Inconvenient Truth, An (ATOM Study Guide)

An Inconvenient Truth (David Guggenheim, 2006) is a powerful resource for engaging students in the classroom in an investigation of the issue of enhanced global warming – meaning the human contribution to climate change and its potentially disastrous consequences.

The film is a 90-minute version of former United States Vice President Al Gore's modestly described 'slide show' about global warming. In fact the 'slide show' is a brilliantly illustrated and animated lecture, interspersed with biographical asides on Gore's journey to become a passionate advocate of the need for people to act to slow down global warming developments. The lecture presents a variety of types of evidence and illustrations of the causes, manifestations and impacts of increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and the subsequent change to global temperatures. After presenting a compelling case, Gore concludes on an optimistic note, by providing practical ways in which ordinary people can take personal responsibility to lessen the global problem. The graphics, interactives and explanations of the aspects covered provide an excellent way of illustrating difficult ideas and developments simply and clearly in the classroom, and in a way that will engage students and promote understanding.

While the film itself states that there is no scientific doubt about the fact of increasing human-influenced global warming, teachers in the classroom will need to approach the issue in a constructively critical way, helping students both to evaluate Gore's evidence, and also to be aware of the major criticisms that exist to the global warming case, and the scientific validity they do or do not have.

The film is packed with evidence and information and this study guide suggests ways of breaking it into manageable sections in the classroom, as well as providing ways of critically exploring the evidence and arguments provided, and deconstructing the methods of persuasion used so skilfully and effectively in the film.