Lesson 5: Climate Storytelling & Video Planning

Guide students through a quick-write and/or discussion on the following prompt: Think of a time you tried to convince someone of something. What did you say or do to make your argument more convincing?

Show “Ethos, Pathos, Logos” (3:15) by Tamu Writing Center, in order to briefly introduce ethos, pathos, and logos as three ways communicators can connect with an audience:

• Ethos: Build credibility or trust.
• Pathos: Connect with emotions, values, or experiences.
• Logos: Use facts, evidence, or reasoning.

Show and discuss “A #NatureNow Message from Greta Thunberg” (3:39 minutes), a production of WWF International.  

• Ask students:
  • What is the message? What does Greta and her team want the audience to know, feel, or do?
  • How is the message communicated? Identify examples of ethos, pathos, and logos, as well as effective choices involving visuals, shots, editing, music, or sound.

Show the CIC’s 2026 Best Storytelling video, “The Breath of Change” by Shubh Shrivastava, a grade 12 student at Cambridge School Indirapuram in Ghaziabad, India

• Ask students:
  • What is the central message or idea?
  • Which storytelling choices make that message compelling?
  • Where do you see ethos, pathos, or logos?
  • What could you borrow or adapt for your own CIC video?

Have students write or share this storytelling takeaway: 

A storytelling technique I could use to make my CIC idea more compelling is ______ because ______.

Explain to students that strong climate communication is not only about having good information. It is also about organizing that information into a story that helps an audience understand what is happening, why it matters, and what can be done about it.

Have students think about their CIC project using Climate Outreach’s “And, But, Therefore” method:

• Introduce the And, But, Therefore storytelling structure:
  • AND: What is happening? Introduce the place, people, or issue.
  • BUT: What is the problem or challenge? What is at stake?
  • THEREFORE: What needs to change? Introduce the solution.
  • NOW WHAT?: What can the audience or community do?

• Model the structure using a simple example: Our school uses hundreds of single-use plastic items each week, AND many of them are thrown away after only a few minutes of use. BUT plastic waste can enter waterways and harm wildlife. THEREFORE, our school could reduce single-use plastics by installing refill stations and encouraging reusable bottles. NOW WHAT? Students can help by bringing reusable bottles and asking school leaders to support the project.

Ask students, individually or with their CIC groups, to choose one fact or piece of evidence from their climate research and turn it into a short story using the four prompts. Encourage them to think about who or what is affected by the issue and why their audience should care.

• Have students present their stories and discuss what was effective and less effective. Ask students:
  • Which versions made you care about the issue most? Why?
  • Where did you hear ethos, pathos, or logos in the story?
  • How did the story move from explaining a problem to showing a possible solution?

This activity gives students an opportunity to analyze how past CIC participants used evidence, storytelling, local relevance, implementation, and other judging criteria to communicate their ideas effectively. Students can use these examples to identify strengths and opportunities for improvement in their own projects before beginning production. Note: These criteria are taken directly from the CIC Judging Rubric 2026/27.

As a class, watch two award-winning videos from the 2026 CAVU Student Showcase. 

After watching each one, students should work in small groups or as a class to analyze the video using these prompts on the LESSON 5: WHAT MAKES A STRONG CIC VIDEO? activity in their CIC PRIMARY STUDENT WORKBOOK:

1. Climate Understanding & Research: What climate issue does the video address, and what evidence helps the audience understand the problem and its local impact?
2. Solution Design: What solution do the student(s) propose? How is the solution connected to the climate issue, and what makes their idea realistic, creative, or effective?
3. Local Action & Community Impact: How could this solution make a difference in the students’ school, household, or community?
   1. If the students implemented their solution, what evidence shows it in action?
   2. If they did not implement it, how clearly do they explain how it could be carried out?
4. Storytelling: What makes the story clear, engaging, or memorable? What do the students want their audience to think, feel, or do?
5. Video Production & Design: What choices make the video easy to understand and follow? Consider visuals, audio, speaking, editing, text, titles, and other production choices.
6. What is one choice these students made that you could borrow, adapt, or try in your own CIC video?

Bring students back together and discuss the following prompt: Return to your own CIC story. Based on what you noticed in these examples, what is one thing you could strengthen before moving into production?

Define storyboard: this is a plan for how a video will unfold from beginning to end. It helps filmmakers decide what the audience will see, hear, and learn during each part of the video before they begin filming.

• Storyboards do not need to be artistic or complicated. Students can use quick sketches, written descriptions, or a combination of both to plan their visuals. The goal is to think through how each visual supports what is being said.
• Explain that storyboarding before filming can help students:
  • Organize their ideas into a clear beginning, middle, and end.
  • Make sure their visuals support their message instead of simply repeating what is being said.
  • Identify what they need to film, photograph, create, or find before production begins.
  • Decide where to include evidence, interviews, graphics, text, music, or other media.
  • Catch gaps or confusing parts of their story before they begin filming.
  • Make filming and editing easier because students already have a plan for each part of the video.

Students will work individually or in the CIC groups to complete LESSON 5: CIC VIDEO STORYBOARD & SCRIPT in their CIC PRIMARY STUDENT WORKBOOK. Explain that each row represents one scene or section of their video. 

• Note: The outline is very basic. Students are encouraged to add additional rows to the script to include interview clips, connections to real-world action, additional evidence, etc.

For every row of this storyboard & script, students should plan:

• What is being shown:
  • Describe or sketch exactly what viewers will see on screen. This could include:
    • A student speaking to the camera
    • An interview
    • Photos or video footage
    • A graph, map, or statistic
    • Images of the problem or solution
    • An animation or drawing
    • Text appearing on screen
    • Footage of students taking action
  • Encourage students to be specific. Instead of writing “show pollution,” for example, they might write “video of plastic trash along the creek near our school while the narrator explains how plastic reaches waterways.”

• What is being said:
  • Write the words that will be spoken word-for-word. Students should write their script the way they would naturally speak rather than the way they would write an essay.
  • Remind students to think about the storytelling structure introduced earlier in the lesson. Their video should help the audience understand:
    • What is happening?
    • What is the problem and why does it matter?
    • What evidence helps us understand the problem?
    • What is a possible solution?
    • What can people do next?

• Music and sounds:
  • Plan any music, sound effects, natural sounds, or moments without narration that will help set the tone or support the story. Remind students that music should support the message without distracting from what is being said.

As students develop their storyboard, encourage them to:

• Think visually. A video should not only tell the audience something; it should also show them whenever possible.
• Match visuals to the message. Ask: What could the audience see while they hear this part of the script?
• Use evidence visually. Statistics, maps, photographs, graphs, quotes, or other evidence can often be shown on screen rather than only described.
• Keep scenes focused. Each row of the storyboard should generally represent one main idea, visual, or moment. Add additional rows whenever the visual or topic changes.
• Plan transitions. Think about how the video will move from the problem to the evidence, from the evidence to the solution, and finally to the call to action.
• Start with a strong hook. The first few moments should make the audience curious or give them a reason to keep watching. A hook could be a surprising fact, question, image, short personal story, or powerful statement.
• End with a clear call to action. Make sure viewers understand what students want them to think, feel, or do after watching the video.

Students should use their research and the storytelling activity to complete the storyboard. Encourage them to revise their ideas as they work. A storyboard is a planning tool, not a final product, and it is normal for scenes, visuals, or lines of the script to change before filming.

Ask students to complete these three statements as an exit ticket

• My video’s central message is:
• One thing I want my audience to understand, feel, or do is:
• One storytelling or CIC criterion I will focus on as I develop my video is: