Government Lesson: Evaluating Climate Policy in NYC
Lesson Plan
1 hour 30 minutesGrades12Civics
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Written by John Grant
About this lesson
In this lesson, students analyze how federal, state, and local governments respond to climate-related disasters and evaluate whether these policies effectively address rising costs and community needs. They compare policies across levels of government and apply their understanding by writing a data-driven policy memo that recommends action and includes a pathway for civic engagement.
Inquire: Students examine disaster cost data and discuss the responsibility and effectiveness of climate response across three levels of government.
Investigate: Students analyze and compare federal and state climate policies to determine their goals, impacts, and effectiveness, then identify gaps in current approaches.
Inspire: Students evaluate a local climate policy and write a policy memo recommending action to a specific level of government, incorporating evidence, counterarguments, and a civic participation strategy.
This lesson plan was developed by John Grant as his final project for LEAP's third annual summer institute. We acknowledge funding from the National Science Foundation through the Learning the Earth with Artificial Intelligence and Physics (LEAP) Science and Technology Center (Award #2019625).
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Suggestions
- The Investigate and Inspire sections should be completed on separate days. Additionally, teachers can decide which parts of memo writing are completed in class or as homework.
- This lesson can be taught after students have been introduced to the structures of different levels of government to focus on policy analysis.
- This lesson can be paired with current events in policy-making or extreme weather.
- Students can research and contact their city council member, state assembly representative, or congressional representative about one of the policies they analyzed and send them their memo as a constituent letter.
- This lesson is a strong bridge to the required economics class: The questions on cost-benefit analysis and disaster cost data connect to externalities, public goods, and the government’s role in market failures.
- The CPI-adjusted data in the NOAA graph is an opportunity for math and economics classes to connect to inflation, indexing, and data literacy concepts.
- For AP Government classes, this lesson can extend to U.S. participation in the Paris Agreement as a case study of federalism and the executive's foreign policy power.
- In AP Environmental Science classes, this lesson can be used to support deeper environmental policy analysis.
- Teachers can invite local policy analysts or developers as guest speakers.
- Teachers can invite local community board members, council staffers, or environmental justice advocates to respond to student memos.
Prerequisites
- Teachers should check links to all websites or pre-select sections on government websites for students to research in the Investigate section.
- If adapting to a different state and city, teachers should replace research with state and local-level policies. Alternatively, students can research one state and local-level climate policy, plan, or project for the Investigate and Inspire sections.
- Based on classroom context and the length of class periods, teachers should determine pacing and what parts will be assigned for homework.
- Students should have a basic understanding of the three branches of government and the differences between federal, state, and local jurisdiction.
- Students should have prior experience reading charts and graphs, including what axes represent and how to identify basic trends.
- Students should have a basic understanding of public policy and how it differs from laws.
Differentiation
- Teachers can create simplified one-page summaries of selected policy sources for students who need extra support.
- Students needing support can use the policy memo outline as the writing template or submission.
- Students can compare New York’s climate policy response to that of another state that has taken a different approach to climate change and its impacts. Students can compare and contrast various policy responses.
- Students can further research the environmental justice dimensions of the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA by identifying which New York communities are considered disadvantaged and whether those communities are reflected in the policies they analyzed.
- As an extension, students can research a case against a government agency to explore how lawsuits shape climate policy and analyze how courts influence policy decisions.
- Students can explore the interactive graph in the Inquire section of Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters, using the tabs to navigate data and information, including disaster and risk mapping, climatology, and specific weather or climate events.
- To further understand how international agreements shape federal policy, students can read the Paris to Kyoto: History of Climate Agreements and discuss impacts at the federal, state, and local levels when the U.S. joins or withdraws.
From the scientist review
This lesson is exceptionally well-sourced, grounded on primary data from NOAA as well as laws and policy documents sourced directly from the U.S., NY state, and NYC governments. While a government-focused lesson, students are rightly tasked with assessing environmental costs and benefits rather than just economics. This lesson is strongly based in sound climate science and is recommended for teaching.
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About the teacher writer
John Grant
I am based in the Northeast, specifically New York City. I have over ten years of experience as a public high school Social Studies teacher, primarily teaching seniors Economics and Civics. I am deeply passionate about civic education and have worked to engage my students in their communities by partnering with organizations and initiatives such as Civics for All, Participatory Budgeting and Generation Citizen. I take particular pride in empowering students to become active, informed citizens through projects that address community issues and amplify their voices.
When not in the classroom, I enjoy following New York sports and am a dedicated fan of the New York Mets, New York Giants, New York Knicks, and St. John's Red Storm.
When not in the classroom, I enjoy following New York sports and am a dedicated fan of the New York Mets, New York Giants, New York Knicks, and St. John's Red Storm.
