In this short, hands-on activity, students build simple molecular models of 4 atmospheric gases (O2, N2, C02, and methane), compare their resonant frequencies, and make the connection between resonant frequency and the gas's ability to absorb infrared radiation.

This resource is a high quality video with a an engaging narrative discussing the need to cut carbon dioxide emissions in order to reduce the concentration in the atmosphere.

SYNOPSIS: This lesson encourages students to think about their food choices and where their food comes from.

SCIENTIST NOTES: The lesson introduces students to analyze the origin or source of their food and explore and track the factors that determines their food choices. This lesson provides understanding on the implications of our food choices on achieving food security. There are no scientific misconceptions in this lesson. On that account, this lesson has passed the science credibility process.

POSITIVES:
-This lesson gets students thinking about what they eat, why they eat what they do, and where some of those foods may come from.
-The guided research gives students independent time to explore where their favorite meal’s ingredients might come from.

ADDITIONAL PREREQUISITES:
-This is lesson 1 of 6 in our 6th-8th grade Climate Change, Food Production, and Food Security unit.
-Students should understand that healthy foods like fruits and vegetables provide certain vitamins and nutrients that junk food does not.
-Students should know the consequences of an imbalanced diet can include diabetes, obesity, and other health issues.
-Teachers should be mindful that some students might be sensitive to topics surrounding food tracking, diet, and body image.
-For students to access the Food Tracker, teachers can print the Google Document or assign a copy to all students digitally.

DIFFERENTIATION:
-If teachers choose to teach this lesson without teaching the following lessons in the unit, teachers can end the lesson by having students explore this climate change food calculator after completing their Food Trackers.
-Teachers can assign the Teacher Slideshow or Student Document on Google Classroom and students can submit their work independently.
-Teachers can group students for the guided research section and assign them level-appropriate resources.
-Teachers can eliminate options in the guided research section if the options are overwhelming.
-Teachers can review the Teacher Slideshow as a class and answer the questions as a whole class assignment.

This activity introduces students to plotting and analyzing phenology data. Students use 30 years of data that shows the date of the first lilac bloom and the number of days of ice cover of nearby Gull Lake.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Most climate models tend to agree on the Earth’s future when it comes to temperature: at our current pace of greenhouse gas emissions, it’s going to get hotter everywhere. That makes intuitive sense. What’s less obvious is what’s going to happen to precipitation. Models are generally in much weaker agreement about precipitation changes, but they seem to converge in predicting that certain areas are definitely going to get wetter and others drier. Among these, the Mediterranean stands out. Locally, the region may lose up to 40% of its winter precipitation. For the millions who depend on these seasonal rains, it’s a serious threat to their way of life. But researchers have yet to explain why numerous climate models settle on the same fate. Now, researchers from MIT have discovered two mechanisms that could converge to create this dire scenario: strengthening winds in the upper troposphere, at an altitude of about 10 km, and a diminishing temperature difference between land and sea..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

Wicked Problems, Wolfpack Solutions is a multidisciplinary experience created for all incoming first-year and transfer students at NC State University. Each year, this course focuses on a current “wicked problem,” defined as a highly complex problem that can only be addressed through collaborative, multidisciplinary efforts. The course explores possible solutions through the perspectives of NC State scholars representing many different areas of study and reflects NC State’s commitment to the inclusion of individuals and ideas from a broad diversity of backgrounds and experiences. This website includes the video and podcast lectures produced for the course, along with presenter information and supplemental materials.

This highly engaging course is comprised of five modules. Each one clearly explains the concept using readings and videos. Students are presented with the current fire and climate data and then run simulations. Students read graphs based on the data they collect in their simulations and then answer comprehension questions and make predictions.

This is a wildfire simulation with three different zones (plains, mountains, and foothills). The user can change variables to see what happens when they spark a fire.

This video from ClimateCentral looks at the way climate conditions can affect vegetation in the West, and what influence this has on wildfires. Drought and rainfall can have very different wildfire outcomes, depending on vegetation type, extent, and location.

SYNOPSIS: This lesson introduces students to climate change and the idea that renewable energy sources are a better choice for the planet.

SCIENTIST NOTES: This lesson introduces students to climate change and provides an excellent resource that illustrates how climate change impacts life in New Jersey. The energy independent island Samsø, Denmark is presented through a reading of Energy Island by Alan Drummond, and a Venn diagram is provided so students can compare Samsø to their hometown. Students are tasked with designing a zero emission ferry for Samsø and are challenged to see how climate change affects them and how an 8-12 year old can make a difference. This lesson is recommended for teaching.

POSITIVES:
-This lesson allows for a collaborative learning environment for students as it builds on understanding of climate change.
-This lesson features a problem-based approach to learning where students are immersed in solving a real-world problem.
-Students connect a real idealistic community to their own to see what is possible.
-This lesson follows the engineering design process.

ADDITIONAL PREREQUISITES:
-Students should have a basic understanding of climate change.
-Students should have an understanding of the engineering design process.

DIFFERENTIATION:
-Students can think-pair-share during the read aloud where students can make predictions or answer questions.
-You can pause the read aloud for students to make observations and predictions about the story.
-Groups of students with mixed abilities can collaborate on their ferry design challenge project.

The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) is the largest-ever federal program focused on energy and the environment, allocating $369 billion over a decade. With a laser focus on climate change, the IRA aims to cut greenhouse gas emissions, promote clean energy, and enhance climate resilience. Its provisions have the potential to create jobs, lower electricity costs, and significantly contribute to meeting the US climate targets.

After most of the city was flattened by a tornado, Joplin, Missouri’s Mercy Hospital built a new facility, incorporating features to reinforce its resistance to wind.

SYNOPSIS: This lesson asks students to consider how their communities would look and feel with and without green spaces.

SCIENTIST NOTES: The lesson accentuates the benefits of having green spaces vis-a-vis not having them in their community. We recommend this lesson for students to explore the benefits green spaces have on ecosystem health, mental health, and physical health. Students can also explore the maps to gain skills in urban planning. All the materials have been properly cited, and this lesson has passed our credibility process.

POSITIVES:
-Students have agency over their learning when conducting their own research.
-This can be integrated into an ELA class, as students will be reading informational text when conducting their own research.
-This can be integrated into an art class, as students will be drawing multiple maps.

ADDITIONAL PREREQUISITES:
-This is lesson 4 of 6 in our 3rd-5th grade Green Spaces unit.
-It may be helpful to have a mostly blank map of the school campus or community for students to use.
-Students should have some prior experience conducting research. This lesson uses Kiddle, a kid-friendly search engine.

DIFFERENTIATION:
-You may need to preselect resources for some students who need scaffolding when conducting research.
-Some students may need a blank map of the school campus or community. Other students may wish to draw their maps from scratch using blank paper.
-Some students may prefer to draw, type, or use text-to-speech while taking notes.

This video and accompanying article describe the work of 2 scientists on Greenland's Petermann Glacier, who are attempting to collect data from beneath the glacier to determine if the temperature of the ocean water under the glacier is playing a role in the glacier's rapid retreat.

This video segment examines the issue of climate change from the perspective of Native Americans. The video segment was adapted from a student video produced at Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, Kansas.

A workbook with student practice problems and concepts that accompanies OA textbook Chemistry and the Environment.

This simulation provides scenarios for exploring the principles of climate dynamics from a multi-disciplinary perspective. Interconnections among climate issues, public stakeholders, and the governance spheres are investigated through creative simulations designed to help students understand international climate change negotiations.

This is a series of NASA Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellite images taken over a 10 year period, 2000-2010, showing the extent of deforestation in the State of Rondonia in western Brazil over that period of time.

SYNOPSIS: This lesson features powerful imagery from the climate crisis. Students choose one photograph and write an ekphrastic poem about that photograph.

SCIENTIST NOTES: This lesson introduces students to social-emotional learning and how to use ekphrastic poetry to write about an artwork. It also contains photography depicting impacts of pollution, environmental degradation, and the climate crisis for students to analyze, share their thoughts, and communicate their climate solutions. This lesson has satisfied the science review process, and it is recommended for teaching.

POSITIVES:
-This lesson features stunning images of the impacts of the climate crisis as well as climate solutions.
-There is a sense of mystery because students will write their poems before knowing the context of their chosen photograph.

ADDITIONAL PREREQUISITES:
-Before teaching the lesson, type your students' names into Slide 19 of the Student Slideshow.
-Make sure that all students have viewing access to the Student Slideshow and editing access to the Student Poetry Anthology Slideshow.
-Students may feel anger, anxiety, sadness, despair, fear, hope, or even excitement when viewing these pictures, writing their poems, or hearing their classmates’ poems. These emotions are normal and natural. Make sure students know it is OK to feel and express these emotions when confronted with the realities of the climate crisis.
-The information available for each image is varied. There is a lot of information about some of the photographs, but others do not have that much information.

DIFFERENTIATION:
-Be sensitive to the emotions of your students. Some of these photographs may remind them of personal loss or some other specific connection to the climate crisis.
-Students can use the "Ideas For Your Poem" on the slideshow if they have trouble starting.
-Some students may know of other climate-related photos that they'd like to use. Encourage students to use those photographs if they make sense in the context of the lesson.

This visualization focuses on public acceptance of climate science. The set of interactive maps illustrates public opinion on a variety of climate beliefs, risk perceptions, and policy support. The data is from the Yale Project on Climate Communication.