Greenhouse Gases and Climate Change

Lesson Plans

Grades9, 10, 11, 12Earth and Space Sciences, English Language Arts

Scientist Reviewed

Provided by MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative

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What it is

In this comprehensive lesson plan, students will explore the issues and circumstances surrounding the causes of climate change through hands-on demonstrations, modeling, listening to a podcast, and answering discussion questions.
Students will evaluate the accuracy of greenhouse effect models, determine their preferred metaphor for this effect, and understand what makes a gas a greenhouse gas.

Teaching tips

Positives

Each section of the overall lesson has a timing guideline, a brief description, a materials list (if necessary), discussion questions, and specific steps for students.
There are links for related teacher guides at the bottom of the web page.
There is a helpful sidebar with links to several support resources.

Additional Prerequisites

The resource includes a downloadable educator guide with links to a climate primer (climate knowledge for everyone), a series of climate explainers, and an online help desk. There is also information about using podcasts and discussing climate change in the classroom.
Teachers will need to purchase hands-on materials for two demonstrations. There is a materials list in the educator guide.
The podcast episode with a transcript is available here.

Differentiation

Math teachers can also utilize this resource, specifically the activities "Greenhouse Effect In A Beaker" and "DIY Spectrophotometer and Carbon Dioxide" since students must complete a graph and table and analyze the data for each activity.
Students in English classes read the one-page Explainers and then create objective summaries and subjective opinion paragraphs.
Students can create artistic visualizations of the analogies used in the lesson to describe the greenhouse effect and infrared.
Language arts students can discuss the purpose and evaluate the use of metaphors and similes in scientific explanations.

From the scientist review

Two physical realities make the greenhouse effect possible: the molecular structure of gases in the atmosphere and the nature of electromagnetic radiation. This podcast episode and accompanying lesson plan explain how these shape climate change as we know it. Information in the resource is scientifically accurate. This resource is recommended for teaching.

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At a glance

Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12
Subjects: Earth and Space Sciences, English Language Arts
Other types: Activity - Classroom, Worksheets, Interactive Media, Experiments, Podcasts
Format: Google Docs, PDF
Language: English
Location: Earth
Provider: MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative
Authors: MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative
Published: November 29, 2023
Last updated: July 16, 2026
: Reviewed by our climate scientists How we review

Standards alignment · CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.10 + 15 more

Core

Common Core English Language Arts Standards (CCSS.ELA)

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.10By the end of the year, read and comprehend literary nonfiction in the grades 6-8 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.10By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, in the grades 6-8 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.7.10By the end of the year, read and comprehend literary nonfiction in the grades 6-8 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.10By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, in the grades 6-8 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.8.10By the end of the year, read and comprehend literary nonfiction at the high end of the grades 6-8 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.8.10By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, at the high end of grades 6-8 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.10By the end of grade 8, read and comprehend history/social studies texts in the grades 6-8 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.6-8.3Follow precisely a multistep procedure when carrying out experiments, taking measurements, or performing technical tasks.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.6-8.10By the end of grade 8, read and comprehend science/technical texts in the grades 6-8 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.9-10.5Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.9-10.3Follow precisely a complex multistep procedure when carrying out experiments, taking measurements, or performing technical tasks, attending to special cases or exceptions defined in the text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.11-12.6Acquire and use accurately general academic and domain-specific words and phrases, sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career readiness level; demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.11-12.10By the end of grade 12, read and comprehend science/technical texts in the grades 11-CCR text complexity band independently and proficiently.

Common Core Math Standards (CCSS.MATH)

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.HSS.ID.A.1Represent data with plots on the real number line (dot plots, histograms, and box plots).

Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)

HS-ESS2-4.Use a model to describe how variations in the flow of energy into and out of Earth’s systems result in changes in climate.
HS-ESS3-6.Use a computational representation to illustrate the relationships among Earth systems and how those relationships are being modified due to human activity.

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