Students are taught how to psychologically adapt to climate change in three steps:

"Understanding and knowledge leads to acknowledgement and acceptance of the issue." "Coping strategies to manage the feelings and thoughts." "Active engagement and action where we change and adjust behaviours in order to reduce climate change impacts."

Students are also instructed on how to communicate with people who aren't convinced that the climate is changing or that humans are impacting the changing climate significantly.

"As the students learn more about climate change, they may also hear, read about, or speak with, those who disagree with the science behind climate change," the resource says.

"This could cause confusion and anxiety, especially if it appears that because of that denial or lack of understanding, the urgent action required to mitigate and adapt to climate change is stalled."

The syllabus provides a list of "myths" that have been "busted" by scientists - although it does not provide a source on the page.

An example of a "myth" provided in the resource: "Humans are too insignificant to affect global climate". The answer: "Humans are small but powerful, and human CO2 emissions are causing global warming."

Students are instructed on how to "respectfully disagree" with someone who is "yet to be convinced" about climate change.

The resource tells students to "stay calm" and to "avoid putting down other person's ideas and beliefs". It also instructs them to not make it personal, to "listen to the other point of view", and to use "I" statements to communicate how they feel.

The students are then instructed to participate in an activity called "myth buster role-play" where one student will be the 'activist' for climate change and the other the 'sceptic'.

The syllabus includes a YouTube video of Swedish teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg, who last year rallied students across the world - including New Zealand - to protest against inaction from leaders.