Roughly ten percent of the world’s CO2 emissions come from passenger vehicles: cars, pickups, motorcycles, buses, and taxis. So today, we’re going to zoom in on how people across the world get around every day, how that’s quickly changing, and what to consider when thinking about reducing carbon emissions from everyday travel. For this episode, we sat down with our former MIT colleague and transportation expert Dr. Joanna Moody.

This unit includes 5 lessons that culminates in a persuasive argument in the form of letter to congressional member or grant proposal to Duke Energy.

This unit includes 10 lessons that culminate in a student created final product presentation on the factors that influence climate change through the lens of chemistry and oceanography using literacy strategies to conduct inquiry level research.

Using inquiry-based reading, student will examine an anchor text to formulate a question to guide their research and development of student driven projects. Throughout the unit, students will use a variety of texts, websites, and other resources to develop a product and presentation that exhibits their literacy and inquiry skills. Using inquiry-based reading, students will explore an anchor text and then develop their own essential and supporting questions to guide their research. Over the course of the unit, students will explore a variety of texts and grow in their knowledge of cellular organelles and in their ability to use informational text to support their inquiry and research.

How can we translate real-world challenges into future business opportunities? How can individuals, organizations, and society learn and undergo change at the pace needed to stave off worsening problems? Today, organizations of all kinds—traditional manufacturing firms, those that extract resources, a huge variety of new start-ups, services, non-profits, and governmental organizations of all types, among many others—are tackling these very questions. For some, the massive challenges of moving towards sustainability offer real opportunities for new products and services, for reinventing old ones, or for solving problems in new ways. The course aims to provide participants with access and in-depth exposure to firms that are actively grappling with the sustainability-related issues through cases, readings and guest speakers.

In this lesson we review "Acids and Bases" taught in a previous lesson and, through a scientific method, will look at the impact of an acid on different types of shells. Students will reinforce previous learning of scientific principles including acids/basis and will develop a real experiment using the scientific method.

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These two visuals illustrate quantities of freshwater vs saltwater availability worldwide through graphs and charts. There are resources included that support conversations around the graphics.
These graphics are part of a larger collection of resources titled "Climate Change Impacts and Solutions: Drought"

SYNOPSIS: In this lesson, students reflect on how salt affects plants, learn how some communities are finding ways to grow plants in saltier conditions, and create a mural to share their learning with the community.

SCIENTIST NOTES: Soil is an important component for plants' survival. This lesson allows students to evaluate the impact of saline soil on plant growth. It explores two country case studies on ways farmers adapt to soil salinity to grow crops, especially testing out crops that can tolerate saline conditions. This lesson has passed the science credibility process and is recommended for teaching.

POSITIVES:
-This lesson creates a collaborative learning environment for students to share information about their learning with their community.
-Students do an art experiment to learn how salt affects plants.
-Students think about plant adaptations and changes to landscapes over time.

ADDITIONAL PREREQUISITES:
-This is lesson 4 of 4 in our K-2nd grade Water and Plant Survival unit.
-It is necessary to prepare materials for the Inquire section before class:
-Distribute 3 containers of water to each group.
-Add 2-3 drops of food coloring to each container to make red, yellow, and green paint. Alternatively, students can use watercolor paints.
-Distribute paintbrushes or manipulatives to paint with (ex. plant material, grasses, leaves, sponges, or Q-tips).
-Distribute cardstock for each student.
-Prepare a small container of salt for each table, but do not distribute it until it is time for students to sprinkle the salt on their paintings.
-In the Investigate section, students will read about farming in Bangladesh and Pakistan. The texts explain that both countries are in Asia, but you may want to show students where the countries are located on a globe or a world map to give them a more precise understanding of the countries' locations.
-Students need a large section of butcher paper for the final version of their group’s mural. Additional materials may include markers, paint, or crayons.

DIFFERENTIATION:
-Students can read on their own using the leveled texts about Bangladesh or Pakistan, or the teacher can read aloud to the whole group using the Farming in Bangladesh slides.
-Students can dictate their ideas to an adult to write about the mural.
-Students can answer specific questions about the mural one by one or work to put their ideas in paragraph form using either option in the Individual Writing Sheet.
-Possible extension: Share the mural with a group or organization in the community by displaying it in the neighborhood, in a city building, in a store, or in another school.

In this Spanish 3 lesson students will use prior knowledge from a variety of previous units to access information in articles from Spanish Speaking countries and government agencies to learn about how climate change affects respiratory health and what some countries are doing to mitigate the harm.

This video adapted from Bullfrog Films examines the effects of global warming on the Pacific island of Samoa with testimonials from an expert in both western science knowledge and traditional ecological knowledge. Background essay and discussion questions are included.

Puerto Rico's San Juan Bay Estuary faces multiple threats, including heavy use by urban populations and impacts of climate change. A workbook from the EPA's Climate Ready Estuaries program helped them catalog, prioritize, and address their climate risks.

Save The Food! A Food Waste Prevention Teacher's Guide This resource provides five lesson plans and resources about preventing food waste. Wasted food costs money and harms the environment. This course explains basic concepts of food waste prevention and provides easy tips for students to follow. The content was adapted from the EPA’s “Food: Too Good to Waste” tool kit.The course was developed by Audrey Seligman, MPH, with assistance and consultation from George Schooley, M.A. TESOL. Funding for the course was provided by the Ramsey/Washington Recycling & Energy Board.

This activity features video segments from a 2007 PBS program on solar energy. Students follow a seven-step invention process to design, build, and test a solar cooker that will pasteurize water. In addition, they are asked to describe how transmission, absorption, and reflection are used in a solar cooker to heat water and to evaluate what variables contribute to a successful cooker.

In Save the Penguins, the broad context is global climate change. Students learn that the energy we use to heat and cool our houses comes from power plants, most of which use fossil fuels to convert chemical energy to electrical energy. The burning of fossil fuels has been linked to increased levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which in turn has been linked to increases in global temperature. This change in temperature has widespread effects upon life on Earth. Penguins live in the southern hemisphere, primarily on the icy continent of Antarctica. As the Earth warms and ice melts, penguins lose habitat. Therefore, students see that better-designed houses that use less energy for heating and cooling can have an effect on penguins. Energy efficient houses that
minimize unnecessary heat transfer will draw less electricity from the fossil fuel burning power plants and not contribute as much to global climate change.

In Save the Penguins, the broad context is global climate change. Students learn that the energy we use to heat and cool our houses comes from power plants, most of which use fossil fuels to convert chemical energy to electrical energy. The burning of fossil fuels has been linked to increased levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which in turn has been linked to increases in global temperature. This change in temperature has widespread effects upon life on Earth. Penguins live in the southern hemisphere, primarily on the icy continent of Antarctica. As the Earth warms and ice melts, penguins lose habitat. Therefore, students see that better-designed houses that use less energy for heating and cooling can have an effect on penguins. Energy efficient houses that
minimize unnecessary heat transfer will draw less electricity from the fossil fuel burning power plants and not contribute as much to global climate change.

SYNOPSIS: This lesson introduces students to sea turtles and the human-caused dangers they face while encouraging them to create a way to help save these beautiful creatures.

SCIENTIST NOTES: There is an intrinsic benefit in conserving sea turtles, and this lesson lets students to understand the impact of sea turtles in our ocean. It would equip them to design a real-life project to save sea turtles from extinction. All accompanying materials in this lesson are appropriate to provide better understanding on the subject. Above all, there is a high confidence in using this lesson in the classroom.

POSITIVES:
-This lesson allows for a collaborative hands-on learning environment for students as sea turtle conservation is introduced.
-This lesson features creative learning and engagement for all students.
-Students develop a strong connection to student-led activism through the book Follow the Moon Home by Philippe Cousteau and Deborah Hopkinson.
-This lesson features a step by step guide to follow the engineering design process.

ADDITIONAL PREREQUISITES:
-Teacher needs a copy of the book Follow the Moon Home by Philippe Cousteau and Deborah Hopkinson.
-Students should have a basic knowledge of sea turtles and global problems like pollution and plastic in the oceans.
-Teacher can print out worksheets prior to the lesson if desired.

DIFFERENTIATION:
-Students can think-pair-share during the reading, making predictions or answering questions.
-Groups of students with mixed abilities can collaborate throughout this lesson.

SYNOPSIS: This lesson introduces students to sea turtles and the human-caused dangers they face while encouraging them to create a way to help save these beautiful creatures.

SCIENTIST NOTES: There is an intrinsic benefit in conserving sea turtles, and this lesson lets students to understand the impact of sea turtles in our ocean. It would equip them to design a real-life project to save sea turtles from extinction. All accompanying materials in this lesson are appropriate to provide better understanding on the subject. Above all, there is a high confidence in using this lesson in the classroom.

POSITIVES:
-This lesson allows for a collaborative hands-on learning environment for students as sea turtle conservation is introduced.
-This lesson features creative learning and engagement for all students.
-Students develop a strong connection to student-led activism through the book Follow the Moon Home by Philippe Cousteau and Deborah Hopkinson.
-This lesson features a step by step guide to follow the engineering design process.

ADDITIONAL PREREQUISITES:
-Teacher needs a copy of the book Follow the Moon Home by Philippe Cousteau and Deborah Hopkinson.
-Students should have a basic knowledge of sea turtles and global problems like pollution and plastic in the oceans.
-Teacher can print out worksheets prior to the lesson if desired.

DIFFERENTIATION:
-Students can think-pair-share during the reading, making predictions or answering questions.
-Groups of students with mixed abilities can collaborate throughout this lesson.

SYNOPSIS: In this lesson, students discuss three effective strategies for talking about climate change, then write and present a speech using the three strategies.

SCIENTIST NOTES: This lesson encourages students to think about the words they use and how to effectively communicate their thoughts and opinions with others. The lesson walks students through the use of plain, obvious, and universal language that will create a vivid image in the listener’s mind. There is a discussion about the use of alternative words or phrases to convey a message that is more understandable and relatable. Finally, this lesson includes an example of how using personal experience will allow the audience to understand and comprehend material more readily. This lesson stimulates students' minds to think about how they speak and the words they use to relay information. This lesson is great for teaching the necessary skills of communication and is recommended for teaching.

POSITIVES:
-This lesson can be used in any English, science, or public speaking class.
-Students are given voice and choice in this lesson.
-Students learn to manipulate language to achieve specific outcomes.
-This can be a standalone lesson or it can be paired with any science lesson as a final activity.
-This lesson can be a short writing assignment or developed into a full essay.

ADDITIONAL PREREQUISITES:
-Students should have some basic understanding of climate change concepts and vocabulary.
-The Inspire section of this lesson is listed as 45 minutes in length. This may take longer depending on how you facilitate student speeches.

DIFFERENTIATION:
-This lesson can be adapted to focus more specifically on the writing process, editing process, or public speaking.
-Teachers can focus on speech delivery and presentation skills such as eye contact, body language, tone of voice, etc.
-This lesson can be adapted to Advanced Placement or honors level classes by incorporating specific literary and language elements in the writing.
-Teachers can mandate students include specific strategies in persuasive elements of writing.
-Students can vote to select the best speech in the class.
-Students can deliver their speeches to outside groups for extra credit.

This subject examines the role scientists have played as activists in social movements in the U.S. following World War II. Themes include scientific responsibility and social justice, the roles of gender, race, and power, the motivation of individual scientists, strategies for organizing, and scientists’ impact within social movements. Case studies include atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons and the nuclear freeze campaign, climate science and environmental justice, the civil rights movement, Vietnam War protests, the March 4 movement at MIT, concerns about genetic engineering, gender equality, intersectional feminism, and student activism at MIT.
Read a profile of the class “Scientists as Engaged Citizens” by the MIT School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences.

This NASA video explores the relationship between climate and agriculture. The video discusses the variability of climate impacts in different regions, as well as the effects of population growth and higher demands for food in areas that already struggle to supply food for the people. The video highlights the need for accurate, continuous, and accessible data and computer models from NASA satellites to track and predict the challenges farmers face as they adjust to a changing climate.

SYNOPSIS: In this lesson, students analyze ideas about science and how misinformation about climate change spreads in different forms of media.

SCIENTIST NOTES: This lesson promotes students' critical thinking skills through the use of true/false questions followed by group discussion concerning the reliability of information, what type of people provide information, and how one’s knowledge can change. After a group activity, students discuss why they believe people are skeptical of climate change and how misunderstanding science and the role of the media perpetuate climate change denial. Students are then encouraged to investigate their own piece of media, assessing the validity of the piece in its relationship to climate change. The included videos and quotes are credible and well-sourced. This would be a great lesson for older students concerning not only climate change but how to determine the reliability of information.

POSITIVES:
-This lesson allows for lots of student choice and voice.
-This lesson can easily fit at any point of the year in any science or language course.
-This could be a standalone lesson or done as part of a research unit.
-Students love doing this project and find it very engaging!

ADDITIONAL PREREQUISITES:
-This lesson requires students to have a general understanding of climate science.
-Students need to use research skills in order to complete the project.
-Students need a device and the internet to access the resources and complete the project.

DIFFERENTIATION:
-The jigsaw resources are very different and can allow for students to be assigned to an appropriate resource for their level.
-Depending on the research skills of your students, more or less guidance and in-class time may be necessary for the project.
-Different modes of sharing the project are possible, including in-class presentations, screencasts, gallery walks, etc.