Hands-on learning invites students to discover the world by engaging with it directly, something our brains are geared towards on a profound level. When you think over your time in school, what classroom activities do you remember the best? 

I’d be willing to bet that for a lot of people, the answer involves building something, cooking something, taking something apart, planting something, pouring one substance into another…in short, getting your hands dirty. Hands-on learning invites students to discover the world by engaging with it directly, something our brains are geared towards on a profound level. Why not harness this powerful pedagogical method to teach students about one of the most pressing issues of today: climate change?

Of course, when selecting climate change activities for students, you want to make sure that they really complement the material you’re covering. A well-chosen hands-on lesson can liven up class time, engage your students, and help them to understand the subject matter more deeply— plus, it’s likely to be fun. It can also be a lot of work, but we’re here to help. To start, check out these seven climate change hands-on activities.

Climate Change Inquiry Lab

Grade: 6th, 7th, 8th

Subjects: Science, Earth and Space Sciences

Resource Type: Lesson Plan

Bring climate science to life with accessible, tangible representations of our warming planet. This science lesson plan from My NASA Data uses three different experiments to illustrate three different (but linked) elements of climate change. In one experiment, students use plastic wrap to trap heat in a container, representing how atmospheric CO2 traps heat in the air.

A second experiment uses ice cubes in cylinders of water to represent the impact of melting ice on sea levels. In a third experiment, students partially cover water with foil to represent how sea ice keeps our oceans cooler by reflecting the sun’s rays. These three climate activities are a great way to help middle schoolers visualize the science behind global warming.

Footprint Calculator

Grade: 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th

Subjects: Science, Social Studies, Chemistry, Biology, Earth and Space Sciences, Economics, Geography, Math, Justice, Climate Action

Resource Type: Interactive Media

Help make your students’ individual impacts on the planet more concrete with this carbon footprint calculator from Biointeractive. Once you’ve all identified which parts of your lives produce the most emissions, you can brainstorm ways to reduce your footprints together.

Art and Climate Action - Climate Heroes Unit

Grades: 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th

Subjects: Art

Resource Type: Lesson Plan

Inquire

Teacher asks students, "How can art and artists change society? What specifically is the role of art in addressing climate change?"

Investigate

Teacher shares slides of artists addressing climate change through their art. 

Inspire

Students reflect and write about how art and artists can change society, specifically how art can be used to raise awareness about climate change.

This engaging SubjectToClimate unit plan consists of three well-designed hands-on lessons that combine art and climate activism. Students will investigate how artists use their platforms to spread awareness about climate change, discover what young people around the globe are doing to address climate change, and utilize this information to create portraits of youth climate heroes. 

Snack-Sized Science: Plant Your Paper!

Grade: K, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th

Subjects: Science, Biology, Art

Resource Type: Video

Get kids excited about reusing, recycling, and all-around resourcefulness with this plantable paper DIY from Earth Echo Academy. In a straightforward and adorable video, a mother-daughter duo shows how you can recycle paper using ordinary household materials. The end result can be used for writing or drawing-- or starting a garden! Elementary school students will be proud to take home papers they made themselves.

Take It to the Forest

Grades: K, 1st, 2nd

Subjects: Science, Earth and Space Sciences, Health

Resource Type: Lesson Plan

Inquire

Students complete an exercise warm-up and wonder about the question "Why am I breathing so hard?"

Investigate

Students play a game focusing on exercise, the carbon cycle, and climate change.

Inspire

Students discuss ways in which they can help address climate change, such as planting trees.

Why do we breathe hard when we exercise? What is the carbon cycle? How are trees related to air quality? Students will answer these questions through this movement-based SubjectToClimate lesson plan. After monitoring their resting heart rate and breathing, students will exercise for three minutes and then check to see how their heart rate and breathing patterns have changed. As they stretch, students will think about what caused the changes in their bodies. Students will watch a video about the respiratory system before playing, "Take It to the Forest," a fun and active game that will teach students about the carbon cycle and the role that trees play in absorbing carbon dioxide. The lesson ends with a "stretch and chat" to discuss the important role that trees play in keeping the air healthy and to think of ways to address climate change. 

Climate Strike and Art Activism - Create Your Story

Grade: 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th

Subjects: Social Studies, Civics, Art, Climate Action

Resource Type: Activity

What better way to engage deeply with climate issues than by joining the fight for climate solutions? This guide from ACE will help students in Grades 6 and up to create protest signs advocating for change. The guide was designed with the 2019 Climate Strike in mind, but it’s easily adaptable to other actions.

How Does Your Garden Grow?

Grades: K, 1st, 2nd

Subjects: Science, Biology, Math

Resource Type: Lesson Plan

Inquire

Students investigate a small portion of the school yard, such as a square foot, to discover what lives and grows there and then work together to answer the questions “Why are plants important for the Earth and for people?” and “What do plants need to grow?”

Investigate

Students watch a video about what plants need to grow and read a book to learn how gardening can transform a community and provide needed resources.

Inspire

Students create their own classroom garden from common items found at school and in their kitchens and predict and measure plant growth.

Even though most students encounter plants every day, they may not be aware of how important plants are to their communities. In this SubjectToClimate lesson, students will identify what plants need to grow and the benefits that plants provide to communities. Students will get their hands dirty as they repurpose everyday objects into planters to make their own classroom garden, and they will practice their measurement skills by monitoring and measuring how much their plants grow. 

Direct engagement with climate change and climate solutions can begin in the classroom. Climate change activities invite your students to take an active role in the learning process, allowing them to understand global warming more fully and develop the tools to address it. After all, you can’t theorize your way to a livable planet. To fight the climate crisis, we’ll all need to roll up our sleeves and get our hands dirty.