KS1 & KS2 Climate Change Teaching Resources

What is Climate Change?

Climate change is the long-term shift in the Earth’s usual weather patterns, such as temperature, rainfall and seasons. While the climate naturally changes over time, human activity has been making the planet warm much faster than ever before.

Burning fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas, cutting down forests, and producing large amounts of waste release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. These gases act like a thickening blanket around the Earth, trapping heat and causing global temperatures to rise.

When Earth gets warmer, it affects everything. Ice in cold places starts to melt, causing sea levels to rise. Animals and plants that live in certain habitats struggle to survive because the weather they’re used to is changing. Sometimes, we even get more extreme weather, like really hot days, big storms and heavy rains. Climate change is a big problem for our planet.

What Are the Main Areas That Are Covered in Our Climate Change Lesson Plans?

Climate change as a topic may be more important than ever as the planet is starting to experience more extreme weather conditions. There are some key areas that we will cover, helping to educate children at the KS1 and KS2 levels. 

One of the key areas which we will cover is;

Global Warming 

As global warming speeds up, so do other changes in our world. One big change is rising sea levels, caused by ice melting in different parts of the planet. This affects animals and their habitats, making it harder for them to live as they used to.

Our lesson plans are designed to educate children about global warming, helping them to understand more about the planet and its environment. 

In addition to this, our goal is to help educate children at KS1 & KS2 levels about the world around them. Our other topics on climate change include;

• Our Changing World
• Know Better, Do Better
• People and Planet

What’s Included in Our Climate Change Teaching Resources

• Ready-to-teach KS1/KS2 lesson plans on climate change
• Includes guides, worksheets, and presentations
• Covers global warming, rising seas and extreme weather
• Fun, interactive activities with no prep required
• Helps children learn how to protect our planet

Our resources are flexible – perfect for whole-class lessons, small group work or even assemblies.

How can we teach KS1 children about climate change?

It is important to engage children in the subject of climate change, but it must be done from a point of understanding and care. We can start by teaching children about the different types of weather around the world. 

Additionally, we can also teach about the animals that live within these climates. We go into detail about this in our Biomes and Climate Zones lesson plans. You can ask children at the KS1 level thought-provoking questions such as:

• What would happen if it didn’t rain for a whole month?
• What would happen to the plants and animals?
• What would happen to the playground if it rained nonstop for two weeks?

You can get them to think more in-depth about climate change by identifying that floods are now more common as a result of climate change. Following this, you can explore further how this affects not only us as humans, but also the plants and animals that live in these habitats. 

This can help to educate children on the impacts of climate change and the simple steps that they can take to help reduce global warming. 

There are lots of activities KS1 children can engage in to help them look after the environment, such as litter picking.

See Our Climate Change One Lesson Pack

How can we teach KS2 children about climate change?

In upper KS2, children can dive further into the complexities of climate change and explore some of the controversy surrounding the debate on global warming. At this age, they are mature enough to consider the long-term implications of climate change on the planet.

Our People and Planet climate change scheme of work for Year 5 and Year 6 not only explores the causes and effects of climate change but also looks at meaningful actions to tackle the problem. These actions include exploring green careers and making more sustainable choices.

Teaching children about green careers in upper KS2 is a great way to help them consider their role in caring for our planet.

View Our Complete Education for Social Responsibility Collection

Why Teach Children About Climate Change?

Children are naturally curious about the world around them, and exploring climate change helps keep them excited and engaged at both KS1 and KS2 levels.

Teaching them how they can work towards protecting animals by caring for the planet helps to keep the teaching interesting and engaging. 

Our Climate Change teaching resources are full of activities and worksheets, which can also make a serious topic fun for young learners. Through our tailored lesson plans, children will be able to:

• Learn in depth about climate change and the impacts of global warming
• Discover more about the planet around them, and how we impact it as humans
• Be educated on rising sea levels and melting ice caps 
• To be more prepared for extreme weather changes and understand what causes them

We have a range of Climate Change teaching resources, some of which are designed for KS1 and some are designed for KS2 learners. They are age-appropriate, fun and engaging, keeping children curious and excited to learn more about our planet.

Explore More Topics About Our Planet

Explore our resources on other topics about the planet, such as:

• Investigating Rivers
• Wonderful Weather
• Exploring Africa
• Exploring South Africa 
• Sea and Coasts 
• Around The World

Make the Most of Our Learning Resources and Save Money with a PlanBee Subscription 

If you enjoyed our Climate Change teaching plans, a PlanBee subscription gives you access to a wider range of engaging resources.

With a PlanBee subscription, you can:

• Discover exciting new topics for all primary age groups
• Plan your year easily with our structured lesson plans and teaching materials
• Benefit from regularly updated resources and activities

Our KS1 and KS2 resources help you stay organised and plan ahead, making teaching fun for both you and your students.

It’s a simple way to keep your lessons on track and your classroom learning engaging all year round.

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Climate Change Resources FAQs

Are these resources suitable for classes with different ages? 

Yes! Our resources are designed to work for both KS1 and KS2 learners, we have teaching resources and lesson plans which cater to both levels. 

Do I need a subscription to access these resources? 

No subscription is necessary. You can purchase lesson plans for various subjects and topics directly from our website and use them whenever you like. Many teachers later choose a subscription to access even more materials, but it’s entirely optional.

What will children learn from the Climate Change resources? 

The goal is to educate children on climate change and the serious topics surrounding the topic, such as global warming. They will learn more about the climate zones and the impact we have on the planet as humans.