When New Jersey mandated climate education, my supervisor introduced our department to SubjectToClimate. I could have treated it as a mandate and moved on. But as I explored those resources, I realized this was not only a mandate - it was a responsibility I had to my students. I needed to prepare myself in order to help prepare them for the climate issues they would be inheriting in their lifetimes.

I had two real hesitations. First, I wasn't confident in my personal knowledge, and I didn't know where I was going to find time to build climate curriculum into what I was already required to cover. Second, I had been reading a lot about climate anxiety and the impact on students, and I was very concerned about making that situation worse. The SubjectToClimate-created professional development (Levels 0-2) I completed - and my interactions with StC staff, especially Ben Charles - helped me work through both of those concerns.

What made the biggest practical difference was that I did not have to start from scratch. The lessons and activities were easily found on the website, and they fit into what I was already teaching. The Ice Caps lesson fits right into our chemistry unit when we're discussing physical properties. The Landfill lesson went along with our conversation on chemical changes - students loved creating landfills in a bottle. The Amazon Rainforest lesson brings our work on waves and energy to life in a real situation that resonates with students. They want justice for the indigenous people of the Amazon, and think it is cool that old cell phones can be used to help.

The clearest thing I saw was our youth climate summit - about 120 students in 7th and 8th grade, spending a day researching topics from biofuels to fast fashion and building recommendations. When a student who was always very quiet and reluctant to participate suddenly began raising their hand and asking questions about sea level rise, I saw what happens when students connect to the information they're learning. The pre- and post-summit surveys told the same story at scale: students reported significantly greater knowledge while maintaining an appropriate level of concern. Feelings of helplessness and powerlessness appeared to decrease, while optimism and confidence increased. They came to see climate change as a challenge that can be addressed, rather than one that is overwhelming.

If you're thinking about bringing climate into your classroom: think about something that you already enjoy teaching. Go to the SubjectToClimate website and search that topic to see what comes up. Select one thing, and give it a try. If you don't have as much time as the lesson suggests, shorten it - just pick out the reading or the video you think will resonate with your students. 

Start small, but just start.