According to data from Google, more and more people are searching for information about “climate anxiety.” This is when people feel worried and stressed about the effects of climate change. It’s not just happening in English-speaking countries, but also in places like Portugal, China, and Arabic-speaking countries. The data shows that Nordic countries like Finland and Sweden have the highest number of searches about climate anxiety, but this is adjusted to account for the size of the country. Women are also more likely to feel climate anxiety than men, possibly because they are more open about their emotions and may be more affected by the impacts of climate change.

The rise in searches about climate anxiety shows that people are becoming more concerned about the future of our planet and the environment. It’s not just about the physical changes we see, like wildfires and floods, but also about how it affects our mental health. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has recognized that climate change can have an impact on our mental well-being, and this will be discussed at a big conference called COP28. It’s important that we talk about mental health and take action to address climate change, so that people can feel more hopeful and less anxious about the future.

Original news source: Climate change: Rise in Google searches around ‘anxiety’ (BBC)

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Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– News Summary
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs or small groups. Give each group a few minutes to read the article. Then, ask each group to summarize the main points of the article in a written or spoken news summary. Encourage them to use their own words and be concise.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs or small groups. Ask each group to discuss their personal opinions on climate change and climate anxiety. Then, have each group create an opinion poll with 5-10 questions related to the topic. They can use the questions to interview other groups or the entire class. After the poll, ask each group to share the results and discuss any interesting findings.

– Sketch It
Instructions: Give each student a piece of paper and a pen or pencil. Ask them to draw a sketch that represents their feelings or thoughts about climate anxiety. After a few minutes, have students share their sketches in pairs or small groups. Encourage them to explain their drawings and discuss any common themes or emotions.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Write down 10-15 keywords from the article on separate pieces of paper. Mix up the papers and distribute them to the students. In turns, each student will take a paper and draw a picture representing the keyword without using any words or letters. The other students in the class will try to guess the keyword based on the drawing. After a few rounds, discuss the meanings of the keywords and their relevance to the article.

– Future Predictions
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs or small groups. Ask each group to discuss and make predictions about the future of climate change and climate anxiety. They can think about potential solutions, advancements in technology, or societal changes. After the discussion, have each group present their predictions to the class and facilitate a class-wide discussion on the topic.

Comprehension Questions:

1. What is “climate anxiety” and why are more people searching for information about it?
2. Which countries have the highest number of searches about climate anxiety, according to the data from Google?
3. Why do women tend to feel climate anxiety more than men?
4. What does the rise in searches about climate anxiety suggest about people’s concerns?
5. What is the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and why is it important?
6. What impact can climate change have on our mental well-being?
7. What is COP28 and why will it discuss the impact of climate change on mental health?
8. Why is it important to address climate change in order to reduce anxiety about the future?
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Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

According to data from (1)______, more and more people are searching for information about “(2)______ (3)______.” This is when people feel worried and stressed about the (4)______ of climate change. It’s not just happening in English-speaking countries, but also in places like Portugal, China, and Arabic-speaking countries. The data shows that Nordic countries like (5)______ and Sweden have the highest (6)______ of searches about climate anxiety, but this is adjusted to (7)______ for the size of the (8)______. Women are also more likely to feel climate anxiety than men, possibly because they are more open about their emotions and may be more affected by the impacts of climate change.

The rise in searches about climate anxiety shows that people are becoming more concerned about the (9)______ of our planet and the environment. It’s not just about the physical changes we see, like wildfires and (10)______, but also about how it affects our mental (11)______. The Intergovernmental (12)______ on Climate Change (IPCC) has recognized that climate change can have an impact on our (13)______ well-being, and this will be discussed at a big conference (14)______ COP28. It’s important that we talk about mental health and take action to (15)______ climate change, so that (16)______ can feel more hopeful and less anxious about the future.
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Discussion Questions:

Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.

1. Have you ever heard of “climate anxiety” before? What do you think it means?
2. How do you feel about the effects of climate change? Are you worried or stressed about it?
3. Do you think it’s important for people to talk about their emotions and feelings regarding climate change? Why or why not?
4. How do you think climate change can affect our mental health? Can you think of any examples?
5. Have you ever searched for information about climate anxiety? If not, would you consider doing so? Why or why not?
6. Do you think men and women experience climate anxiety differently? Why or why not?
7. What do you think can be done to address climate anxiety and help people feel more hopeful about the future?
8. How important do you think it is for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) to discuss the impact of climate change on mental well-being?
9. Do you believe that climate change is a threat to our mental health? Why or why not?
10. How does climate change affect your daily life? Can you give any examples?
11. What actions do you think individuals can take to help combat climate change and reduce anxiety about the future?
12. How do you think climate change will impact future generations? Does this concern you? Why or why not?
13. Are you involved in any activities or organizations that work towards addressing climate change? If not, would you consider getting involved? Why or why not?
14. How do you think the media influences our perception of climate change and anxiety? Do you think it’s accurate? Why or why not?
15. Do you think it’s possible for us to make a positive impact on climate change? Why or why not?

Individual Activities

Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. climate anxiety
2. worried
3. effects
4. adjusted
5. impacts
6. concerned
7. mental health
8. hopeful

Meanings:
(a) Feeling troubled or uneasy about something
(b) The state of a person’s psychological well-being
(c) Changed or modified to account for something
(d) Feeling anxious or uneasy about something
(e) The results or consequences of something
(f) The effects or influence of something
(g) Feeling optimistic or positive about something
(h) Feeling stressed and concerned about climate change
Go to answers ⇩

Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What is “climate anxiety”?
(a) When people feel worried and stressed about the effects of climate change.
(b) When people feel excited and hopeful about the effects of climate change.
(c) When people feel indifferent and unaffected by the effects of climate change.
(d) When people feel angry and frustrated about the effects of climate change.

2. Which countries have the highest number of searches about climate anxiety?
(a) English-speaking countries like the United States and United Kingdom.
(b) Asian countries like China and Japan.
(c) Nordic countries like Finland and Sweden.
(d) African countries like Nigeria and South Africa.

3. Who is more likely to feel climate anxiety?
(a) Men.
(b) Women.
(c) Teenagers.
(d) Elderly people.

4. Why are women more likely to feel climate anxiety?
(a) They are less open about their emotions and may be less affected by the impacts of climate change.
(b) They are more concerned about physical changes like wildfires and floods.
(c) They are less concerned about physical changes like wildfires and floods.
(d) They are more open about their emotions and may be more affected by the impacts of climate change.

5. What does the rise in searches about climate anxiety show?
(a) People are becoming more concerned about the future of our planet and the environment.
(b) People are becoming less concerned about the future of our planet and the environment.
(c) People are becoming more interested in climate change as a scientific topic.
(d) People are becoming less interested in climate change as a scientific topic.

6. What is the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)?
(a) An organization that promotes climate change denial.
(b) An organization that focuses on mental health issues.
(c) An organization that studies climate change and its impacts.
(d) An organization that advocates for renewable energy.

7. What will be discussed at the COP28 conference?
(a) The impact of climate change on physical health.
(b) The impact of climate change on economic growth.
(c) The impact of climate change on political stability.
(d) The impact of climate change on mental well-being.

8. Why is it important to talk about mental health and take action to address climate change?
(a) So that people can feel more worried and stressed about the future.
(b) So that people can feel more hopeful and less anxious about the future.
(c) So that people can ignore the effects of climate change.
(d) So that people can focus on other global issues.

Go to answers ⇩

True or False Questions:

1. Nordic countries like Finland and Sweden have the lowest number of searches about climate anxiety, adjusted for the size of the country.
2. More and more people are searching for information about “climate anxiety” according to Google data.
3. Men are more likely to feel climate anxiety than women, possibly because they are more open about their emotions and may be more affected by climate change.
4. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) recognizes that climate change can impact our mental well-being.
5. Climate change only affects the physical changes we see, like wildfires and floods, but not our mental health.
6. Climate change’s impact on mental health will be discussed at a conference called COP28, where it’s important to address mental health and take action on climate change.
7. The decrease in searches about climate anxiety shows that people are becoming less concerned about the future of our planet and the environment.
8. People in countries like Portugal, China, and Arabic-speaking countries are also searching for information about climate anxiety.
Go to answers ⇩

Write a Summary:

Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.

Writing Questions:

Answer the following questions. Write as much as you can for each answer.

1. What is “climate anxiety”?
2. Which countries have the highest number of searches about climate anxiety?
3. Why are women more likely to feel climate anxiety than men?
4. What does the rise in searches about climate anxiety show?
5. What will be discussed at the COP28 conference?

Answers

Comprehension Question Answers:

1. “Climate anxiety” is when people feel worried and stressed about the effects of climate change. More people are searching for information about it because they are becoming more concerned about the future of our planet and the environment.

2. According to the data from Google, Nordic countries like Finland and Sweden have the highest number of searches about climate anxiety, adjusted for the size of the country.

3. Women tend to feel climate anxiety more than men possibly because they are more open about their emotions and may be more affected by the impacts of climate change.

4. The rise in searches about climate anxiety suggests that people are increasingly concerned about the future of our planet and the environment. They are not just worried about the physical changes we see, like wildfires and floods, but also about how it affects our mental health.

5. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is an organization that provides scientific information about climate change to governments and the public. It is important because it helps us understand the impacts of climate change and how we can address them.

6. Climate change can have an impact on our mental well-being. The uncertainty and fear about the future, as well as the physical and emotional toll of extreme weather events, can contribute to feelings of anxiety and stress.

7. COP28 is a big conference where countries come together to discuss climate change and take action. It will discuss the impact of climate change on mental health because it recognizes that climate change can have negative effects on our well-being.

8. It is important to address climate change in order to reduce anxiety about the future because taking action to protect the environment and mitigate the effects of climate change can give people hope and a sense of control. By working towards a sustainable future, we can create a better world for future generations and alleviate some of the anxiety and worry about the future of our planet.
Go back to questions ⇧

Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) Google
(2) climate
(3) anxiety
(4) effects
(5) Finland
(6) number
(7) account
(8) country
(9) future
(10) floods
(11) health
(12) Panel
(13) mental
(14) called
(15) address
(16) people
Go back to questions ⇧

Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. climate anxiety
Answer: (h) Feeling stressed and concerned about climate change

2. worried
Answer: (d) Feeling anxious or uneasy about something

3. effects
Answer: (e) The results or consequences of something

4. adjusted
Answer: (c) Changed or modified to account for something

5. impacts
Answer: (f) The effects or influence of something

6. concerned
Answer: (a) Feeling troubled or uneasy about something

7. mental health
Answer: (b) The state of a person’s psychological well-being

8. hopeful
Answer: (g) Feeling optimistic or positive about something
Go back to questions ⇧

Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What is “climate anxiety”?
Answer: (a) When people feel worried and stressed about the effects of climate change.

2. Which countries have the highest number of searches about climate anxiety?
Answer: (c) Nordic countries like Finland and Sweden.

3. Who is more likely to feel climate anxiety?
Answer: (b) Women.

4. Why are women more likely to feel climate anxiety?
Answer: (d) They are more open about their emotions and may be more affected by the impacts of climate change.

5. What does the rise in searches about climate anxiety show?
Answer: (a) People are becoming more concerned about the future of our planet and the environment.

6. What is the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)?
Answer: (c) An organization that studies climate change and its impacts.

7. What will be discussed at the COP28 conference?
Answer: (d) The impact of climate change on mental well-being.

8. Why is it important to talk about mental health and take action to address climate change?
Answer: (b) So that people can feel more hopeful and less anxious about the future.
Go back to questions ⇧

True or False Answers:

1. Nordic countries like Finland and Sweden have the lowest number of searches about climate anxiety, adjusted for the size of the country. (Answer: False)
2. More and more people are searching for information about “climate anxiety” according to Google data. (Answer: True)
3. Men are more likely to feel climate anxiety than women, possibly because they are more open about their emotions and may be more affected by climate change. (Answer: False)
4. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) recognizes that climate change can impact our mental well-being. (Answer: True)
5. Climate change only affects the physical changes we see, like wildfires and floods, but not our mental health. (Answer: False)
6. Climate change’s impact on mental health will be discussed at a conference called COP28, where it’s important to address mental health and take action on climate change. (Answer: True)
7. The decrease in searches about climate anxiety shows that people are becoming less concerned about the future of our planet and the environment. (Answer: False)
8. People in countries like Portugal, China, and Arabic-speaking countries are also searching for information about climate anxiety. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧