Environmental awareness and critical thinking through climate change
“The climate crisis is one of the most complex and urgent global challenges of our time, raising not only scientific but also social, economic, and moral questions. Education plays a key role in ensuring that younger generations not only understand the background of this phenomenon but are also able to think and act responsibly for the future. The goal of environmental education therefore goes beyond the mere transmission of knowledge: it shapes values, fosters critical thinking, and strengthens students’ belief that we are all participants and shapers of the Earth’s future. Today (October 28), the Pécs 1 and Pécs 3 groups explored this topic from another perspective, as part of the critical thinking project, which they had already begun to investigate.”
— Andrea Bálint-Orsós, mentor, Pécs 3 group
“The aim of the session was for students to understand the social, economic, and ethical aspects of climate change and to recognize the role of individual and collective responsibility in environmental protection. At the beginning of the day, we activated students’ prior knowledge about global warming through a short discussion, followed by watching the documentary-drama The Age of Stupid. Students were given observation guidelines (e.g. ‘What human decisions led to the situations shown?’, ‘What were the consequences of these decisions?’), and afterward, we discussed what they had seen. Together with the students, we interpreted the film’s message: that in the eyes of future generations, the ‘stupidity’ of today’s society lies in the fact that despite scientific evidence, we are still not acting quickly enough to save the planet. After analyzing the main environmental problems presented in the film (such as the reckless use of fossil fuels, extreme weather events caused by global climate change, and the melting of glaciers), we held a debate at the end of the lessons on what individuals and communities can do to prevent environmental catastrophe. The goal of the lessons was not only to understand the film but also to develop critical thinking and a responsible civic attitude.”
— Dr. Zoltán Wilhelm, PhD, MSc, Habil., developer
Photos can be viewed in the Gallery