Take action to strengthen climate education — we can’t do it without you. Share how your students are learning from SubjectToClimate resources. Small act, big impact.

Amber Medina

Elementary School Teacher

Amber is a third grade elementary school teacher who has taught ELA, Environmental Education, and SEL. With a degree in Environmental Policy and Planning, her passion for environmental justice and action integrated curriculum led her to her commitment to climate education.

Lesson Plans

Lesson Plan

Green Spaces Lesson: Geography and Design
In this lesson, students are introduced to the concept and importance of green spaces through the book Sofia Valdez, Future Prez by Andrea Beaty. Then, students have a chance to start imagining and designing their own ideal green space. 

Inquire: Students examine the idea of a green space and read the book Sofia Valdez, Future Prez by Andrea Beaty.
Investigate: Students explore the definition of green space and explore their neighborhood using Google Maps or Google Earth.
Inspire: Students begin to design their own "perfect” green space.
Grade
Subject Geography,English Language Arts
Resource Type Lesson Plan
Lesson Plan

Green Spaces Lesson: Environmental Justice
In this lesson, students consider the goods and services provided by green spaces. Students also learn about environmental justice as it relates to the prevalence of green spaces in different neighborhoods. 

Inquire: Students brainstorm ideas on how green spaces provide goods and services.
Investigate: Students look at satellite images over time and of different neighborhoods to understand that green spaces are disappearing in general, and that the ones we have are not distributed equally in all communities. 
Inspire: Students learn about how a young activist Jaysa Hunter-Mellers is advocating for environmental justice in her community, and add to the designs of their ideal green spaces.  
Grade
Subject Geography
Resource Type Lesson Plan
Lesson Plan

Green Spaces Lesson: Indigenous Communities
In this lesson, students learn about ecosystem services, with a focus on cultural services important to Indigenous peoples. Students read about Indigenous activism and consider how they can be activists, too.

Inquire: Students explore the four types of ecosystem services: giving services, checking services, supporting services, and cultural services.
Investigate: Students read two articles on Newsela about Indigenous Peoples; one is about government policy, and the other is about climate activism.
Inspire: Students watch a video on youth climate activists and add to their drawings of their ideal green space.
Grade
Subject Geography,English Language Arts
Resource Type Lesson Plan
Lesson Plan

Green Spaces Lesson: Health Benefits
In this lesson, students learn the story of Ken Sparks, an urban farmer in LA, and the important ecosystem services his farm provides to his community. Students then conduct their own research on the benefits of green spaces for our mental and physical health, as well as the health of the planet. 

Inquire: Students learn about a community activist named Ken Sparks, who turned his patio into a green space and inspired others to do the same.  
Investigate: Students conduct research to further explore the relationship between green spaces and mental health, physical health, ecosystem health, and climate change. 
Inspire: Students watch a video of Bee and Me to gain inspiration to add to their drawings of ideal green spaces, and consider what health benefits their green space will offer the community. 
Grade
Subject Geography,English Language Arts
Resource Type Lesson Plan
Lesson Plan

Green Spaces Lesson: Civic Action and Data Analysis
In this lesson, students apply what they have learned about environmental justice to compare data about median income, race, tree cover, and air pollution in Compton and Pasadena. Students write inequality statements to reflect the data that they extract from maps. 

Inquire: Students review information from previous lessons on green spaces and environmental justice.
Investigate: Students compare maps of the two cities of Compton and Pasadena, California, looking at data on median income, race, tree cover, and air pollution to write inequality statements. 
Inspire: Students watch a video on youth climate activists and complete their drawings of their ideal green space. 
Grade
Subject Geography
Resource Type Lesson Plan
Lesson Plan

Green Spaces Lesson: Citizenship
In this lesson, students consolidate and share their learning about the importance of green spaces. Students write a persuasive letter advocating for green spaces and reflect on their advocacy. 

Inquire: Students share the drawings they have been working on of the perfect green space and explain how it will support the health of the community and the Earth. 
Investigate: Students write a letter advocating for more green spaces.
Inspire: Students share their letters and reflect on how it feels to take action in their community. 
Grade
Subject Civics
Resource Type Lesson Plan
3-5 Thumbnails
Lesson Plan

Green Transportation Lesson: Carbon Emissions
In this lesson, students explore how plants transform carbon dioxide into oxygen through photosynthesis, learn about the greenhouse effect by calculating their ecological footprint, and then brainstorm ways to reduce their carbon footprint.

Inquire: Students reflect on what they know about photosynthesis and how plants transform carbon dioxide into oxygen.
Investigate: Students learn about the greenhouse effect and calculate their ecological footprint.
Inspire: Students generate ideas on how to reduce their carbon footprint and impact on the environment, and write a paragraph response.
Grade
Subject Earth and Space Sciences
Resource Type Lesson Plan
3-5 Thumbnails
Lesson Plan

Green Transportation Lesson: Emissions Data
In this lesson, students compare and contrast emissions from different modes of transportation and explore the concept of transportation planning.

Inquire: Students analyze a bar graph of carbon dioxide emissions by different modes of transportation and calculate the most environmentally conscious modes of travel based on emissions.
Investigate: Students analyze commuter survey results of the top concerns with public transportation and complete real-world math problems based on different transportation scenarios, calculating the difference in carbon emission outputs.
Inspire: Students learn about transportation planners and watch a video about Hong Kong’s transit system.
Grade
Subject Mathematics
Resource Type Lesson Plan
3-5 Thumbnails
Lesson Plan

Green Transportation Lesson: Green Careers
This lesson explores different transit systems around the world and unpacks the decision-making process behind transportation planning.

Inquire: Students analyze the transit route maps of four different cities.
Investigate: Students explore in greater depth the elements and features of four different transit systems.
Inspire: Students recall transit rider concerns and create a reimagined metro system to appeal to more riders in the community.
Grade
Subject Geography
Resource Type Lesson Plan
3-5 Thumbnails
Lesson Plan

Green Transportation Lesson: Media Literacy
This lesson promotes students’ understanding of the power and influence of the media. Students will leverage this understanding to develop their own media campaigns for their reimagined metro systems.

Inquire: Students reflect on how their reimagined metro systems address the top ten concerns riders had with the metro.
Investigate: Students think critically about how different transportation advertisements get consumers to want to use their services or purchase their products.
Inspire: Students brainstorm an advertisement for their reimagined metro system.
Grade
Subject English Language Arts
Resource Type Lesson Plan
3-5 Thumbnails
Lesson Plan

Green Transportation Lesson: Student Project
In this lesson, students use six questions to explore critical media literacy and begin creating their own advertisements using a rubric as a guide.

Inquire: Students explore the definition and guiding questions of critical media literacy.
Investigate: Students analyze advertisements about car-free cities.
Inspire: Students begin creating their own advertisements for their metro designs.
Grade
Subject English Language Arts
Resource Type Lesson Plan
3-5 Thumbnails
Lesson Plan

Green Transportation Lesson: Presentations
This lesson features the final advertisement presentations and provides students with the opportunity to think about how to use these projects to make an impact in real life.

Inquire: Students reflect on the advertisement process and their role in their small groups.
Investigate: Students present their final advertisements to their peers.
Inspire: Students brainstorm what to do with their ideas in order to increase metro/public transit ridership in their community.
Grade
Subject English Language Arts
Resource Type Lesson Plan
Lesson Plan

Petroleum Agenda Solutions: Media Literacy Lesson

In this lesson, students engage in critical media literacy investigating the impacts of petroleum extraction, and promote sustainable alternatives.


Step 1 - Inquire: Students explore the impacts of petroleum extraction and analyze two different media literacy forms that promote petroleum-based products.


Step 2 - Investigate: Students conduct research on how a product’s components are derived from petroleum and find a sustainable alternative for the same or similar product.


Step 3 - Inspire: Students reflect on how consumer choices can impact the environment and create a media message to promote the sustainable product from their research.

Grade
Subject English Language Arts
Resource Type Lesson Plan
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