If you'd visited Tuolumne Meadows in Yosemite National Park 100 years ago, you probably would have encountered the alpine chipmunk, Tamias alpinus. Today, however, park visitors will have to hike up a nearby mountain to see one of these critters. That's because this species is sensitive to temperature and over the last hundred years of global climate change, Yosemite has warmed by about 5.5 degrees Fahrenheit. As the temperature increased, the chipmunks retreated to higher and higher elevations where it was cooler. Today, they occupy a fraction of their original range. If climate change continues, they could be squeezed right off the tops of their mountains and out of existence.

In this problem-based learning activity, students develop a case study that "puts a human face" on the effects of global climate change (GCC) on a particular community in the United States. Students work in teams to: discover cultural, economic, and natural features of the community; identify challenges presented by GCC; and identify options for responding to these challenges.

This unit provides Common-Core aligned lessons based for Math 3, English 10, and Biology (NGSS Standards). The subjects are linked by a text on climate change, and they hit the standards of argumentation for English, comparing functions in Math 3, and human effects on environment in Biology.

Students research climate data and play the role of a scientist trying to interpret the condition of Earth's atmosphere.

This lesson is designed for fifth grade students. It focuses on the “big idea” that humans depend on, are shaped by, and affect the earth’s climate. Students will first take an in-depth look into the earth’s climate, the roles humans play in climate changes, and the impacts the changing climate will have on humans. Then, they will propose solutions to minimize the consequences of climate change on our earth and its people.

This video adapted from KTOO takes a look at Earth's warming and cooling cycles and the current atypical trend of warming that is impacting the glaciers in Alaska's Inside Passage.

We hear about climate impacts all over the world, often in global terms. But what is happening where? And what will happen in our own communities? Students play a game to understand changes to precipitation. Then, using the US Climate Resilience Toolkit, they investigate local climate concerns and solutions.

This Guide for Educators was developed by the MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative as an extension of our TILclimate (Today I Learned: Climate) podcast, to make it easier for you to teach climate change, earth science, and energy topics in the classroom. It is an extension of the TILclimate episode "TIL about climate impacts."

This video documents the effects of increasing global temperatures on biodiversity (changes in distribution, range, and numbers) and human populations. Adaptations to climate change are also outlined.

The third of the series, this video features Georgetown faculty and administrators describing what the University community is already doing to battle climate change on campus and beyond.

The second of this series, this video features Georgetown University faculty and administrators exploring the interdisciplinarity of climate change and its implications for education, including the need for project-based learning.

The first in a series of videos engaging the Georgetown University faculty and staff in a conversation about the relationship between a Georgetown education and climate change. Each brief video explores a different theme or set of questions. Above, you will find the first video, which features interviewees discussing students' "scientific literacy" with respect to climate change. In the following week, we'll produce and share two additional videos, one exploring the interdisciplinarity of climate change and its implications for education, and the other describing what faculty and students are already doing to battle climate change on campus and beyond.

This graphic indicator describes trends in average precipitation for the United States and the world.

This resource is part of a collection of visualizations that illustrate observed changes in temperature, precipitation, storms, floods, and droughts. This resource focuses on US and Global temperature. Rising global average temperature is associated with widespread changes in weather patterns. Scientific studies indicate that extreme weather events such as heat waves and large storms are likely to become more frequent or more intense with human-induced climate change. The larger collection includes climate change indicators within the oceans, snow and ice, and other ecosystems and the effects on humans and our society.

This Jigsaw exercise has students discuss radio stories from the Yale Climate Connections (YCC) project as a team to deepen their thinking around climate change issues.

How does climate change lead to an increase in size, intensity, and frequency of wildfires in California? Students will use the phenomenon of wildfire intensity increasing in California to explore the causes, effects and solutions to climate change in California.

This resource is a hub for information about teaching climate change across grade levels and content areas. 

SYNOPSIS: In this lesson, students explore four major categories of climate change, identify one to further research, and create a fact sheet.

SCIENTIST NOTES: This lesson introduces students to factsheets and infographics and how powerful they can be in providing and relaying information. Students start the lesson by reading through a factsheet/infographic about New Jersey’s changing climate followed by a partner discussion about how the factsheet makes them feel. Students are then able to pick one of four categories, do research about their topic, and create their own factsheet and infographic. Student factsheets/infographics are shared and compared/contrasted with one another. This lesson allows for multiple instances of student autonomy and provides a creative outlet for discussing climate change. It is hereby recommended for teaching.

POSITIVES:
-This lesson can be used in English, social studies, computer science, digital art, or science classes. It can be easily adjusted to be multidisciplinary.
-Students are given voice and choice in this lesson.
-Students become agents of change in their own communities, identifying problems and solutions.

ADDITIONAL PREREQUISITES:
-Students should be familiar with the basics of climate change.
-Students should be familiar with school-appropriate websites from previous school-related research.

DIFFERENTIATION:
-Students’ communication can be as simple or as thorough as you desire. They will need more time to research and craft their communication if you want their writing to be more fact-based and robust.
-Students can work independently or in a group with adjusted requirements.
-Teachers can use subject and grade level vocabulary already being learned in class. Teachers can add more vocabulary words in the glossary slide of the Teacher Slideshow.
-To deepen a social studies or global connection, students can explore the history of their chosen issue, how other countries are addressing the issue, or focus on a global solution strategy.
-To connect to computer science or digital art, students can create their infographic and fact sheet digitally.
-To further develop practical science or engineering skills, students can work together to create and implement a workable solution at the school, home, or community level.
-Some students may wish to communicate their advocacy via social media. Make sure to follow all school rules and monitor students’ progress if you allow this in the classroom.

This lesson has students create, compare, and solve linear, quadratic, exponential, and cubic functions based on a primary source from Weather Underground about the melting of the polar ice caps. If the formatting is an issue, contact me at rob.leichner@gmail.com for a Google drive link to the lesson plan.