Oregon Food as Climate Curriculum

Lesson Plans

Grades5, 6, 7, 8, 9Earth and Space Sciences, History, Geography

Scientist Reviewed

Provided by University of Oregon

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What it is

This teacher toolkit uses Oregon food stories to teach climate change through an ecopedagogy approach, organized as a menu with introductory appetizers, five lesson entrées, and a dessert resource library.
The five entrée lessons explore what counts as food waste, the Klamath River and salmon before and after dam removal, the cultural role of the huckleberry, the people who harvest food, and what feeds our food through soil.

Teaching tips

Classroom Implementation:

Each entrée targets middle school standards but includes options to simplify or extend for grades five through nine, and a Still Hungry section points to additional resources for teaching.
Entrées are designed to stand alone, so teachers can choose whichever lesson is a good fit for their class.
Within each lesson, teachers can start with the "Delivering this Story" section and then pick and choose the parts of the lesson they want to keep.

Interdisciplinary Connections:

Social Studies:
- "The River Remembered" and "Following the Huckleberry" lessons offer strong opportunities to connect climate science with history, place, and Indigenous knowledge.
- Dive deeper into food justice by using the additional resources listed in the toolkit or other resources, such as this unit plan or this lesson plan.

Sustainable Development Goals Connections:

This resource can be used to make connections to Sustainable Development Goal 2, Zero Hunger, Sustainable Development Goal 12, Responsible Consumption and Production, and Sustainable Development Goal 13, Climate Action.

From the scientist review

This resource explores climate change through the lens of food systems. The text is exceptionally well-sourced, with peer-reviewed sources cited throughout and a comprehensive list of references for each section. Key vocabulary is clearly defined in the introduction of each "entrée." This resource connects food to climate change and justice and is recommended for teaching.

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At a glance

Grades: 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
Subjects: Earth and Space Sciences, History, Geography
Other types: Activity - Classroom, Bundle
Format: PDF
Language: English
Location: North America > United States > Oregon
Provider: University of Oregon
Authors: Libby Bridges
Published: July 10, 2026
Last updated: August 4, 2026
: Reviewed by our climate scientists How we review

Standards alignment · D2.Civ.14.9-12. + 16 more

Core

College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Standards

D2.Civ.14.9-12.Analyze historical, contemporary, and emerging means of changing societies, promoting the common good, and protecting rights.
D2.Geo.4.6-8.Explain how cultural patterns and economic decisions influence environments and the daily lives of people in both nearby and distant places.
D2.Geo.6.6-8.Explain how the physical and human characteristics of places and regions are connected to human identities and cultures.
D2.His.14.6-8.Explain multiple causes and effects of events and developments in the past.

Common Core English Language Arts Standards (CCSS.ELA)

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.7Integrate information presented in different media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively) as well as in words to develop a coherent understanding of a topic or issue.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.6.2Interpret information presented in diverse media and formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) and explain how it contributes to a topic, text, or issue under study.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.7.3Analyze the interactions between individuals, events, and ideas in a text (e.g., how ideas influence individuals or events, or how individuals influence ideas or events).
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.7.6Determine an author's point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how the author distinguishes his or her position from that of others.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.8.6Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.8.4Present claims and findings, emphasizing salient points in a focused, coherent manner with relevant evidence, sound valid reasoning, and well-chosen details; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation.

National Health Education Standards

5.8.1Identify circumstances that can help or hinder healthy decision-making.

Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)

MS-LS1-4.Use argument based on empirical evidence and scientific reasoning to support an explanation for how characteristic animal behaviors and specialized plant structures affect the probability of successful reproduction of animals and plants respectively.
MS-LS1-6.Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence for the role of photosynthesis in the cycling of matter and flow of energy into and out of organisms.
MS-LS2-3.Develop a model to describe the cycling of matter and flow of energy among living and nonliving parts of an ecosystem.
MS-LS2-4.Construct an argument supported by empirical evidence that changes to physical or biological components of an ecosystem affect populations.
MS-ESS3-5.Ask questions to clarify evidence of the factors that have caused the rise in global temperatures over the past century.
MS-ETS1-1.Define the criteria and constraints of a design problem with sufficient precision to ensure a successful solution, taking into account relevant scientific principles and potential impacts on people and the natural environment that may limit possible solutions.

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