This comprehensive multi-lesson unit details the basic science of global warming, the greenhouse effect, water scarcity, energy sources, climate legislation and agreements, climate inequality, mitigation efforts, and climate adaptation.
The module also contains an interactive self-assessment that students can take to gauge their comprehension.
Teaching Tips
Positives
The unit provides students with extensive information on climate change topics including the melting ice sheets, sea level rise, the Paris Agreement, and the Inflation Reduction Act.
A reading list is included for extended learning or research.
Additional Prerequisites
Students should be able to comprehend higher-level texts or be paired with a peer who can assist with comprehension.
Students should be familiar with basic climate change terms.
The slide presentations can be easily customized and integrated into your existing lesson materials after you make a copy of the Google Slide files.
Differentiation
Teachers can use the individual sections independently or the entire module as a unit.
Consider putting students in groups to discuss the topics in the discussion guides and then have students write a short reflection paragraph.
Many of the lessons can be used as a cross-curricular activity across subjects such as social studies, science, and geography.
As an extension, have students research this Table of Solutions by Project Drawdown, which provides a long list of solutions that can reduce greenhouse gas concentrations globally.
Social studies or government classes could use sections 9-13 to discuss the challenges faced by this global issue, the achievements made by the Paris Climate Agreement, and how to incorporate accountability with climate mitigation targets.
Scientist Notes
This resource is a very comprehensive set of videos, articles, graphs, and interactive materials that present an overview of climate change issues, including science, policy, justice, and action. Teacher resources are included, and all modules are well-cited. This resource is recommended for teaching.
Standards
Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)
ESS2: Earth's Systems
HS-ESS2-4 Use a model to describe how variations in the flow of energy into and out of Earth’s systems result in changes in climate.
ESS3: Earth and Human Activity
HS-ESS3-1 Construct an explanation based on evidence for how the availability of natural resources, occurrence of natural hazards, and changes in climate have influenced human activity.
College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Standards
Dimension 2: Civics
D2.Civ.13.9-12 Evaluate public policies in terms of intended and unintended outcomes, and related consequences.
D2.Civ.14.9-12 Analyze historical, contemporary, and emerging means of changing societies, promoting the common good, and protecting rights.
Dimension 4: Taking Informed Action
D4.7.9-12 Assess options for individual and collective action to address local, regional, and global problems by engaging in self-reflection, strategy identification, and complex causal reasoning.
Common Core English Language Arts Standards (CCSS.ELA)
Reading: Science & Technical Subjects (6-12)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.11-12.7 Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media (e.g., quantitative data, video, multimedia) in order to address a question or solve a problem.
