In this lesson, students analyze and synthesize data, and design local wildfire preparation strategies to answer the question "What can we learn from past wildfires to prepare for future wildfires?"

In this lesson, students investigate wildfires in Colorado by analyzing wildfire data and information to create a local news story that educates community members about wildfire risk. In Part 1, students watch and discuss a short documentary about wildfires. In Part 2, students analyze wildfire data to build understanding of the causes, impacts, locations, and frequency of wildfires. In Part 3, students create a local news story for their community.

In this interactive game, students solve challenges that their community faces during the course of an extreme drought event by using available individual and community resources. Students work in three resilience teams to determine the strategies that they will invest in as a community as the drought situation evolves.

In this interactive game, students solve the challenges that their community faces during the course of an extreme flooding event by using available individual and community resources. Students work in three zone response teams to determine the responses they will take in each round as the flood situation evolves.

In this interactive game, students solve the challenges that their community faces during the course of a wildfire event by using available individual and community resources. Students work in three zone response teams to determine the responses they will take in each round as the wildfire situation evolves.

Just like the permanent exhibit it was created to complement, the online Hall of Biodiversity showcases the beauty, diversity, and abundance of life on Earth while warning of the threats posed by human activity. Along with a brief introduction to the exhibit, it includes these four sections: Spectrum of Life - A virtual journey through 3.5 billion years of evolution on Earth. The interactive cladogram includes detailed information on more than 25 diverse life forms. Transformation of the Biosphere - An overview of how the Earth is continually experiencing climatic changes and changes brought on by physical events, such as meteorite collisions. The Dzanga-Sangha Rain Forest - An explanation of what visitors will find when they explore this walk-through diorama at the Museum, which features the sights and sounds of a dense tropical rain forest. Solutions - A list of concrete actions individuals can take to help save the Earth's resources for generations to come.

This video describes the effect of a warming climate on the tundra biome and specifically the impacts of changing climate on the Rocky Mountain Pika, a small mammal that struggles with summer heat.

This article provides links to standards-based science and literacy lessons about weather, climate, polar climates, and climate change.

This short Youtube video shows a visual model of greenhouse gases using tennis balls, explaining why carbon dioxide absorbs more heat energy than oxygen or nitrogen.

In this learning activity students learn how to and practice having conversations about climate change with adults or peers. The activity is based on psychological and social science research.

This video discusses carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere that have increased due to the burning of fossil fuels in electricity generation, transportation, and industrial processes. Video includes history of Keeling and his research, as well as the seasonal fluctuations in CO2.

This lesson explores the chemistry of some of the greenhouse gases that affect Earth's climate. Third in a series of 9 lessons from an online module entitled 'Visualizing and Understanding the Science of Climate Change'.

In this activity, students take a Home Energy Quiz to identify improvements that could make their homes more energy-efficient.

A regional conservation partnership in Massachusetts needed to update their approach to evaluating land acquisitions. Adding the complexity of climate change to their map helped resolve their vision.

SYNOPSIS: In this lesson, students think about their ideal farm and look at case studies from around the world to investigate farmers' responses to the impact of climate change on food production.

SCIENTIST NOTES: With different case studies, this lesson introduces students to the concept of climate-smart agriculture. In this light, they will be able to model innovative techniques to achieve a sustainable food system in their local communities and beyond. All materials have been rigorously fact-checked, and this lesson is recommended for teaching.

POSITIVES:
-Students get to be creative with their designs of a sustainable farm.
-Students learn about sustainable farming and solutions-based thinking for a growing population with limited resources in a changing climate.

ADDITIONAL PREREQUISITES:
-This is lesson 4 of 6 in our 6th-8th grade Climate Change, Food Production, and Food Security unit.
-Students should understand that different regions will respond to climate change differently based on how they experience the impacts of climate change.

DIFFERENTIATION:
-Teachers can assign the Teacher Slideshow and Student Document on Google Classroom and students can submit their work independently.
-Teachers can group students for the guided research questions and assign them level-appropriate resources.
-Teachers can eliminate case study options if the options are overwhelming.
-Teachers can review the Teacher Slideshow as a class and answer the questions as a whole group assignment.

Calculation of a carbon footprint resulting from common breakfast choices illustrates the importance of contextualization.

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SYNOPSIS: In this lesson, students learn how to analyze characters in stories, reread Why Is Coco Orange?, and complete a journal entry.

SCIENTIST NOTES: This lesson lets students learn about air quality, how to analyze characters in a story, and how to tell a story about the impact of air quality on human health. This lesson has passed the science review process and is recommended for teaching.

POSITIVES:
-This lesson allows students to explore their own personality traits and relate them to the characters in the story.
-This lesson shows students the best ways to support their classmates who have asthma.

ADDITIONAL PREREQUISITES:
-Students should be familiar with the vocabulary in the story. You can use the vocabulary words slideshow with your students to review the words or play games with the words.
-Analyzing the characters in Inside Out is an easy way for students to begin practicing character analysis.

DIFFERENTIATION:
-You can choose to read the book aloud to your students, watch the video read aloud as a class, or have students read the story independently or in groups.
-You could print the vocabulary cards for students who need to refer to them during the read aloud.
-Students could read their journal entries to the class after they have finished. Some students may want to share their own journeys with asthma or how they are supporting friends and family with asthma.
-Students who finish early could conduct more research on ozone and its impact on the respiratory system.

SYNOPSIS: This lesson explores education as a climate change solution and guides students to create their own education project as a means of informing and inspiring positive change.

SCIENTIST NOTES: Education is a key solution to the global climate crisis. This lesson inspires students to understand how education can change peoples' behavior towards reducing their carbon footprint. It also contains activities and videos to build students' capacity to educate and lead in climate conversation and action. This lesson has passed our science credibility process and is recommended for teaching.

POSITIVES:
-Students reflect on their own education and how education can be impactful.
-Students create their own education project to inspire change in their community.

ADDITIONAL PREREQUISITES:
-Project Drawdown connects educating girls and family planning. Education and empowerment of girls and women is a very impactful climate solution.
-The Investigate section activity should be judgment-free.
-The embedded videos in the Investigate section in the Teacher Slideshow have been automatically formatted to play the most important parts of the videos.
-Students should be able to complete their outlines and some research in the lesson plan’s allotted time, but additional time may be needed for students to conduct their education projects.

DIFFERENTIATION:
-Students can write their answers to the education questions in the Inquire section as a "Do Now."
-Teachers can assign a student to use a calculator to find the class percentages during the Investigate section survey questions.
-Teachers can change the wording of the survey questions in the Investigate section to relate best to their specific class.
-Teachers can use a thumbs up or thumbs down system to survey the class and ensure total buy-in.
-Teachers can give students more time to explore beef, food waste, and renewable energy during the activity in the Investigate section.
-Students can turn and talk to discuss learning during the Investigate section videos and readings.
-Education projects can be done in groups, individually, or as a whole class project.

Students utilize ice core data to develop a simple climate model, test it and then analyze, through reading IPCC materials, what other variables might need to be included in a model that more accurately predicts climate response to forcings. They are then asked to reflect on the use of models in scientific inquiry and on climate skeptics view of climate models.

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