+
Lesson Plan
Global Oneness Project

At-Risk Communities

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
"Waiting to Move," a photo essay by Ciril Jazbec, brings into sharp focus the threats posed by climate change. Class members examine images of Shishmaref Island and the Native Alaskan Inupiate coastal villages that are impacted by rising...
+
Lesson Plan
National Wildlife Federation

Master P in the House: An All School Energy and Climate Change Plan

For Teachers 5th - 8th Standards
A person in the US uses 20 times more energy than a person in India—that's a drastic difference! The final activity in the 12-part series goes back to the initial energy audits, analyzes which room showed the most conservation of energy,...
+
Lesson Plan
1
1
Chicago Botanic Garden

Historical Climate Cycles

For Students 7th - 9th Standards
Scientists use ice core samples to obtain temperatures of the earth from 400,000 years ago! The third of five lessons instructs pupils to interpret historical climate data to see changes over time. In part I, participants interpret...
+
Lesson Plan
1
1
Chicago Botanic Garden

Calculating Your Ecological Footprint

For Teachers 7th - 9th Standards
You can lower your ecological footprint by recycling! Lesson four in this series of five has individuals, through the use of a computer, calculate their ecological footprints. Through discussions and analysis they determine how many...
+
Lesson Plan
1
1
Chicago Botanic Garden

Faces of Climate Change

For Teachers 7th - 9th Standards
You know global warming is real when your squirrel feeder is full of popped corn instead of kernels! Activity two in a series of five allows learners to explore climate change through the eyes of another. After briefly analyzing their...
+
Lesson Plan
1
1
Chicago Botanic Garden

Migration, Adaptation, and Changing Climates

For Teachers 7th - 9th Standards
It is easy for humans to adapt to changing environments, but how do animals and plants do it? Classes discuss how plants and animals deal with environmental changes in the second of seven lessons. Through questions and discussions,...
+
Lesson Plan
1
1
Chicago Botanic Garden

Food for Thought: Climate Change and Trophic Cascades

For Teachers 7th - 9th Standards
Learners examines the arctic food web with a short video about polar bears and an article about bears and warming temperatures. They design an arctic food web and discuss the trophic cascade that could come from climate change. 
+
Lesson Plan
1
1
Chicago Botanic Garden

Causes and Effects of Climate Change

For Teachers 7th - 9th Standards
It's time for your class to literally show what they know! Pupils illustrate what they learned about the causes and effects of climate change by filling out a graphic organizer to complete the 5-part series of lessons. They discuss them...
+
Assessment
1
1
Chicago Botanic Garden

Unit 4 Pre-Assessment

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Pre-assessments are great to help teachers determine what information their classes lack, what misconceptions they have, and how in depth to teach specific concepts. The first in a five-part series is a pre-assessment of middle...
+
Assessment
1
1
Chicago Botanic Garden

Review and Assessment: Causes and Effects of Climate Changes

For Students 10th - 12th Standards
The last activity in the series of five is a short one where individuals show what they've learned about the causes and effects of climate change. Working independently, they fill in a graphic organizer, then compare their notes with a...
+
Lesson Plan
1
1
Chicago Botanic Garden

Climate Change Around the World

For Teachers 7th - 9th Standards
It is unknown if cloud cover increases in response to carbon dioxide levels changing, helping climate change slow down, or if cloud cover decreases, allowing Earth to warm faster. Part four in the series of five lessons has classes...
+
Lesson Plan
1
1
Chicago Botanic Garden

Are Global CO2 Levels Changing?

For Teachers 10th - 12th Standards
According to the Mauna Loa observatory, carbon dioxide levels increased by 3 ppm in our atmosphere between 2015–2016. Individuals analyze carbon dioxide data from around the world and then share this with a home group in lesson three of...
+
Lesson Plan
1
1
Chicago Botanic Garden

Historical Climate Cycles

For Teachers 10th - 12th Standards
Ice core samples give scientists access to climates of old—those from more than 800,000 years ago. Through an analysis of various temperature graphs from ice cores, tree rings, and weather stations, scholars compare historical climates...
+
Lesson Plan
1
1
Chicago Botanic Garden

Climate and Forest Ecosystem Services

For Teachers 10th - 12th Standards
Forests, through sequestration, capture excess carbon dioxide in our atmosphere and store it, aiding in climate change. The third installment in a four-part series on how climate impacts forests explores carbon sequestration. Classes...
+
Lesson Plan
1
1
Chicago Botanic Garden

Climate Change Around the World

For Teachers 10th - 12th Standards
You know climate change is happening when you see a bee take off its yellow jacket. Part four in a series of five lessons explores all factors affecting climate change: temperature, cloud cover, precipitation, and carbon dioxide. By...
+
Worksheet
1
1
Chicago Botanic Garden

Unit 2 Pre-test, Grades 7– 9

For Students 7th - 9th Standards
This pre-assessment launches a unit on climate change and weather. 15 questions, both short answer and multiple choice, asses the classes' knowledge about these concepts. 
+
Lesson Plan
1
1
Chicago Botanic Garden

Climate Change Impacts on Ecosystem Services

For Students 7th - 9th Standards
The fourth activity in a series of five has classes participate in a jigsaw to learn about global impacts of climate change and then share their new information with a home group. Groups then research impacts of climate change (droughts,...
+
Lesson Plan
Space Awareness

The Big Meltdown

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Explore the world (our world) of melting ice caps. Why are these caps melting? What is the effect of melting ice caps? Dive into the ever-present issue of global warming with a resource that has learners looking at data and participating...
+
Lesson Plan
1
1
Chicago Botanic Garden

Faces of Climate Change

For Students 10th - 12th Standards
How does climate change affect you? First in a three-part series, the activity focuses on how individuals living around the world are affected by climate change. Individuals take on the role of a given character and share their...
+
Lesson Plan
1
1
Chicago Botanic Garden

Reflecting on What I Learned About Climate Change

For Teachers 5th - 6th Standards
After three eye-opening lessons about our environment, scholars revisit a 10-question survey, reflect on their new-found knowledge, and take action by writing to a representative or creating a public service announcement about climate...
+
Lesson Plan
1
1
Chicago Botanic Garden

Impacts of Climate Change

For Teachers 5th - 6th Standards
Scholars become experts on the eight major impacts of climate change through a jigsaw and grand conversation. They then research and present what they learned about effects specific to their region.    
+
Lesson Plan
1
1
Chicago Botanic Garden

Faces of Climate Change

For Students 5th - 6th Standards
Sometimes, the best solution to a problem can be found by walking in someone else's shoes. Here, scholars use character cards to take on the roles of people around the world. They determine how their character's life affects our...
+
Lesson Plan
1
1
Chicago Botanic Garden

Are You Bigfoot?

For Students 5th - 6th Standards
Scholars independently explore several websites to calculate their ecological footprint. Using their new found knowledge, they answer six short-answer questions and take part in a grand conversation with their peers about how our...
+
Lesson Plan
1
1
Chicago Botanic Garden

Causes and Effects of Climate Change

For Teachers 5th - 6th Standards
Wrap-up a unit on global climate change with a lesson that examines the causes and effects of climate change. Learners fill out a chart that represents what they think causes climate change—natural and human-based—and what they think...