This paper argues that, despite its difficulties, climate change can (and perhaps needs to) be taught rigorously to students by enquiry rather than through transmission and that such a method will enable students to make judgments on other issues of scientific controversy. It examines the issues and barriers to the teaching of climate change, outlines how such an approach might be used to teach a course for Year 11 and 12 students in practice and suggests some of the subject knowledge needed to teach such a course.