Lesson 7 In the last sessions we looked

Lesson 7

In the last sessions we looked at what actions everyone of us can take. Have you started putting them into practice already? Maybe you turned your heating down, turned the lights off in rooms you are not using, or boiled less water in the kettle. Has your poster persuaded anyone else to take action? All of these things make a difference!

Today you are going to be writing a letter to our MP. Firstly, what is an MP? https: //youtu. be/GJtb. Ix. HCGk. I

Today you are going to be writing a letter to our MP. MP stands for Member of Parliament. Your MP is the Member of Parliament who represents you. It is their job to try to make a difference about the issues that are important to you and the rest of the people living in your area. But they can only do this if you tell them what is important to you!

So why do we want to write to them? https: //youtu. be/T 11 KRz 1 u. P 5 g

Who is your MP? Herons’ Moor Academy is in the constituency Weston-super-Mare. This constituency is represented by: It is likely that you also live in the constituency Weston-super-Mare. You can check here: https: //members. parliament. uk/constituencies? search. Term=sw 15

What will you write to your MP? It is a persuasive letter. It needs to be formal – you are not writing to a friend or another child this time. You are writing to an adult with an important job and you want them to take you seriously.

What will you write to your MP? On the next slide is an example for a persuasive letter.

Model write Dear Mr Penrose, I am writing to you today about the most serious issue facing our area, our country and our planet: Climate Change. As children, we know that our future is in danger because of the actions of the past and the present. It is time to do something about it. The planet is warming. If we do not make radical changes now, ice will melt, sea levels will rise and humans and animals will suffer. I am making changes in my own life to have a positive impact on the future. I turn off all unnecessary electrical equipment, walk or cycle when before we would have driven, and have ‘meat-free Mondays’. All of these changes make a difference. But on their own, they are not enough. We need the government to act. I am writing to you to request, as my representative, that you put climate change at the top of the agenda – that all decisions you make consider the environment. It is not too late to save our planet, but it will be if we do not act now. You must make a change – for children, for the future, and for a better world. Yours sincerely, Emma (age 10)

What will you write to your MP? The first few lines are going to explain why you are writing. I wrote: Dear Mr Penrose, I am writing to you today about the most serious issue facing our area, our country and our planet: Climate Change. As children, we know that our future is in danger because of the actions of the past and the present. It is time to do something about it.

What will you write to your MP? Your turn: Dear Mr Penrose, I am writing to you today because… What are you writing about? Why is it important?

What will you write to your MP? You need a short paragraph to show why you care about climate change I wrote: The planet is warming. If we do not make radical changes now, ice will melt, sea levels will rise and humans and animals will suffer.

What will you write to your MP? Your turn: You could start with a short sentence: The planet is warming. The climate is changing. Humans are hurting the planet.

What will you write to your MP? And then say what would happen if we do not make changes. If we fail to act now, … If we do not make radical change, … Unless we make changes now, …. What will happen to the planet? To people? To the sea?

What will you write to your MP? What are you doing to help? I wrote: I am making changes in my own life to have a positive impact on the future. I turn off all unnecessary electrical equipment, walk or cycle when before we would have driven, and have ‘meat-free Mondays’. All of these changes make a difference.

What will you write to your MP? Your turn: In my own life, I am making changes… Then tell him about the changes you are making.

What will you write to your MP? What do you want the government to do? I wrote: But on their own, they are not enough. We need the government to act. I am writing to you to request, as my representative, that you put climate change at the top of the agenda – that all decisions you make consider the environment. It is not too late to save our planet, but it will be if we do not act now.

What will you write to your MP? What do you want the government to do? Put climate change at the top of the government’s agenda? Protect wildlife? Reduce greenhouse gases? But alone these changes are not enough. The government must act…

What will you write to your MP? Finish by telling him he must act! I wrote: You must make a change – for children, for the future, and for a better world.

What will you write to your MP? Your turn: Could you include a power of 3? For humans, for the planet, for the future. For animals, for humans, for the planet. Or tell him he has the power to make a difference? You can make the change. You have the power to shape the future.

What will you write to your MP? Finally, sign off. Your sincerely, Emma, (age 10)

Read through what you have written. Does it make sense? Do you show John Penrose why it is so important? Check spelling and punctuation. Have you got all your capital letters, full stops, commas etc correct? Send us copies – we will put these together and send them to John Penrose.