Chicago Botanic Garden
Are You Bigfoot?
Scholars independently explore several websites to calculate their ecological footprint. Using their new found knowledge, they answer six short-answer questions and take part in a grand conversation with their peers about how our...
Wild BC
Connecting Ecosystems & Climate
Collaborators sort a set of cards into biotic and abiotic categories. Then, as a class, they discuss their work and relate each of the abiotic components to climate change. Finally, they form a web of components by connecting those that...
Curated OER
The Potential Consequences of Climate Variability and Change
Students analyze the impact of climate variability and change utilizing a broad span of topics over a wide range of grade levels. This three lesson unit is easily adapted for the various instructional levels listed.
Curated OER
Climate Change
Rising sea levels, strong storms, melting ice ... who or what is to blame? Scholars browse the website in preparation for a class discussion or debate about whether human activity is causing climate change. They gain a balanced...
Curated OER
Let's Heat Things Up!
Students build and evaluate simple models to understand the greenhouse effect. They explore the role of increased greenhouse gas concentration in global warming, and the implications of global warming theory for engineers, themselves...
Curated OER
Global Weather Patterns and Disease
Students conduct research projects to determine the effects of climatic changes on the spread of infectious diseases throughout regions. After conducting their Internet research, students develop mini-presentations on their given disease...
Curated OER
Is Your Spot Hot?
Eighth graders explore global warming. In this Earth Science lesson plan, 8th graders will look for Harbingers and fingerprints for different areas. The students will identify an area at risk and they will then create a presentation to...
Curated OER
Glaciers and Global Sea Rise
Learners explain how melting glaciers affect global warming. For this earth science lesson, students investigate the change in ice density as it melts. They discuss the human and environmental impact of rising sea levels.
Curated OER
Climate Change & Coral Activities
Learners study how the ocean stabilizes our planet's climates and how global warming is becoming a threat to this fine balance. In this climate change lesson, students identify that fossil fuel emissions are responsible for global...
Curated OER
The Affect of Water Temperature on Living Organisms
Young scholars examine the environmental impact of global warming. For this environmental science lesson, students design and conduct an experiment about the effect of temperature on paramecia. They write a lab report about their...
Earth Day Network
Healthy Earth, Sick Earth
Earth is sick and needs our help! Read the children's book Planet Earth Gets Well to explain the various problems facing the planet, discussing what young conservationists can do to heal the planet along the way. A great Earth Day...
National Wildlife Federation
I Speak for the Polar Bears!
Climate change and weather extremes impact every species, but this lesson focuses on how these changes effect polar bears. After learning about the animal, scholars create maps of snow-ice coverage and examine the yearly variability and...
Curated OER
GLOBAL WARMING
Students form definitions of the greenhouse effect based on prior knowledge, class discussion, viewing diagrams, and participate in group brainstorming sessions and class discussions related to the impact of the greenhouse effect and...
Curated OER
Global Warming – More or Less
Eighth graders identify the factors that contribute to global warming. In this earth science lesson, 8th graders evaluate the impact of global warming on the planet. They discuss their views within the group.
Curated OER
Will Global Warming Push Trees to Extinction?
Students examine the extinction of plants and animals through loss of habitat. They investigate the effects of global warming. They use a computer model to analyze the impact of global warming on tree growth and distirbution...
Safe Routes to School
Pollution & Evolution
Bring together a study of two major scientific topics with a lesson on the relationship between pollution and evolution. With the help of a PowerPoint presentation, hands-on activity. and class demonstration young scientists learn how...
Curated OER
Air: Fuel For Thought
Students consider the impact of vehicle use in their family and brainstorm viable alternatives to this use. They calculate the total emissions for their family cars during the week, then compare those totals with Hybrid car totals.
Curated OER
Global Weather and the Greenhouse Effect
Students discuss how local weather patterns effect or relate to global weather and environmental changes, explore connected nature of our planet, and examine global weather patterns, their changes, and their possible connection to global...
Curated OER
It's Getting Hot out Here! Should I be concerned? (Climate Change)
Middle schoolers explore the effects of global warming. They examine the differences between weather and climate. After viewing a video, students summarize information on climate change and drought.
Curated OER
Policy Debate / Community Meeting on Climate Change
Students investigate how natural hazards can present personal and societal challenges as well as the cost involved. They assess the risk analysis considerations with global warming and their impacts on an ecosystem. An estimate of the...
Curated OER
The State of the Planet
Learners address four different environmental topics (water issues, the threat of food shortages, human population growth, and global warming) as they watch a film and discuss the future of the earth. In groups, they complete various...
Curated OER
Mock Environmental Summit
Students increase understanding of human impact on Earth's sytems and the climate. They develop persuasive and critical skills as writers and presenters. They become familiar with political decision making processes.
Curated OER
Is Climate Change Good for Frogs?
Students fill out a chart on how climate change would affect them and things around them. In this climate change lesson plan, students discuss how global warming affects them and amphibians and then fill out the chart that goes with it.