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Links to climate change within the Kenyan Secondary Education Curriculum Introduction
During the start-up phase of the International Climate Challenge (ICC) in Kenya, two-day introductory workshops for Lead Teachers were conducted in each of three project regions – Nakuru, Nyahururu and Matuu. At each meeting teachers were asked to discuss and respond to the following question:
‘Where are the links to climate change within the Kenyan curriculum and thus where is there potential to include the ICC programme in classroom activities?’
Teachers, working in small groups, deliberated on this question and came up with the following answers related to different subject areas. Geography - weather and climate change
- statistics
- desertification
- management and conservation of the environment
- aridity
- world climate
- weather and climate
- wildlife and tourism
- ocean and seas
- transport
- energy
- minerals/mining
- weather
- glaciations
- energy – forms of energy
- impact of climate on the water cycle
- glaciations
- sand harvesting
- soil
- mining
- environment management and conservation
- fishing
- environmental pollution
- land degradation and its effects
- forestry – indigenous trees versus exotic trees
- industrialisation and its effects
- effects of human activities on environment
Agriculture - green house farming
- soil and water conservation
- erosion and control
- pest and diseases
- adaptability
- chemical tolerance
- soil pollution
- fertilizers
- agro forestry
- agro chemicals
- factors affecting agriculture
- animal breeds and adaptation to various climatic conditions
- water supply
- crop production
- farm planning
- soil erosion
- organic farming
- solution
- land pollution
- soil fertility
- agro-forestry
- pest and disease control
- water supply
- irrigation and drainage
Biology- classification of extinction of some organisms
- photosynthesis
- gaseous exchange in plants and animals
- human diseases
- pollution
- evolution and genetics
- ecology (food webs and food chains)
- biotics and biotic environments
- pollution
- human health
- genetics
- evolution theories
- nutrition in plants
- enzyme reactions
- effects of climatic change on vegetation.
Chemistry- pollution and pollutants
- air and combustion
- nitrogen and its compounds
- carbon and its compounds
- electrolysis
- industrial processes
- acids and fertilizers
- fractional distillation
- industries
- organic chemistry – methane, butane etc.
- radioactivity
Mathematics- surveying
- statistics
- appreciation and depreciation
- data analysis
- data presentation e.g. pie charts, graphs, diagram, bar graphs.
Computer studies- internet and email
- trends in ICT technology
Languages- advocacy and dissemination through essays
- debates
- drama
- poems
- comprehensions
- composition with an environment theme – students start by doing practical then write.
Christian Religious Education- the way man has interfered with creation
- how can man be able to conserve the environment
- Christian approaches to issues related to the environment
Home Science- management of kitchen waste to produce bio gas
History- transport and communication
- effects of migration and settlement
- urbanisation
- industrialisation
Physics- energy
- radiation
- thermal inversions
Business studies
- the recycling of used plastic materials to reduce land pollution
SUMMARY NOTE
These responses came after limited discussions between teachers. Thus, further research and discussion is required to provide a more exhaustive list of climate change connections related to the Kenyan secondary education curriculum.
Part of the background research and development work to be carried out during the second phase of the ICC pilot programme in Kenya (January – June 2009), will be to explore and more accurately identify these curriculum links.
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