Science Lesson: En-ROADS Climate Change Solutions
Lesson Plan
1 hour 45 minutesGrades9, 10, 11, 12Social Studies, Engineering
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 →
Written by Denise Linder
About this lesson
In this lesson, students explore the effectiveness, co-benefits, and equity of climate solutions and create a climate action scenario to limit global warming to 1.5°C using Climate Interactive’s En-ROADS simulator.
Step 1 - Inquire: Students wonder about the composition of the atmosphere and analyze the relationship between global temperature and atmospheric CO2.
Step 2 - Investigate: Students become familiar with the En-ROADS simulator and explore the real-world impact of different climate actions, including the co-benefits, equity considerations, and effect on global temperature.
Step 3 - Inspire: Students create an En-ROADS scenario of effective and equitable climate actions that limits the rise in global temperature to 1.5°C by the year 2100.
Preview the lesson plan
Better on a bigger screen? Open it in its own tab.View Lesson Plan
Everything you need to teach it
How to edit these materials (video)Teaching tips
Positives
- This lesson can be integrated into a science class studying climate change, a social studies class studying civics, an economics class, or a world languages class, as En-ROADS is available in several languages.
- This lesson provides students with step-by-step entry-level access to the internationally recognized En-ROADS (Energy-Rapid Overview and Decision-Support) simulator developed by Climate Interactive, MIT Sloan Sustainability Initiative, and Ventana Systems.
- En-ROADS uses the most current climate science from the International Energy Agency (IEA), the United States Energy Information Administration (EIA), Share Socioeconomic Pathways projected scenarios (SSP), and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The equations are calibrated against past and current scientific and economic data and updated monthly.
Additional Prerequisites
- Teachers should follow the prompts in this lesson to design their own En-ROADS scenario before guiding students. Prior experience with the En-ROADS simulator will allow teachers to more easily demonstrate how to use the control panel, graphs, data, and supporting explanations of slider actions.
- This lesson assumes that students have a basic understanding of the causes and impacts of climate change. If students need a refresher, the following Climate Interactive resources can be reviewed prior to the lesson:
- Students should be comfortable using appropriate terms for climate data: parts per million (ppm) and temperature in degrees Celsius (°C).
- Students will need access to devices and the Internet to use Climate Interactive’s En-ROADS simulator.
Differentiation
- Students can design a campaign advocating for a particular climate solution using the data from their En-ROADS scenario to support their ideas.
- Students could create scenarios based on the best solutions for different priorities, such as cheapest, fastest, most equitable, or most realistic, and then participate in a debate about the solutions.
- Instead of the jigsaw activity, students can read the multisolving resource and complete the table as homework.
From the scientist review
Students can learn about climate equity in this lesson as well as how to utilize the En-ROADS simulator to predict various climate scenarios. Through the simulation exercise, they will gain knowledge on strategies that could cut or eliminate GHG emissions to stop climate change. The lesson passed our science assessment after the simulator and other lesson resources were rigorously fact-checked.
Want this to fit your class?
Add your location for local examples, questions, and action ideas.
About the teacher writer
Denise Linder
9-12 Chemistry Teacher
I have been teaching HS Chemistry in MA for the past 14 years, along with courses in Biology and Environmental Science. As an advocate for Climate Change education, for both teachers and students, I am always looking for content and opportunities to add climate change information to my professional practice and academic courses. I am also registered as a Climate Interactive En-ROADS Ambassador.
