A group of elementary school students in Regina found themselves grappling with fear and anxiety about their future after their teacher, Jared Clarke, introduced them to his climate change theories in 2017. Clarke, who taught Grades 6 and 7 at Lakeview Elementary School, returned from a training session in Pittsburgh with a mission to educate his students about the urgency of climate change.Clarke, one of 60 Canadians trained by former U.S. Vice President Al Gore to become "climate reality leaders," came back and decided to scare his young students..Sask NDP MLA behind push to put both his transitioning children into female changing room."If we don't do anything, these kids that I work with every day, their future and the world that they're living in is going to be completely different than what it is now, and that scares me a lot," Clarke told CBC News in 2017.Clarke's approach went beyond traditional textbook learning as he exposed students to graphic presentations and documentaries. He left some students feeling overwhelmed and frightened..Moe plans ‘biological sex’ changing room policy for schools.Grade 7 student Stella Pepler admitted feeling scared after watching presentations, including Al Gore's documentary An Inconvenient Sequel. "I feel a bit scared from knowing that some people aren't putting in their part and that innocent lives are being taken from heat waves and storms," Pepler told CBC News. Pepler's words reflected the anxiety Clarke inflicted on his students with his climate change "curriculum."Another student, Kolby Swann, described how the imagery used in Clarke's lessons affected him. "Textbooks don't give kids as much information as just showing them ... a video — then you can really see that people are struggling in this world because of the storms that have destroyed their houses and the floods from the icebergs melting," Swann told CBC News. Swann added that learning about these issues "makes me really sad," highlighting the emotional toll of Clarke's teaching..EXCLUSIVE: Sask school allows boys in Grade 7 female changing room, parents outraged.Clarke's intense focus on climate change led the students to organize the Lakeview Community Climate Conversation, during which they presented their new knowledge to the public. Throughout November of 2017, students researched and prepared for this event, constantly exposed to troubling information provided by Clarke.While Clarke intended to educate and inspire action, his approach raised questions about the appropriate way to discuss such serious topics with young children, many of whom he scared about their future on the planet..Sask political party leaders clash over female changing room controversy in schools.The students' responses were a mix of fear and determination, with many feeling they had to make immediate changes to combat the supposed climate change threat that Clarke taught them.Swann's statement, "We will have to grow up with this, so we need to act now," shows how Clarke scared his students.
