This resource provides three lesson plans from the Earth Warriors Curriculum.
In Lesson 1, students learn about planet Earth the Earth Warriors community.
In Lesson 2, students learn about melting ice and connect this concept to the melting polar ice caps and rising sea levels.
In Lesson 3, students pick their favorite Earth warrior and make their own commitments to climate mitigation.
Teaching Tips
Positives
Students can relate with fictional superhero characters as well as with real-life children who can be role models for taking action for the climate.
The additional activities and resources for each lesson provide a wealth of ideas for extension activities, including templates for coloring pages and an Earth Warriors theme song with accompanying dance moves.
Additional Prerequisites
Teachers will need a projector or screen to display the presentation slides and videos, unless they are assigned for computer use.
Other materials needed include a globe, paint, paper, natural materials like flowers, sticks and string, ice cubes, small stones or clay, small animal figurines, and flip chart paper.
Differentiation
Students in science class can use these lessons to learn about climate science as well as states of matter and the process of melting ice.
Students in social studies or art classes can learn about the ability for everyone in a community, including children, to take action and to communicate messages through artwork.
A version of these lessons recommended for students aged 8-11 is available here.
Other resources related to this topic include thisart activitythat encourages recycling, thisinteractive storyabout the basics of climate change, and thisanimated videoabout climate change.
Scientist Notes
This resource includes lessons for students to learn how to observe the planet and investigate the changes. The activities embedded in the lessons will build students' confidence in finding solutions to pollution, the climate crisis, melting sea ice, and other environmental problems. This resource is ideal for teaching.
Standards
Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)
ESS2: Earth's Systems
2-ESS2-3 Obtain information to identify where water is found on Earth and that it can be solid or liquid.
ESS3: Earth and Human Activity
K-ESS3-3 Communicate solutions that will reduce the impact of humans on the land, water, air, and/or other living things in the local environment.
PS1: Matter and its Interactions
2-PS1-4 Construct an argument with evidence that some changes caused by heating or cooling can be reversed and some cannot.
College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Standards
Dimension 4: Taking Informed Action
D4.7.K-2 Identify ways to take action to help address local, regional, and global problems.
National Core Arts Standards
Visual Arts: Standard 11 - Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural, and historical context to deepen understanding.
