Climate Storytelling Curriculum Guide
Provided by: Climate Stories Project|Published on: May 27, 2026
Grades: 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
Type: Lesson Plans
Subjects: Earth and Space Sciences, English Language Arts
Authors: Jason Davis, Tessa Ware
Region: Global
Languages: English
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 4-lesson module, students will explore climate stories, news articles, and related materials to understand the power of storytelling and its role in spreading climate awareness.
- Students will listen to a TED Talk on storytelling, compare personal stories with news articles, consider stories about extreme weather alongside information on attribution science, and evaluate the efficacy of climate change art.
- Lessons 1, 2, and 4 are for grades 6 and up, while the 3rd lesson is strictly for high school students.
- The module begins on page 21, with the preceding pages serving as an overview of the curriculum as a whole.
Teaching Materials
Prerequisites:
- Ensure students understand the basics of climate science.
Preparation:
- Note that this is just the first module in the curriculum. Teachers who are interested in all 5 modules can find them here. The other modules are behind a paywall.
- Review the articles and stories linked in the lesson plan.
Differentiation:
- See page 11 for strategies for differentiating this module for students of different grade levels.
- Note that the TED Talk video has some heavy themes, such as miscarriage and homelessness. It is also quite long, so consider showing sections of it, rather than the whole thing, depending on students' needs and the length of class time.
- In Lesson 3, consider substituting this article on attribution science for younger readers or those for whom the article in the lesson may be at a frustrational reading level.
Interdisciplinary Connections:
- See page 17 for ideas for incorporating the modules into different subject areas.
This resource is a five-module curriculum focused on using storytelling to help students understand climate change and express their own lived experience of the climate crisis. The curriculum is exceptionally well-sourced, with numerous peer-reviewed sources cited in footnotes and external links throughout the text. This resource empowers students to communicate their own climate stories and 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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