Explore high-quality resources focused on climate and sustainability issues here in Essex. These materials are accessible, engaging, and support both student learning and continuing professional development for teachers.
Most resources can be used independently by secondary and college students, while others are suitable for primary students with teacher support. All can support lesson planning and curriculum delivery.
Learning about how climate impacts local, familiar places brings issues to life for students. Seeing how people and organisations, including local government, businesses, and charities, are taking action on climate change can help students engage, explore green skills and careers, and therefore help manage climate anxiety.
Water
Essex Water – Your Future is an interactive guide for secondary and college students. It explains the water challenges facing Essex and explores ways to address them through real-life case studies and stories, with links to further resources.
Schools are invited to share feedback and ideas for ways this tool can be developed and promoted, email floods@essex.gov.uk.
Nature recovery
The Essex Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) maps the health and location of habitats and species across Essex. It also identifies actions to protect and restore them.
The strategy could be used in science and geography lessons. It can also help deepen students’ understanding of national and local government policy-making processes. In practical terms, it may also help identify opportunities in the school grounds to connect wildlife corridors and reverse biodiversity loss.
Air quality
Essex Air is a new website designed to raise awareness of air pollution and highlight simple actions that can improve air quality across Essex. As many issues relate to transport, the site supports promotion of sustainable travel, which also benefits the climate.
The site includes an interactive air pollution map and also a dedicated schools zone with resources and activities, including two online games to help young people learn about pollution types and sources
Annual reports on Climate Action in Essex
Essex communities and our environment have benefited from extensive programmes of work by ECC and partners, reported on in Essex's Climate Action Annual Reports. These provide great case-studies and stories for school leaders and teachers to share with students in assemblies and the classroom. They can also be accessed independently by older students to support studies across a wide range of subjects.