Be a Zero Hero: Volunteer workshop plan for KS1Aim: To begin to understand what climate change is and how it affects people around the world; to know some simple actions that we can take to combat climate change.

Themes: climate change, net zero, caring for God’s world, global neighbours, poverty,

Time: 25 mins

Preparation:

Download the KS1 Zero Hero workshop PowerPoint Print and cut out one set: KS1 Workshop card sort Powerpoint slides Print out multiple Zero Hero mask templates, enough for your class Print out the Zero Hero action return form Download the Zero Hero campaign guide for schools Take a camera, or use your phone to get the Zero Hero photo action

Introduction (5 mins)

Have you heard about how climate change is destroying our planet?

Have you ever seen fields flooded (photo), or the ground so dry it is cracking up (photo)?

Key Q: Can people grow food/live here? Why not?

Climate change is warming the earth and changing the beautiful world God created.

But what is climate change? 

Things like factories, cars, aeroplanes and power stations can put bad gases into the air and this makes the world get hotter. This changes our climate, warms our earth and changes the beautiful world God has created. 

These changes make life much harder for people living in poverty in other parts of the world, just like we saw in the photos.

Starter activity (5 mins)

As a class, sort the words/pictures/photos into two piles.

1 – things that cause climate change

2– things we can do to stop climate change getting worse

Invite children up to select a few images on the PowerPoint and explain why they put them in piles 1 or 2. Talk a little about the background of each segment.

Zero Hero input (3 mins)

We share this world with everyone, and we all have to take care of it. Pope Francis calls it ‘our common home’.

Being a Zero Hero means not doing things that make climate change worse, but instead, fighting climate change by doing things to help look after our world. [Refer back to pictures from sorting activity].

Case study – Zero Heroes in Peru (2 mins)

Together we can all be Zero Heroes for our common home.

These children are from a country called Peru.

Key Q:

What are they doing to become Zero Heroes? Why is it important? What can you do to be a Zero Hero? [Refer to ppt slide with examples of

recycling, turning off lights, etc.]

Zero activity (10 mins) Something simple….

We can be Zero Heroes too. We are going to show how much we care for our common home by creating a zero display, and talking to those in power to ask them to be Zero Heroes too.

In small groups, or as a class, colour in your Zero Hero mask.

Take a photo:

Wearing the masks, stand in a circle (a zero shape) and do a superhero pose!

Finish with a closing prayer:

Creator God,

Your world is a wonderful and beautiful place, full of wonder, full of life.

Teach us to care for the earth and help us to build a world that is filled with your goodness.

Amen.