Climate Change Communication Investigation
Provided by: Yale Program on Climate Change Communication|Published on: April 27, 2021|Last updated: September 26, 2026
Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12
Type: Lesson Plans
Subjects: Science, Civics, English Language Arts, Mathematics
Authors: Yale Program on Climate Change Communication
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Synopsis
- In this activity, students will collect survey data using questions from the Yale Climate Opinion Maps and compare the data results with the local data collected by the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication.
- Students will design a survey, make hypotheses, graph their data, evaluate the accuracy of their data, identify sources of error, and formulate a plan to educate the community about climate change.
Teaching Materials
Positives
- The Student Page is an extremely well-designed fillable pdf that leads students through the activity in a step-by-step manner.
- The questions require students to think critically about the process of surveying and analyzing data.
Additional Prerequisites
- Though the Student Page is a fillable pdf, the two blank graphs are not fillable and must be completed on paper.
- Students should be familiar with sources of error.
Differentiation
- After the activity, students could design a plan to educate the community about an element of climate change. Students could make posters to put in public buildings, record a short audio piece to play on a public radio station, or make an infographic that can be shared digitally.
- In small groups, students could share their hypotheses and results and discuss the similarities and differences.
- Other resources on this topic include this activity on how to design a survey and write a report on the data, this interactive tool on Americans' opinions on climate change, and this TED video on how to effectively talk about climate change.
The resource provides students with deep insights into the belief systems and behavioral patterns about climate change in the USA. The scope of the study, method, datasets used for the opinion maps, charts, and other materials are appropriate. This resource is recommended for teaching.
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
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