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Yen-Yen Chiu

Director of Education

I've been in public education since 2001, teaching multiple levels of English and math for middle school and high school in California and New Jersey. I've been credentialed in English, math, and introductory music. I have a doctorate in Educational Leadership. I love creating interdisciplinary curricula with student choice and assessments that can highlight different learning styles and knowledge applications.

Lesson Plans

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Lesson Plan

Comprehension Lesson: Listening Skills
In this lesson, students evaluate arguments and reasoning on the effects of climate change and advocate for climate change through a personal call to action. 

Step 1 - Inquire: Students explore three different personal perspectives on how climate change has affected three different regions.
 
Step 2 - Investigate: Students identify three different personal calls to action and explore strategies in personal evidence and reasoning.
 
Step 3 - Inspire: Students identify their own personal perspective with climate change in their region and write their own call to action.
Grade
Subject English Language Arts
Resource Type Lesson Plan
9-12 Thumbnails
Lesson Plan

Poetry Writing Lesson: Poetic Tone and Climate Zones
In this lesson, students learn the five climate zones in New Jersey and interpret facts into a poetic voice from the point of view of nature. 

Step 1 - Inquire: Students explore two interactive maps showing increased precipitation and sea level rise in New Jersey. 

Step 2 - Investigate: Students learn the details and differences of the five climate zones in New Jersey. 

Step 3 - Inspire: Students read a short poem describing a zone of nature, choose one climate zone, and reinterpret the details and differences of the zone into a poem from nature’s point of view.

Grade
Subject English Language Arts
Resource Type Lesson Plan
Lesson Plan

Research Lesson: Climate Change in New Jersey

In this lesson, students explore four major categories of climate change, identify one to further research, and create a fact sheet. 


Step 1 - Inquire: Students read New Jersey's Changing Climate and identify the four specific effects of climate change in New Jersey.

 

Step 2 - Investigate: Students discuss two open-ended questions related to the fact sheet.

 

Step 3 - Inspire: Students choose one category from the fact sheet and discussion, engage in their own research, and create their own fact sheet and infographic.

Grade
Subject English Language Arts
Resource Type Lesson Plan
Lesson Plan

Computer Science Lesson: Gaming and Climate Change

In this lesson, students explore the role of video games in bringing awareness to climate change and evaluate or design a climate change video game.


Step 1 - Inquire: Students discuss the role of video games in education and behavior modification, sharing their personal experiences and thoughts.


Step 2 - Investigate: Students read an article on how the gaming industry is addressing its environmental impact and answer discussion questions.


Step 3 - Inspire: Students choose to evaluate the effectiveness of climate change games or design their own climate change video game.

Grade
Subject Computer Science
Resource Type Lesson Plan
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Lesson Plan

Design Thinking Lesson: Desalination Methods
In this lesson, students explore different methods of desalination. 

Step 1 - Inquire: Students read two facts about the Earth’s water and share reactions. 

Step 2 - Investigate: Students watch a video on desalination and take notes.

Step 3 - Inspire: Students analyze two desalination processes, evaluate an at-home desalination model, and have the opportunity to build the desalination model.
Grade
Subject Computer Science
Resource Type Lesson Plan
Lesson Plan

Graphing Lesson: Precipitation Data

In this lesson, students use New Jersey precipitation data to create graphs and discuss climate change.


Step 1 - Inquire: Students discuss initial observations about a New Jersey precipitation data chart showing monthly and annual averages.


Step 2 - Investigate: Students explain the relationship of precipitation over time by graphing, finding the line of best fit, and finding the equation of the line.


Step 3 - Inspire: Students choose an independent activity, complete a short reading, and then apply their learning to a discussion about the relationship between precipitation and climate change.

Grade
Subject Mathematics
Resource Type Lesson Plan
Lesson Plan

Rising Temperatures: Graphing Lesson

In this lesson, students graph data to explore the relationship between maximum and minimum New Jersey temperatures over time.

 

Step 1 - Inquire: Students interact with two data tables showing maximum and minimum average temperatures in New Jersey.

 

Step 2 - Investigate: Students choose data to graph both max and min temperatures over time and discuss their findings.

 

Step 3 - Inspire: Students watch a video showing the current effects of temperature in New Jersey and explore the connection between the video’s information and their graph.

Grade
Subject Earth and Space Sciences,Mathematics
Resource Type Lesson Plan
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Lesson Plan

Public Speaking Lesson: Climate Change Communication
In this lesson, students discuss three effective strategies for talking about climate change, then write and present a speech using the three strategies.
 
Step 1 - Inquire: Students identify and discuss the communication disconnect between climate change scientists and everyday people.
 
Step 2 - Investigate: Students watch a video and evaluate three effective communication strategies for climate change discussions.
 
Step 3 - Inspire: Students write and deliver a 3-5 minute speech on climate change.
Grade
Subject English Language Arts
Resource Type Lesson Plan
Lesson Plan

Redlining and Tree Equity: Social Justice Lesson

In this lesson, students learn how redlining connects to tree equity and racial justice.

 

Step 1 - Inquire: Students learn definitions of redlining and systemic racism and explore the Mapping Inequality tool.

 

Step 2 - Investigate: Students explore the connection between redlining and tree equity.

 

Step 3 - Inspire: Students share their new knowledge, discuss possible solutions to environmental inequality, and complete a written reflection.

Grade
Subject Civics,History,Geography
Resource Type Lesson Plan
Lesson Plan

Poetry Writing Lesson: Forest Odes and Elegies
In this lesson, students learn about deforestation through a timelapse silent video and respond by writing an ode or an elegy using the literary device of apostrophe.

Inquire: Students watch a video showing deforestation and pick one region to further research the effects of climate change.
Investigate: Students learn key literary and structural differences between an ode and an elegy and write a poem to the lost forests.
Inspire: Students share their poems and investigate possible solutions to deforestation.
Grade
Subject English Language Arts
Resource Type Lesson Plan
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Lesson Plan

ELA Lesson: Slogans and Parallel Structures
In this lesson, students evaluate three slogans on climate awareness and advocacy and create their own artistic slogans with four specific types of parallel structure.
 
Step 1 - Inquire: Students evaluate visual and writing components of three slogans on climate change awareness and advocacy.
 
Step 2 - Investigate: Students watch introductory videos on climate change, take notes on the main ideas, reflect on meaningful evidence, and discuss the effectiveness of climate protests.
 
Step 3 - Inspire: Students learn four types of parallel structure and create slogans combining parallel structures, climate change facts, and art.
Grade
Subject English Language Arts
Resource Type Lesson Plan
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Lesson Plan

ELA Lesson: Evaluating Message and Messenger
In this lesson, students learn the impacts of climate change on birds, explore the effectiveness of public art on climate change awareness, and synthesize informational texts into a persuasive or argumentative essay.

Inquire: Students watch a video showing the effects of climate change on bird sizes and discuss their observations and questions.
Investigate: Students explore the art and artists of the Audubon Mural project, read an article, and discuss the effectiveness of art in climate change awareness.
Inspire: Students learn about the personal beliefs of John J. Audubon, reflect on the relevance of these beliefs to the work of the Audubon Society, and respond in a persuasive or argumentative essay.
Grade
Subject English Language Arts
Resource Type Lesson Plan
Lesson Plan

Landfill Lesson: Environmental Justice
In this lesson, students explore various impacts of landfills, learn about the environmental justice movement, and apply their learning to community action.

Step 1 - Inquire: Students learn about the decomposition rates of items commonly found in landfills and begin to discern issues landfills may cause.

Step 2 - Investigate: Students explore their local landfills, watch a video on the beginning of the environmental justice movement, and learn about environmental racism.

Step 3 - Inspire: Students learn about the federal environmental justice office and create a community awareness plan about landfills.
Grade
Subject English Language Arts
Resource Type Lesson Plan
Lesson Plan

Chief Heat Officer: Green Career Lesson
In this lesson, students explore an emerging climate career and create solutions to the problems of extreme heat in their local community.

Inquire: Students describe a time when they felt too hot and learn about a new job to address extreme heat in cities.
 Investigate: Students develop a compelling question about Chief Heat Officers (CHOs), then read about and compare different global CHOs.
Inspire: Students imagine they are their school or community’s Chief Heat Officer, identify an issue, and create a solution.
Grade
Subject Social Studies,Career Skills
Resource Type Lesson Plan
Lesson Plan

The Arctic: Food Security Lesson
In this lesson, students explore the connection between climate change and food security in the Arctic, understand the impacts on the Inuit way of life, and write a persuasive piece on a potential solution.

Inquire: Students are introduced to the complexities of Arctic food systems through images and build an understanding of the definition of food security globally and specifically in the circumpolar Arctic.
Investigate: Students read about food security and share their learning in a jigsaw activity.
Inspire: Students reflect on what might be getting in the way of food security in the Arctic, brainstorm how they can be part of the solution, and write a persuasive piece.
Grade
Subject Geography,English Language Arts
Resource Type Lesson Plan
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Lesson Plan

Music Lesson: Consonance and Dissonance
Students create a consonant and dissonant musical composition in response to the visual effects of climate change.


Inquire: Students reflect and identify musical components in instrumental songs that convey specific feelings.

Investigate: Students learn the terms and intervals of consonance and dissonance, then identify the quality and number of intervals in well-known instrumental clips.

Inspire: Students watch a time-lapse video showing the effects of climate change and create a musical composition reflecting their feelings with consonance and dissonance.
Grade
Subject Visual and Performing Arts
Resource Type Lesson Plan
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Lesson Plan

Music Lesson: Legato and Staccato
Students use legato and staccato to compose a piece that reflects a climate change effect or event.

Inquire: Students learn the musical terms legato and staccato and explore their musical effects.
Investigate: Students listen to two movements by a climate composer and discuss how legato and staccato represent climate impacts.
Inspire: Students create a musical composition using legato and staccato to reflect a climate change effect or event.
Grade
Subject Visual and Performing Arts
Resource Type Lesson Plan
Lesson 1
Lesson Plan

Science Lesson: How Soil Works
Students explore how soil supports life and cycles nutrients through plants and decomposers, then connect these ideas to real-world issues by analyzing local soil and considering access to healthy soil.

Inquire: Students explore why soil matters for growing food.
Investigate: Students learn how matter cycles through soil and create a model that shows how organisms recycle nutrients.
Inspire: Students analyze soil samples, make evidence-based predictions about soil health, and connect their findings to real-world social and environmental justice issues.
Grade
Subject Science
Resource Type Lesson Plan
Lesson 2
Lesson Plan

Science Lesson: Soil Health and Agriculture
Students investigate how soil health supports ecosystems and food production, examine soil samples, and use evidence to compare healthy and unhealthy soils. Students connect these observations to real-world challenges, considering how extreme weather, climate change, and human activity affect soil and brainstorm ways to improve it.

Inquire: Students discuss why healthy soil matters, explore local examples of extreme weather impacts, and watch a brief video to spark curiosity.
Investigate: Students analyze soil samples, learn about soil organisms, and make evidence-based conclusions about soil health.
Inspire: Students reflect on the importance of soil health, identify a local soil problem they would like to solve, and propose ideas to improve soil in their community.
Grade
Subject Science
Resource Type Lesson Plan
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Lesson Plan

Designing for Water: Adapting Indigenous Practices
Students explore traditional Indigenous water-harvesting techniques used by the Tohono O’odham people to learn how these methods help protect soil and conserve water, apply this knowledge to design a modern adaptation for a local water or soil challenge, and communicate their ideas through sketches and written reflections.

Inquire: Students explore farming challenges caused by extreme weather and share their observations and ideas for local adaptations.
Investigate: Students learn about Indigenous water-harvesting techniques, take notes on how they protect soil and conserve water, and analyze modern adaptations.
Inspire: Students design a modern adaptation of a traditional water-harvesting method to address a local soil or water challenge and share their ideas with the class.
Grade
Subject Science
Resource Type Lesson Plan
Lesson 4
Lesson Plan

Invention Lesson: Designing for Our Community
In this lesson, students apply an invention education framework to identify a local soil, water, or agricultural challenge by connecting traditional knowledge, climate impacts, and community needs. Students research and write a problem statement to guide the development of sustainable solutions.

Inquire: Students synthesize their knowledge and understanding of soil health, water harvesting, and climate connections from lessons 1-3.
Investigate: Students learn about and engage in the invention process to identify specific local challenges and write a problem statement.
Inspire: Students examine sustainable agricultural inventions and engage in guided research to establish criteria for their design solutions.
Grade
Subject Science,Engineering
Resource Type Lesson Plan
Lesson 5
Lesson Plan

Invention Lesson: Sketch, Build, Improve
In this lesson, students apply research and defined constraints to design, sketch, and build a prototype that addresses a problem identified in Lesson 4. Students work together to learn how evidence and testing improve designs.

Inquire: Students learn how constraints shape design.
Investigate: Students use research to sketch, evaluate, and refine multiple design ideas, then select a design to build a prototype.
Inspire: Students build a prototype, document challenges and changes, and reflect on how it matches their design sketch.
Grade
Subject Science,Engineering
Resource Type Lesson Plan
Lesson 6
Lesson Plan

Invention Lesson: Refining Sustainable Solutions
In this lesson, students test their prototypes, observe outcomes, and use evidence to improve their designs. Students reflect on sustainability and real-world impact while preparing to share their solutions with the community.

Inquire: Students reflect on the Invention Process and sustainability in design.
Investigate: Students plan a method to test their prototype and collect data.
Inspire: Students revise their prototype based on test results, retest for improvements, and prepare for a Design Showcase.
Grade
Subject Science,Engineering
Resource Type Lesson Plan
SubjectToClimate
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