Center Science Education
Plugged In To CO2
Watt is going on here? Middle schoolers are learning about energy use and carbon dioxide emissions! In the first part of this lesson, learners measure how much energy different appliances consume and calculate the amount per day. In the...
Curated OER
Global Climate Change
Second graders investigate the effect of melting glaciers to sea level. For this earth science lesson, 2nd graders simulate the process in the lab by conducting an experiment using ice cubes and clay. They explain the consequences of...
Ventura County Air Pollution Control District
Effects of Global Warming
Your learners have probably heard of climate change, but do they really understand what it is? Study the history, details, and future implications of global warming and the greenhouse effect with a set of activities designed for an...
National Academy of Sciences
Lights at Night Webquest
Help learners find ways to become more efficient energy consumers. To start, individuals research how different countries address energy efficiency and then analyze their own carbon footprint. They use their research to identify ways to...
Global Change
Impact of a Changing Climate on the Pacific Walrus
How many of us can say they've seen a Pacific walrus? Not many and one of the reasons is the impact of climate change on their aquatic environment. Children get to think about the food web of the Bering Sea by creating an actual web with...
Curated OER
Weather, Sea Level Rise and Climate Change
Students compare the carbon dioxide content of four different samples. In this chemistry lesson, students research the causes of global warming. They explain how humans contribute to rising global temperature.
Curated OER
Policy Debate / Community Meeting on Climate Change
Students investigate how natural hazards can present personal and societal challenges as well as the cost involved. They assess the risk analysis considerations with global warming and their impacts on an ecosystem. An estimate of the...
Space Awareness
Climate Zones
The climate at the equator is hotter than the climate at the poles, but why? The lesson goes in depth, explaining how the angles of illumination relate to the heating rate at different latitudes and seasons. Scholars use a strong lamp,...
Curated OER
Global Warming WebQuest-Climate Scientist
For this climate science worksheet, students answer five multi-part questions on the responsibilities of a climate scientist. Students may gain this knowledge through a WebQuest.
Global Oneness Project
Witnessing Icebergs
Camille Seaman's photoessay, "Witnessing Icebergs" documents just a tip of the problem of climate change through images of icebergs in both the Arctic and Antarctic polar regions. After viewing the haunting images, viewers respond to a...
Curated OER
Changing Planet: The Warming of Our Large Lakes - Reasons for Concern
Another A+ lesson on the impact of climate change comes to you from the National Earth Science Teachers Association. For this installment, learners model the stratification of water in lakes due to temperature differences. The lab also...
Curated OER
Understanding Lava Layers
Seventh graders view "Volcano" by National Geographic Video. They experiment with baking soda and study lava flow. They describe volcano and earthquake patterns. They analyze weather and climate changes and how they relate to the natural...
Curated OER
Language Arts: Climate Change Debate
Students debate climate change and its causes. They examine articles about the topic and use the information to form their arguments. Students use debate sequence sheets and debater's grids during the exercise.
Curated OER
Micro-Climate
Atmosphere aces investigate the microclimates that exist within a larger area. They use a thermometer to record the varying temperatures and identify the microclimates on a map that they have drawn. This exercise helps them to understand...
Curated OER
Illuminating Climate Change: Connecting Lighting and Global Warming
Students analyze energy usage and connect energy usage to fossil fuel consumption. In this global warming and pollution lesson, students what fuels are used to generate electricity and how much CO2 each fuel produces, then graph the...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Plant Phenology Data Analysis
Scientists monitor seasonal changes in plants to better understand their responses to climate change, in turn allowing them to make predictions regarding the future. The last activity in the series of six has scholars analyze BudBurst...
Curated OER
El Niño ~ The Return of El Niño
El Niño sure creates a stir when it comes around! Why not stir up your earth science class with this data analysis activity that examines the temperature and precipitation over the 2002-2003 water year. A tracking chart is provided...
Earth Day Network
Healthy Earth, Sick Earth
Earth is sick and needs our help! Read the children's book Planet Earth Gets Well to explain the various problems facing the planet, discussing what young conservationists can do to heal the planet along the way. A great Earth Day...
It's About Time
Orbits and Effects
What does your world revolve around? Challenge the class as they learn about orbits and the effects of them on our modern world. Young astronomers begin by measuring ellipses and calculating the eccentricity of Earth's orbit. Then, they...
Curated OER
A Matter of Accountability
Pupils conduct a mock trial focusing on environmental accountability of industrialized nations. As an example, they evaluate evidence provided on carbon dioxide emissions. They participate in a mock trial of industrialized nations by the...
National Wildlife Federation
It's a Green Revolution: An Introduction to Eco-Schools USA
Eco-schools is a project of the National Wildlife Federation and empowers schools to manage their schools with a green focus. Scholars work to define environment and sustainability and springboard this into learning the eight pathways...
Curated OER
Backgrounder Questions
Students are introduced to the intermediate backgrounders developed for the climate change website. Using the internet, they research various climate change concepts and answer discussion questions. They complete a worksheet to end the...
It's About Time
Paleoclimates
How do scientists know what the Earth was like in the past? This second installment of a six-part series focuses on paleoclimates and provides an overview of how geologists determine information about past climates using fossil pollen,...
Serendip
Changing Biological Communities – Disturbance and Succession
After cutting down a forest to make a farm, how long would it take the environment to turn an abandoned farm back into a forest? Scholars study this exact scenario while they interpret many charts and graphs of the changing ecosystems as...