans as per the review and suggestions. Organization of workshops across the world for school and undergraduate teachers to review teaching tools and lesson plans for their use in regular teaching.

Step 07

Organization of workshops across the world for school and undergraduate teachers to review teaching tools and lesson plans for their use in regular teaching.

Teachers would review the connectivity of the suggested climate change topics with their discipline-specific topics, feasibility of its use in their regular teaching, and the flow of the lesson plans. They would seek clarifications wherever needed and suggest changes to the teaching tools and step-by-step guidelines. The project team would then edit/modify the teaching tools and lesson plans as per the review and suggestions.

Step 08

Formal publication of validated and peer-reviewed teaching tools and lesson plans on TROP ICSU website

Step 09

Submission of new ideas for teaching resources: During the workshop for teachers and subsequently, we expect many teachers to submit their own ideas to integrate climate change topics with regular curricular topics and/or create their own detailed lesson plans as per their expertise/experience and local needs. Those teaching tools and lesson plans too would be further developed/modified and validated/reviewed as above.

Step 10

Wider dissemination across the globe of the very idea of integrating climate change topics in the core curriculum across all disciplines and all levels of the education system, and the teaching tools and lesson plans being recommended here. We are supported by all our global partners in giving wide publicity to the teaching resources published on the TROP ICSU website and also in their implementation across the globe.

Our Partners

International Union of Biological Sciences

FLAME

International Union of Forest Research Organizations

IMAGINARY

International Union For Quaternary Research

International Mathematical Union

Climate Extremes

Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja

Indian National Science Academy

Mongolian Academy of Sciences

International Science Council

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

International Union of Soil Sciences

Young Earth Systems Scientists

International Union of Geological Sciences

African Union of Conservationists

National Research Centre

World Meteorological Organisation

World Climate Research Programme

Monash University

International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics

Codata

International Union of History and Philosophy of Science and Technology

National Research Foundation

Australian Academy of Science

Our Partners

International Union of Biological Sciences

FLAME

International Union of Forest Research Organizations

IMAGINARY

International Union For Quaternary Research

International Mathematical Union

Climate Extremes

Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja

Indian National Science Academy

Mongolian Academy of Sciences

International Science Council

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

International Union of Soil Sciences

Young Earth Systems Scientists

International Union of Geological Sciences

African Union of Conservationists

National Research Centre

World Meteorological Organisation

World Climate Research Programme

Monash University

International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics

Codata

International Union of History and Philosophy of Science and Technology

National Research Foundation

Australian Academy of Science

Advancing Science as a Global Public Good

As a part of the effort in advancing science as a global public good, the International Science Council has identified four Domains of Impact which represent the landscape of challenges and opportunities. TROP ICSU aligns with the following Domains of Impact:

• Domain One: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
• Domain Two: The Digital Revolution
• Domain Three: Science in Policy and Public Discourse

Outreach and Engagement are considered as key components to the ISC’s Action Plan. 

TROP ICSU maps its goals with the one of the goals by ISC, “Amplifying Impact through Outreach and Engagement”.

Feedback

Effectiveness in explaining topic in discipline

Effectiveness in explaining topic in discipline

About 89% teachers said TROP ICSU resources were very effective or moderately effective in explaining topic(s) in the discipline. This survey consists of data collected over 17 workshops in 10 countries.

Use of TROP ICSU Resources in Classroom

Use of TROP ICSU Resources in Classroom

About 96% teachers said they would use TROP ICSU Lesson Plans in their classrooms. This survey consists of data collected over 17 workshops in 10 countries.

Effectiveness in integrating climate science

Effectiveness in integrating climate science

About 89% teachers said TROP ICSU resources were very effective or moderately effective in integrating the discipline topic(s) with climate science. This survey consists of data collected over 17 workshops in 10 countries.

TROP ICSU Featured Globally

Policy

The TROP ICSU (https://tropicsu.org) project aims to provide a suite of digital teaching resources that integrate climate studies with curriculum in various disciplines, including Science, Mathematics, Social Sciences, and Humanities.

These resources can be used by teachers at high school and undergraduate levels across the world to not only enhance the conceptual understanding of a topic in a discipline, but also improve awareness and understanding of climate change while helping students develop necessary skills for climate change adaptation and mitigation.

In order to read and understand the TROP ICSU Copyright Practice Standards and Policy-related Recommendations for TROP ICSU Users/Contributors please download the policy document.

2017: Project Foundation

The TROP ICSU project was founded by the International Council for Science (ICSU), led bythe International Union of Biological Sciences (IUBS), and co-led by the International Union for Quaternary Research (INQUA).

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school

About Project

The TROP ICSU project was initiated by International Union of Biological Sciences (IUBS) and its implementation partner Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune to enable current and future citizens to initiate positive action in mitigating the effects of and reversing climate change through pedagogical intervention and science communication modules.

To achieve the overall objective, we are –

  • Collating a suite of Teaching Tools
  • Creating a suite of Lesson plans

The use of these teaching resources will enable educators to teach a topic in a particular discipline with the help of examples, case studies, and exercises related to climate change. These resources can be used globally by educators in the classroom/laboratory or by students for independent

learning. Such an integrated approach will help increase climate awareness among students.

Our aim is to ensure that these teaching resources

  • Have the options to use local data (Local Context)
  • Include team-based activities (Collaboration)
  • Enable the exploration of various possible solutions (Interactive Learning)
  • Reveal the interaction between different components of the system (Systems Thinking)
  • Facilitate the determination of suitable policies (Leadership Skills)

Vision

We aim to integrate relevant education and science communication modules in the education system to help future citizens across the globe in improving their understanding of the science of climate change and in developing necessary skills to mitigate its impact.

Strategy

We collate and curate digital/ICT-based teaching resources that integrate climate studies across the curriculum of Science, Mathematics, Social Sciences and Humanities. These teaching resources are locally rooted in their context, but globally relevant for their science.

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