National Wildlife Federation
An Inconvenient Truth in the Classroom
Global warming — what a hot topic! A thorough unit challenges learners to research, read, explore, and write about carbon, its role and increasing nature in our atmosphere, and how global warming is affecting lives and environments...
Colorado State University
What Makes a Gas, a Greenhouse Gas?—The Carbon Dioxide Dance
Investigate a heated topic in environmental science. Scholars team up to play the parts of gas molecules in the atmosphere. As the teacher moves about, acting as the electromagnetic wave, learners react as their molecules would to the...
NASA
Cloudy vs. Clear - Maps
Find out the science of how clouds keep Earth cooler on hot days. Using guided discussions, investigators analyze and interpret maps of how much solar energy Earth receives at different times of the year. Participants draw conclusions...
Curated OER
The Greenhouse Effect
Why does it get so hot inside of our cars in the summertime? The greenhouse effect! Lab groups experiment to see what happens to an ice cube enclosed in a jar and placed in sunlight as compared to an ice cube outside of the jar. They...
National Wildlife Federation
Ghost Town
Around 93 percent of the reefs on Australia's Great Barrier Reef have been bleached, and almost one quarter of them are now dead. Scholars research the sea temperatures, especially around the areas with coral reefs, to make connections...
Curated OER
Going Local with Global Warming
Learners examine climate change by using recent temperature records. In this data analysis lesson plan students plot weather data and study the differences between weather and climate.
Curated OER
Climatic Changes
In this weather worksheet, students read an excerpt describing the climate and extinction. Then they explain what the climate was like during the Age of Dinosaurs. Students also determine some factors that affected the climate during...
Curated OER
Understanding Climate
Fourth graders create two dioramas out of household materials to compare the influence of various factors that impact climate. Each group discuss how the change in factors influenced the climate, flora, and fauna of their area.
Curated OER
Glacier Presentations
Students research news articles relating to global climate change. In this earth science lesson, students create a news broadcast using the information they gathered. They present this in class and each student gives their peer...
Curated OER
Mountain Pine Beetles
Students research and develop power point presentations that answer the question, "What is changing our forests?" In this ecology lesson, students research the niche of Pine Beetles and their increased effect on the forests in Colorado.
Curated OER
Climate Mime-it
Students pantomime new climate vocabulary words. In this climate lesson, students go over new vocabulary words and their meanings. Students form groups and pantomime these word's definitions.
Chicago Botanic Garden
Impacts of Climate on Forest Succession
Part two in a series of four explores the effects of climate on succession or the changing of plant species in a forest. Groups review how to identify trees and then spend a day in the field collecting extensive data on trees to...
It's About Time
How Do Carbon Dioxide Concentrations in the Atmosphere Affect Global Climate?
Does carbon dioxide really affect temperatures across the world? This fifth installment in a six-part series investigates the relationship between carbon dioxide and global temperatures. Graphs created from genuine data help young...
Space Awareness
The Big Meltdown
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...
Polar Trec
Can Carbon Dioxide Act Like a Greenhouse Gas?
Ninety-seven percent of scientists who study climate agree that human activity is warming the planet. Learners explore carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas, a gas causing this warming, through a hands-on experiment. Once complete, they...
Safe Routes to School
Pollution & Evolution
Bring together a study of two major scientific topics with a lesson on the relationship between pollution and evolution. With the help of a PowerPoint presentation, hands-on activity. and class demonstration young scientists learn how...
Curated OER
Odyssey 2050
High schoolers view and respond to The Odyssey 2050 film. In this climate change lesson plan, students view the film and discuss ways to take action to stop global warming. High schoolers complete several activities prior, during, and...
Curated OER
Project Jukebox
Students analyze an interview with the Climate Change Project Jukebox in order to help them undertand how to use a concept map. In this writing and climate change lesson, pairs of students log onto the Internet site for Climate Change...
Curated OER
Nowhere to Run
In this environmental science worksheet, students explore the different climate change around the world and summarize them. They fill in the table provided.
Curated OER
Polar Day: Canada's Arctic Barometer
Students study Polar Day. In this climate change lesson plan, students use specific Internet sources to complete a webquest regarding Canada's Northern Region and how it acts a barometer.
Curated OER
What are the Challenges?
Students discuss energy. In this energy challenges lesson, students read about greenhouse gas emissions and global climate change. Comprehension questions from the reading are provided.
Curated OER
Class Eco-war
Learners debate environmental issues. In this global issues lesson, students listen to lectures and conduct research on global climate change and discuss methods to sustain the global environment.
Curated OER
Predicting the Future
Students examine how scientists predict the effects of global climate change. In this environmental science lesson, students participate in a discussion about using computer generated data to create climate predictions. Students examine...
Curated OER
Paleoclimates and Pollen
Young scholars analyze soil for types of pollen to determine the probably climate conditions. In this earth science lesson plan, students make conclusions on what a climate is like based on soils samples. Young scholars use a model soil...