In this exercise learners use statistics (T-test using Excel) to analyze an authentic dataset from Lake Mendota in Madison, WI that spans the last 150 years to explore ice on/ice off dates. In addition, students are asked to investigate the IPCC Likelihood Scale and apply it to their statistical results.

Interactive maps, science, historical context, and stories to help us all envision a range of climate futures.

What Are Some of the Best Environmentally Friendly Methods Which Help Preserve Our Environment and Protect From Global Warming?Grade: 5thNames: Stephanie Metzendorf, Karly Berger, Collin Johnson, and Anna KestenOverall Goal: To equip students with tools to make more environmentally conscious decisions.StandardsLearning ObjectiveAssessment5.ESS.3 Investigate ways individual communities within the United States protect the Earth’s resources and environment.To make the students aware of the use of resources in the U.S To build problem solving skills by helping to fix the use of wasted resources. To build researching skills and to be able to recognize credible material. To build collaboration skills by investigating with peers.We will assess the standards by our final assessment which will take the concepts which were learned in class and apply them directly to their lives. They will create a solution to an issue they see in their school. This will provide us with an understanding of what they learned because it allows the students to digest the knowledge, recognize the issue using this knowledge, and come up with an ecofriendly solution which shows how they can fix some of the issues they encounter.  Key Terms & Definitions: Recycle - to treat or process (used or waste materials) so as to make suitable for reuseReduce - To make smallerReuse - To use more than once or againPollution - The presence of harmful chemical in the atmosphereResources- A supply which can be drawn upon to function effectivelyEnvironment- The surrounding in which a person, plant, or animal lives in.Food Chain- A series of organisms depending on the energy from the organism before.Global warming- A gradual increase in the global temperatures attributed to greenhouse gases and pollution.  Lesson Introduction:For our hook, we will use a fun and engaging activity which incorporates the students ability to recognize the importance of the environment and touch on some of their favorite aspects of it. We will have the students make a rap or a song discussing the environment and maybe some ways that they could improve protection for the environment or how they are already doing so. For the teachers sake, I have included an example of what we are looking for. Instructions:Create a song representing a topic of the environment which you think is important. Some of these possible topics could be: Why we need to keep the planet safe . Things you love from the environment. What pollution does to the good things in nature. How you can help the environment.   Lesson Main:Competition for who has the best ecosystemThis section should provide a detailed description of the various activities that will occur throughout the lesson.  Make sure to include timing, formative assessments, and reference all materials that you will be creating and that you have found.  Could have environment machine which shows how the cycle works. Concept Map:This is a concept map which we can use to explain to the kids what the issue is with climate change and often how this climate change occurs. There are several things that humans do to make climate change an issue bigger than it needs to be and this is obvious by the flow of this concept map. From the increase of meat consumption in the U.S, there has been a dramatic increase of meat production which directly puts chemicals into the environment, causing pollution which is a direct factor of climate change. Another fact this concept map shows is that from the burning coal humans do to gain energy, greenhouse gases are directly released causing a greenhouse gas in the atmosphere which causes pollution yet again.  Lesson Ending:For our lesson ending we are going to have a little competition between the students. The students are going to be required to make a model or come up with an idea of what they think the best way to environmentally help the school is. The first thing we will do as the instructor is to randomly break up the classroom into groups of four students. After we have broken up these groups, we will explain the assignment as follows: Now that we have learned about some environmental issues we face and also some solutions that are already in place, we are going to ask you guys to save our school! Is there something you notice around school that could be changed in order to help the environment? This could include turning off the lights in the gym, making a compost for the lunch food, or even implementing a recycling program into each of the classrooms. After we have presented the assignment we will give each of the groups a little time to discuss what they notice around the school. To even further this, we will take the students on a walk around the school with their notebooks to allow them to write down notes about what they notice. After we complete this walk, we will give the students a couple more minutes to reconvene and share what they saw. After the group has decided on a problem, the instructor will create a spreadsheet and allow only two groups to focus on the same issue. For example, this means that only two groups can focus on a solution to the problem of plastic waste from the school.  After this has been recorded, we will distribute the assignment sheet which will be attached below, the students will have approximately 40 minutes to come up with a solution to this issue, create a presentation, and share what they thought of to their peers. They will be graded according to their knowledge, creativity, and the way they present their ideas. To make the incentive a little higher, we are going to have the best idea win and that group will receive a prize for their efforts. This prize will most likely be either a candy bar, a toy, or something else that is small yet exciting for kids this age. As well as the prize, the winning group will be able to present their idea to the principle in hopes that it will be implemented school wide!As for the grades of these groups, they will be graded based upon the rubric listed below. Save Your School! Your schools has become in great environmental danger due to all of the wrong ways they are handling the resources they have! Your task: Explore your school and identify issues you see around the school which contributes to the environmental harm taking place all around the world! Once you have identified this issue, come up with a solution which can either eliminate this issue or help reduce it!  After you came up with a solution, make a presentation explaining exactly what your solution is and why it is the best solution in the class and why it should be implemented! In your presentation, make sure you are answering the following questions: What is your problem? What negative effects does this problem have? How will this problem affect the earth globally? What did you decide as your solution? Why did you decide on that as a solution? What in your solution directly solves the issue? Why is your solution the best solution for the school? Good luck! And remember, the best solution wins a special prize and gets to present their idea to the principle!  Assessment Rubric: GreatAveragePoorEnvironmental Awareness Solution Quality Amount of Research TeamworkMasters the concept of being environmentally friendly Is able to think of effective ways to make our environment more eco-friendly and healthy  It is obvious that the students were able to recognize the issues in the school and know why they're bad habits. It is obvious that everyone in the group contributed and there is an overall general understanding for all of the knowledge.Students can identify what a friendly environment looks like Comes up with a solution which is not a huge issue. Completes minimal research and identifies a problem, but doesn't have the knowledge to back it up. 75% of the group seems to understand what is going on and has overall given an O.K effort to the solution.Students struggle to understand the concept of being environmentally friendly Needs assistance in identifying proper methods to make the school a better place Does Not find an issue and does not create a solution which is useful for the school. The group seems confused about what they are understanding and seem to lack to knowledge or teamwork to make the solution the best it possibly can be.  Resources / Artifacts: (Karly)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEk6JLJNg0U(Karly)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31XrAaH8YqI(Stephanie) Concept map showing what global warming is and how it becomes an issue. This will be used during the lesson to help to students understand what they could potential fix or look for in their school that is an issue.(Stephanie) Worksheet giving directions for the lesson ending.  Differentiation:Differentiation for ability levelsLow ability learners are students that learn and work at a slower pace than other students in the classroom. Throughout the lesson students will be able to work in groups to help each other come up with the rap. For the lesson ending they will also work in groups therefore each group member will be able to help each other in the competition. .      2. Differentiation for demographicsThis game is designed for all cultures, and ethnicities. It’s important for everyone student to know the impact of benefiting our ecosystem. Everyone sharing their different backgrounds will show students different ideas of how other cultures work with the environment and hopefully help make a global impact.      3. Differentiation for languagesStudents will be placed in groups where at least one or two people will speak English and can work with the other students to help translate. Students will work together to help expand everyone’s vocabulary.      4. Differentiation for access & resourcesStudents will have access to iPads and or computers in order to create a popplet about climate change.This tool is a fun and engaging way for students to showcase their work. Anticipated Difficulties:Complexity of the assignment: Some students may struggle with staying on task with the assignment. Being able to start out with a rap song will draw their attention. Working in groups throughout the entire lesson will also help them stay engaged as they create their popplet. As for the lesson ending a competition will also keep them interacted throughout the end of the lesson.  

In this project, you will explore a real-world problem, and then work through a series of steps to analyze that problem, research ways the problem could be solved, then propose a possible solution to that problem. Often, there are no specific right or wrong solutions, but sometimes one particular solution may be better than others. The key is making sure you fully understand the problem, have researched some possible solutions, and have proposed the solution that you can support with information / evidence.Begin by reading the problem statement in Step 1. Take the time to review all the information provided in the statement, including exploring the websites, videos and / or articles that are linked. Then work on steps 2 through 8 to complete this problem-based learning experience.

Surveys the discipline of Communication Studies, emphasizing a theoretical understanding of human communication. It explores the history, assumptions, principles, specializations, and processes of human communication as an academic field. Overall, this is a perfect course for anyone thinking about the field of communication because it explores all facets of the field.

Chapter 1: The Foundations of Communication
Chapter 2: History of Communication Studies
Chapter 3: Perceiving and Understanding
Chapter 4: Verbal Communication
Chapter 5: Nonverbal Communication
Chapter 6: Listening
Chapter 7: Creating Communication Climates and Conflict Communication Climate
Chapter 8 Communication Theory
Chapter 9: Interpersonal Communication
Chapter 10: Intercultural Communication
Chapter 11: Gender Communication
Chapter 12: Health Communication
Chapter 13: Mass Communication

Students describe the steps in a product life cycle assessment and suggest ways to reduce the environmental impacts of engineered products.

Exemplary professional development publications in the areas of general instruction, science education, and literacy instruction in the elementary grades are described in each issue of Beyond Weather and the Water Cycle. This free, online magazine is structured around the seven essential principles of climate literacy and emphasizes integrating science and literacy skills in grades K-5.

This column highlights exemplary professional development publications for teachers. The publications are grouped under three headings: general instruction, literacy instruction, and science instruction. The column appears in the free, online magazine Beyond Weather and the Water Cycle, which focuses on the seven essential principles of climate science.

Sustainability challenges organizations to address the implications – and responses – in their own operations and supply chain, products/services/markets, and community responsibilities. This course exposes students to professionals and organizations who are actively working toward making their organizations and industries sustainable.

How Does Changes To Weather Affect Me?
Watch How The Weather Changes!
You can find the lesson under my Weebly account: http://educatortrick.weebly.com

This resource provides an easy-to-read table summary of solutions to decrease anthropogenic releases of CO2 to the atmosphere. The sources in the data set are clickable for a deeper look into the emission source, references, and a list of additional resources.

Pioneering 5th grade science teacher Connie Prewitt engages her students to learn some challenging life science lessons through a fun and elaborate role-play. Project Earth is a 100% immersive experience where students learn the impact of their decisions on individuals, communities, and the Earth.

SYNOPSIS: This lesson will guide students through the process of creating and reviewing their stop motion animation video.

SCIENTIST NOTES: In this lesson, students will create an animation where they will convey a message of their choice about climate and the environment. The video about the climate activist includes information about how climate is specifically impacting Milwaukee, although the affects she mentioned in the video are applicable other places. This resource is recommended for teaching.

POSITIVES:
-Students learn how their projects can create change in their local community.
-Students have the opportunity to share their work with their community.

ADDITIONAL PREREQUISITES:
-This is lesson 4 of 4 in our 3rd-5th grade Animate for the Animals unit.
-Teacher will need to decide how students will create their stop motion videos and organize the required equipment.
-Teacher may need to learn one or more apps if students decide to use different technology.

DIFFERENTIATION:
-Instead of using the Analyzing Animations Worksheet, students could interview each other to get feedback.
-Students could plan and organize ways to share their videos. This could include a movie night or messaging local, state, and federal representatives.

Climate change is one of the biggest risks facing governments, businesses, societies and ecosystems around the world. Project managers, through their effective direction of complex projects, occupy a critical role in the successful transition to a resilient, low carbon world. This course is designed to prepare professionals with project management responsibilities to add a climate change lens to their projects.

The course is suitable for individuals in management roles and above who have significant project management responsibilities. “Projects” could include examples as diverse as infrastructure development, deployment of new technology, ecosystem restoration, or public engagement campaign, for example. The course will attract a diversity of professionals who enjoy multidisciplinary learning environments. Familiarity with general climate change issues and science is recommended.

Adapting to a changing climate will involve governments, businesses, societies and other organizations with diverse perspectives, mandates and capacities. Project managers, through their effective direction of complex projects, occupy a critical role and must ensure that their projects consider the implications of a changing climate. This course will help you recognize climate change factors that could affect successful outcomes for your project and formulate strategies you can use to address them.  You can expect to leave this course better prepared to add a climate change lens to your project planning.

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:

"In 2015, the United Nations laid out 17 Sustainable Development Goals for the world. The goals aim to improve the lives of millions through actions such as ending poverty, protecting the planet, and assuring prosperity for all. Their success, however, depends on whether leaders can effectively mobilize to meet them. A team of researchers argues that this mobilization is unlikely without greater focus on implementing the goals in an integrated way. Finding connections among means of implementation, they say, will avoid wasted efforts and maximize efficiency. One of the biggest risks in overlooking these connections is contradictory efforts. Boosting industrial output, for example, could reduce the availability of clean drinking water. In this case, working towards one goal makes it harder to meet another. By understanding these connections between goals, however, leaders can tackle one target in a way that benefits many others..."

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

Changing conditions spur a utility in Washington, D.C., to consider and address its future climate vulnerabilitie

This video presents predictions and solutions for range shifts (wildlife corridors) by an iconic species of North American wilderness: the wolverine.

Producing a PSA is an ideal culminating project for an interdisciplinary course on climate change and related topics. The PSA assignment requires high-level synthesis of content and, through it, students learn first-hand about the challenges of communicating about climate change to a general audience in a compelling way. The assignment offers the opportunity for students to engage with the material, consider what they want society to understand or do, use creativity and twenty-first century technology and communication tools, and become empowered to enter societal discourse about climate change.

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Students research a climate change topic of their choice and create a Public Service Announcement (PSA) that communicates their understanding of the science, raises awareness about the causes and consequences of climate change and motivates people to take action in their communities, families and their own lives. Students learn first-hand about the challenges of communicating about climate change in a compelling way. The PSA project offers students opportunities to use creativity and twenty-first century technology skills while empowering them to become stewards and advocates for social change as it relates to climate change.

(Note: this resource was added to OER Commons as part of a batch upload of over 2,200 records. If you notice an issue with the quality of the metadata, please let us know by using the 'report' button and we will flag it for consideration.)