Lesson Plans

Lesson Plan
In this lesson, students discuss and evaluate artwork by Jill Pelto, investigate renewable and nonrenewable energy, and demonstrate their learning through writing or drawing. 

Step 1 - Inquire: Students discuss and evaluate artwork by Jill Pelto and learn more about her career.

Step 2 - Investigate: Students learn the definitions of renewable and nonrenewable energy, read Sven's Search for Clean Energy, and take notes on renewable and nonrenewable energy.

Step 3 - Inspire: Students write a paragraph or draw a comic to demonstrate their new knowledge.
Grade 3-5
Subject Science,Earth and Space Sciences,Visual and Performing Arts
Resource Type Lesson Plan

Lesson Plan
In this lesson, students learn about deforestation, analyze paintings featuring deforestation themes, and then have the choice to learn about Wangari Maathai or design a climate action plan related to deforestation. 

Step 1 - Inquire: Students activate background knowledge about deforestation, watch a timelapse video of deforestation, and learn the different parts of the word "deforestation."

Step 2 - Investigate: Students analyze and reflect upon two paintings featuring themes of deforestation.

Step 3 - Inspire: Students watch a video about climate activist Felix Finkbeiner and choose one of two options: learn more about Felix's inspiration Wangari Maathai or design a climate action plan related to deforestation.
Grade 3-5
Subject Science,Earth and Space Sciences,Visual and Performing Arts
Resource Type Lesson Plan

Lesson Plan
In this lesson, students view images of plastic pollution around the world, watch a video on plastic pollution, and analyze artwork about plastic pollution.

Step 1 - Inquire: Students complete a KWL on plastic pollution and view six images of plastic pollution around the world.

Step 2 - Investigate: Students watch a video on plastic pollution and discuss.

Step 3 - Inspire: Students analyze artwork with a partner and then choose one artwork to analyze using the art critique star.
Grade 3-5
Subject Science,Earth and Space Sciences,Visual and Performing Arts
Resource Type Lesson Plan

Lesson Plan
In this lesson, students learn about youth activists around the world, choose an environmental campaign, and collect data to support their campaign.

Step 1 - Inquire: Students share their concerns about the environment and assess their ability to make change.

Step 2 - Investigate: Students either watch a video about a youth activist in Wisconsin, USA and conduct research on youth activists or listen to a read aloud of the book Old Enough to Save the Planet.

Step 3 - Inspire: Students choose an environmental campaign. Students create a piece of writing about the campaign, create a data collection plan, and collect data.
Grade 3-5
Subject Science,Social Studies,Earth and Space Sciences,Civics
Resource Type Lesson Plan

Lesson Plan
This lesson engages students with identifying their own emotions through responding to artworks with body language, facial expressions, and their own artwork. 

Step 1 - Inquire: Students identify different emotions and identify their emotional responses to artworks.

Step 2 - Investigate: Students engage with their emotions and share their emotions about climate change artworks.

Step 3 - Inspire: Students share their emotional responses through the creation of a collaged emotions artwork.
Grade k-2
Subject Visual and Performing Arts
Resource Type Lesson Plan

Lesson Plan
This lesson guides students to explore color in art and the connection of color to emotions. 

Step 1 - Inquire: Students explore colors, matching colors that relate to how they are feeling.

Step 2 - Investigate: Students investigate climate change artworks and identify colors and the feeling connected to that artwork.

Step 3 - Inspire: Students create their own color artwork to demonstrate a chosen feeling related to an artwork they are viewing.
Grade k-2
Subject Visual and Performing Arts
Resource Type Lesson Plan

Lesson Plan
This lesson engages students with an environmental issue and allows them to use their artistic skills to create an artwork about caring for the oceans. 

Step 1 - Inquire: Students read Somebody Swallowed Stanley and discuss the colors and emotions in the book.

Step 2 - Investigate: Students practice art techniques.

Step 3 - Inspire: Students create artworks about oceans and display them around their school or local community for others to view.
Grade k-2
Subject Visual and Performing Arts
Resource Type Lesson Plan

Lesson Plan
This lesson engages students with various animations about climate change topics. 

Step 1 - Inquire: Students view a climate change animation video, discuss the content, and describe what defines something as an animation. 

Step 2 - Investigate: Students watch multiple animations in varying forms, recording their reactions, emotions, and thoughts towards the animations.

Step 3 - Inspire: Students reflect on their new knowledge by writing a paragraph or creating a comic strip.
Grade 3-5
Subject Visual and Performing Arts
Resource Type Lesson Plan

Lesson Plan
This lesson introduces students to stop motion animation and educates students on concerns about bird populations in New Jersey. 

Step 1 - Inquire: Students watch stop motion videos and discuss the techniques. 

Step 2 - Investigate: Students investigate the decrease in bird populations in New Jersey due to climate change.

Step 3 - Inspire: Students work collaboratively to plan a presentation to create awareness and advocate for change to protect bird populations in their local area.
Grade 3-5
Subject Visual and Performing Arts
Resource Type Lesson Plan

Lesson Plan
In this lesson, students watch videos and learn about photography to implement photography techniques in their stop motion projects.

Step 1 - Inquire: Students watch stop motion animation videos about climate change to identify techniques. 

Step 2 - Investigate: Students view photographs to learn about varying photography techniques to use in their stop motion projects. 

Step 3 - Inspire: Students complete the Stop Motion Plan Review, adding photography techniques and other details to their plan.
Grade 3-5
Subject Visual and Performing Arts
Resource Type Lesson Plan

Lesson Plan
This lesson will guide students through the process of creating and reviewing their stop motion animation video. 

Step 1 - Inquire: Students watch a video on art and activism.

Step 2 - Investigate: Students spend time creating their video in their groups.

Step 3 - Inspire: Students reflect on each other's videos, writing about the techniques used, the feelings the creators achieved, and the success for awareness of the climate change issue.
Grade 3-5
Subject Visual and Performing Arts
Resource Type Lesson Plan

Lesson Plan
This lesson guides students to create their own education project as a means of informing and inspiring positive change.
 
Step 1 - Inquire: Students discuss what education and climate change are and whether they think education can be a solution to climate change.
 
Step 2 - Investigate: Students participate in a class activity to determine if learning new information can impact people’s intentions or behavior.
 
Step 3 - Inspire: Students create a climate change education project to educate members of their family, classroom, school, or community.
Grade 6-8
Subject Social Studies
Resource Type Lesson Plan


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