Teaching Climate Change To High School Students

Explore this Guide

Welcome to our Teaching Climate Change guide for high school teachers and students. In this guide, you will find a variety of climate change resources, including high-quality lesson plans, interactive games, vetted videos, and engaging reading resources for high school climate literacy. From learning about the basics of climate science to exploring mitigation strategies and sustainability, this guide is tailored to making global warming education accessible to every classroom. 

Lesson Plans

Whether you're starting with climate science basics or you looking to teach through interactive group projects, you can build background knowledge, enhance community building, and encourage youth climate action with these interactive climate change lesson plans.

Science Lesson: En-ROADS Climate Change Solutions

In this lesson, students explore the effectiveness, co-benefits, and equity of climate solutions and create a climate action simulation to limit global warming to 1.5°C using Climate Interactive’s En-ROADS simulator.

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Games & Activities

These engaging hands-on games and activities give students a way to learn about climate change through exploration and fun.

The Climate Game

In this game, students will examine solutions to the climate crisis, enact global policies based on environmental benefit and political capital, and attempt to keep global warming below the Paris Agreement benchmark.

More Games & Activities

Videos & Books

These climate-themed videos and reading resources allow young people to explore climate change topics on their own or can be used as part of a bigger lesson or project on the effects of climate change and human activities.

Extreme Weather and the Climate Crisis: What You Need to Know

This e-book explains the relationship between emissions, global warming, climate change, and extreme weather events such as hurricanes, floods, drought, wildfires, extreme heat, and extreme cold.

More Videos & Books Resources

Professional Development

Need a little extra guidance when tackling environmental teaching topics? Check out SubjectToClimate's Professional Development courses that have everything you need to know and are completely free. From a basic understanding of climate to writing detailed climate change lesson plans, these courses will help you bring climate science into every classroom. For more professional learning opportunities, check out our Professional Development page on SubjectToClimate.org.

Teacher Guides

Regardless of the subject you teach, it's possible to incorporate climate change education into any curriculum! Explore our other guides for Math and ELA, packed with plenty of math and English resources that include climate change activities, lessons, and more!

Free ELA Lesson Plans for Grades 9-12

Our high school English Language Arts guide features engaging activities, literature, and interactive tools aimed at refining literacy skills and promoting environmental awareness. 

Free Math Resources for Teachers 9-12

Check out our high school Math guide featuring a wide array of educational resources from problem-solving STEM activities to free climate change impact lessons.

Next Steps