Course Catalogue

Smash the Anthropocene! Understanding, Communicating, and Stopping Climate Change (C4L) SPS1011

  • Academic Session: 2026-27
  • School: School of Social and Political Sciences
  • Credits: 20
  • Level: Level 1 (SCQF level 7)
  • Typically Offered: Either Semester 1 or Semester 2
  • Available to Visiting Students: No
  • Collaborative Online International Learning: No
  • Curriculum For Life: Yes

Short Description

This course focuses on climate literacy and communication. It provides students with a framework for critically analysing different narratives about climate action and supports students in developing collaborative and creative skills necessary for effective climate action.

Timetable

In all weeks except week 10, 1-hour lecture (all students) followed by 2-hour seminars (groups of students). In week, 10, lectures and seminars replaced by single open event space (all students) across the full-time span (i.e. 3 hours or 5 hours) of regular teaching. This requires teaching to be scheduled in a single day. Further details included in the Curriculum for Life PIP annex.

Requirements of Entry

None

Excluded Courses

None

Co-requisites

None

Assessment

40% Individual learning log (4 x 250-word log entries + 500-word reflective commentary)

60% Co-created climate action output

 

Programme / course convenors and teaching staff will ensure that due consideration is given to students with disabilities, and that reasonable adjustments are implemented wherever possible, in consultation with relevant support services.

 

A Flexible Assessment approach will be applied, in line with Disability Service recommendations. This includes:

■ Consideration of alternative assessment formats where appropriate (e.g., adaptations to oral assessments)

■ Implementation of reasonable adjustments on a case-by-case basis

Course Aims

Every student is directly affected by the climate crisis and has a role to play in addressing it. Effective climate action requires interdisciplinary approaches that bring together the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. This course aims to support students in developing the knowledge as well as communicative, collaborative and creative skills necessary for effective climate action. During the course you will develop your climate literacy, including both scientific and social scientific conceptions of climate change, and learn how to critically analyse climate narratives presented by real world stakeholders engaged in shaping societal responses to climate change. You will deepen and apply your climate literacy by working collaboratively with students from across the University to devise, co-create and communicate a proposed climate action. Through engagement with this project, you will display knowledge and understanding and develop confidence and skills associated with working within realistic interdisciplinary teams to build and articulate the experience and skills that employers value.

Intended Learning Outcomes of Course

By the end of this course students will be able to:

1. Critically interrogate diverse narratives of climate change.

2. Work collaboratively to generate climate action strategies.

3. Interact across disciplines to communicate climate solutions to varied audiences.

4. Apply learning to develop new knowledge and understanding of climate change.

Minimum Requirement for Award of Credits

No exceptions