Climate Action Template: Grades 6-12
Activities
5 hoursGrades6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12Science, Social Studies
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Written by Greta Stacy
About this lesson
- This worksheet template guides student teams through a nine-step process to develop a school-based climate action plan, covering topic areas such as energy efficiency, waste management, climate justice, and community engagement.
- Students brainstorm and score project ideas, select topic areas, write a project summary, set SMARTIE goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time-Bound, Inclusive, and Equitable), identify stakeholders, outline short- and long-term action steps, plan resources and budget, define success metrics, develop a communication strategy, and build a project timeline.
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Everything you need to teach it
- Climate Action TemplateOpen
Teaching tips
- This template can work as a scaffold for project-based learning in environmental clubs, sustainability or environmental science classes, or as a part of a civic action unit; it is designed as a living document that students return to and update throughout their project.
- The SMARTIE goal framework, which adds Inclusive and Equitable to traditional SMART goals, offers a natural entry point for discussing equity and climate justice and can prompt meaningful conversation about who is affected by climate decisions.
- Students can complete the earlier steps as a whole class before working in small groups on later stages.
From the scientist review
This resource tasks students with developing a climate action plan. Throughout, focus is placed on performing work that is inclusive and equitable, with emphasis on creating measurable criteria for success. This resource empowers students to think about ways that they can personally affect positive climate action and is recommended for teaching.
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About the teacher writer
Greta Stacy
Education Specialist
Greta Stacy holds a Bachelor of Chemistry from Smith College, a Master of Teaching from Hamline University, and a Graduate Diploma in Chemical Engineering from the University of Limerick. She has nine years of experience teaching chemistry, science, and mathematics for grades 9–12. Greta holds a Minnesota 9–12 Chemistry teaching license, UK Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), Irish Teaching Council registration, and certifications in International Baccalaureate Chemistry and Advanced Placement Biology.
