SYNOPSIS: In this lesson, students discover how climate change could be making extreme winter weather worse.

SCIENTIST NOTES: This is a great lesson that explains key drivers of winter storms. Students will learn about the polar vortex and lake effect snow and how they influence the jet stream, air circulation, and polar and mid-latitude climates. The cascading effect is worrisome, especially in vulnerable communities. The class activity will inspire students to communicate ways communities could respond to these weather events. The videos, materials, charts, and datasets embedded in the lesson were fact-checked, and this lesson has passed our science review process.

POSITIVES:
-Connecting climate change and extreme winter weather can feel counterintuitive, which will challenge students' critical thinking skills.
-The lesson provides many opportunities for students to share ideas with their peers.
-This lesson can be taught in an environmental science class.

ADDITIONAL PREREQUISITES:
-Advertisements may play before some of the videos.
-Students should be familiar with climate change, the difference between weather and climate, and the various types of extreme weather.
-Teachers should make it clear that on average, global temperatures are rising even if there is sometimes more extreme cold and snowy weather.
-Teachers should make sure students understand that this lesson is not about if anthropogenic climate change is real. Instead, this lesson is looking at the specific connections between climate change and the polar vortex and lake effect snow.

DIFFERENTIATION:
-For students who may need more support in the Investigate section, classes can create their explanations of the polar vortex and lake effect snow together.
-This lesson could be split over two class periods. In the first class, students would complete the Inquire section and the first half of the Investigate section about the polar vortex. In the second class, students would complete the second half of the Investigate section about lake effect snow and the Inspire section.

SYNOPSIS: This lesson introduces solar energy and tasks students with solving an algebraic equation to determine the amount of daily sunlight needed to make a solar panel effective.

SCIENTIST NOTES: This lesson lets students analyze peak sun hours needed to generate electricity from a solar panel. The equation used in the calculation is appropriate, and students would be able to calculate their electricity footprint in real-time. All accompanying materials, case studies, and activities contained in this lesson are well-sourced. Accordingly, this lesson has passed our science credibility and is recommended for teaching.

POSITIVES:
-The lesson is personalized to the students' community, which will make it more engaging and relevant.
-This lesson ties closely with the following lesson in the unit, but it can also be used as a standalone lesson if desired.

ADDITIONAL PREREQUISITES:
-This is lesson 1 of 5 in our 6-8th grade Renewable Energy Algebra unit.
-Students should be familiar with renewable energy. If not, more time may be needed in the Inquire section to introduce renewable energy. This video can be used.
-Students should know kWh refers to Kilowatt-hour. This interactive map about the carbon intensity of electricity by country measured in kWh can support students with better visualizing the unit.
-Students should understand that kilo means 1,000, so a kilowatt is 1,000 watts. This reading can help students build background knowledge on electric power and its units of measure.

DIFFERENTIATION:
-Teachers can have students work with a partner on the calculations in the Investigate section and purposefully group students based on skill level.
-Teachers can work with small groups of students who may need additional assistance with the calculations.
-Teachers can limit the number of questions students complete. The questions get progressively more difficult.
-Some questions have the same setup but use different numbers. If necessary, some could be taken out to save time (questions 1-4 and questions 5-7).

In this lesson, students complete real-world calculations related to residential solar energy use, including the number of solar panels needed to power the average house and how many solar panels could fit on their own home or a local building.

Step 1 - Inquire: Students complete calculations to determine if the average American home could be powered using solar panels.

Step 2 - Investigate: Students explore the Google Project Sunroof site and use data on their home address to solve problems.

Step 3 - Inspire: Students discuss the benefits and drawbacks to using solar energy and explore equity issues related to the affordability of solar panels.

SYNOPSIS: In this lesson, students complete real-world calculations related to residential solar energy use, including the number of solar panels needed to power the average house and how many solar panels could fit on their own home or a local building.

SCIENTIST NOTES: This lesson lets students evaluate the impact of solar energy in addressing the energy crisis and energy inequities, especially in low-income communities. It would build their analytic skills in calculating the amount of energy a solar panel can produce per hour, which is important information for houseowners to choose the size of solar panels to build. All materials embedded in the lesson are illustrative and were fact-checked thoroughly. On that account, this lesson has passed our science credibility process and is recommended for teaching.

POSITIVES:
-Students are able to use algebra skills in real-world applications.
-The lesson is engaging for students because it is personalized to each student's actual home or local building.

ADDITIONAL PREREQUISITES:
-This lesson is 2 of 5 in our 6-8th Grade Renewable Energy Algebra unit.
-If teachers did not complete lesson 1, omit questions 1, 3, and 5 on the Student Document and use this video to introduce solar energy and its connections to climate change.
-Slides 14-16 are vocabulary words from the first lesson that teachers may wish to review with students again or introduce if teachers skipped lesson 1.
-Students need access to computers and calculators for this lesson.

DIFFERENTIATION:
-Students can work individually or in groups.
-If students do not feel comfortable using their actual address, they can select a random nearby address to use.
-Teachers can walk students through certain calculations as a class. Teachers can also pull small groups to work through any areas with the most needs.

SYNOPSIS: In this lesson, students use algebra to calculate the number of wind turbines needed to power a local community.

SCIENTIST NOTES: This lesson has students determine the energy generated from a wind turbine. They would be able to analyze the number of units needed for a household, a community, or a small town and share with their community the pros and cons of investing in wind power. All materials were thoroughly reviewed, and this lesson has passed the credibility review process.

POSITIVES:
-Students use their algebra skills in a real-world application.
-The calculations are relevant to students because they estimate the number of wind turbines needed for their own city.
-Students practice supporting their ideas with evidence, which is a skill that is applicable across all disciplines.

ADDITIONAL PREREQUISITES:
-This is lesson 3 of 5 in the 6th-8th grade Renewable Energy Algebra unit.
-Students will need calculators.
-Teachers may need to provide the population of their city to students for question 5 on the Student Document.
-One-to-one technology is ideal. If this is not possible, omit questions 9 and 10 on the Student Document or complete these questions as a class.

DIFFERENTIATION:
-Teachers can have students work in pairs or small groups to complete the calculations instead of individually.
-The discussion at the end of the lesson could be done as a whole group instead of first in pairs.
-Teachers can complete the first few questions with students to get them started before letting them work individually.

This lesson introduces solar energy and tasks students with solving an algebraic equation to determine the amount of daily sunlight needed to make a solar panel effective.

Step 1 - Inquire: Students work through a practice problem and discuss what they already know about solar energy.

Step 2 - Investigate: Students briefly learn some background information about solar energy and then use algebra to calculate the amount of peak sun hours needed to make a solar panel effective. Students compare their calculated values to real-world data to determine if this amount of sunlight is possible in their area.

Step 3 - Inspire: Students make predictions and discuss if they think their home could be powered by solar panels using the calculations from class as evidence.

In this lesson, students use algebra to calculate the number of wind turbines needed to power a local community.

Step 1 - Inquire: Students watch a short video introducing wind energy and discuss the possibility of wind energy powering their community.

Step 2 - Investigate: Students complete a series of mathematical calculations related to wind energy.

Step 3 - Inspire: Students discuss the benefits of wind energy using their calculations to support their ideas.

SYNOPSIS: In this lesson, students are introduced to biomass energy and use algebra to calculate the amount of land needed to produce biofuel using different plants.

SCIENTIST NOTES: This lesson introduces students to biofuels and how they are sourced, including the supply chain. It does not only equip them to compute the acres of land needed to grow crops to produce biofuels but allows them to compare biofuels with other renewable energy sources, including the benefits and limitation to scale up. All the materials have been fact-checked, and they are suitable to build students' knowledge on the topic. Hence, this lesson has passed our science credibility process.

POSITIVES:
-Students have opportunities to think critically about the topic of renewable energy in their community.
-Students have the chance to use math in a real-world application, which makes it more relevant and engaging.

ADDITIONAL PREREQUISITES:
-This is lesson 4 of 5 in our 6th-8th grade Renewable Energy Algebra unit.
-This lesson could be used as a standalone lesson if desired.
-There are quite a few drawbacks and challenges to large-scale biofuel production and use. Students should begin to see this through their calculations and discussion. An optional extension video is included at the end of the lesson that looks more at some of the issues with biofuel.

DIFFERENTIATION:
-Teachers can have students work with a partner on the calculations in the Investigate section and purposefully group students based on skill level.
-Teachers can work in a small group with students who may need additional assistance with the calculations.
-Teachers can limit the number of questions students complete. Questions get progressively more difficult on the Student Document.
-Interdisciplinary connections can be made with Earth science, physical science, and engineering design.

In this lesson, students are introduced to biomass energy and use algebra to calculate the amount of land needed to produce biofuel using different plants.

Step 1 - Inquire: Students watch a video on biofuels and discuss how biofuels are similar to or different from other renewable energy sources.

Step 2 - Investigate: Students complete real-world math problems that compare the amount of land needed for various biofuel crops.

Step 3 - Inspire: Students explore the current use of biomass in their region using this map and discuss potential benefits and drawbacks to increasing biomass energy in their community.

In this lesson, students learn about climate anxiety and create a climate anxiety toolkit.

Step 1 - Inquire: Students discuss statistics about the prevalence of climate anxiety in children and young people and try out a strategy to cope with this anxiety.

Step 2 - Investigate: Students research and practice a strategy to manage anxiety and create a one-page mini-poster about this strategy.

Step 3 - Inspire: Students share their mini-poster with the class, and students discuss what they learned from each other.

SYNOPSIS: In this lesson, students learn about climate anxiety and create a climate anxiety toolkit.

SCIENTIST NOTES: The lesson provides deep thoughts for students to understand and proffer strategies to overcome climate anxiety and chronic fear of environmental doom. This lesson is imperative as it will help students and young people to cope with emotional distress, inequities, depression, and marginalization they often face when engaging in climate action. It is also a source of inspiration to share their climate stories and to take opportunities to save the planet for the future. All materials, videos, and images are well-sourced, and this lesson is recommended for classroom use.

POSITIVES:
-Students are able to practice emotional regulation and identify specific coping strategies that work for them.
-Students have a choice in which strategy to research and can use creativity in creating their mini-poster.

ADDITIONAL PREREQUISITES:
-This lesson focuses on coping strategies; however, this is not an indication that coping with climate anxiety is a solution to the root causes of the climate crisis.
-There may be students who feel little or no climate anxiety. Teachers should remind students that these strategies help process many different emotions like sadness, anger, frustration, etc. Also, these strategies can be used to process feelings from any situation or cause such as academics, family, relationships, friendships, body image, etc.
-There may be students in the class who are suffering from more severe anxiety or depression. Teachers should look out for students who may be displaying concerning behavior and need outside support. Teachers should be prepared to direct students toward school or community resources and contact relevant parties about their concerns.
-Students should be familiar with finding credible sources and completing short research assignments.
-Students should already have an understanding of climate change and the risks to the future of the planet. If necessary, this video can be used as a primer.
-Students will need access to a computer.

DIFFERENTIATION:
-Teachers who have additional time to devote to this topic can show this twenty-minute video that deeply explores climate anxiety and navigating our complex emotional landscape. Teachers could show the video at the beginning of the lesson to introduce the concept of climate anxiety, or it could be used later in the lesson for a class discussion.
-Students can work with a partner or small group instead of individually in the Investigate section of the lesson.
-Students can make digital mini-posters on a Google Document or a single Google Slide, or they can make them by hand if the materials are available.
-If time and weather permit, teachers can take students outside for the end of the Investigate section to practice their strategies. This would allow more space for strategies like yoga and spending time in nature.
-Teachers can display student posters in a classroom or hallways as a physical reminder of their climate anxiety toolkit strategies.
-The lesson can be completed over two or three class periods instead of one. For two classes, students can end the first class with strategy research work time and begin the second class with additional work time as needed. For three classes, the Inquire, Investigate, and Inspire sections of the lesson can be completed on three separate days.

In this lesson, students use what they have learned about renewable energy to create their own plan to implement green energy in their community.

Step 1 - Inquire: Students watch the short video Can 100% Renewable Energy Power the World? and discuss their opinions regarding the viability of renewable energy completely powering their community.

Step 2 - Investigate: Students draw a map of their community, create a renewable energy plan, and complete calculations to maximize the production of solar, wind, and biomass energy.

Step 3 - Inspire: Students share their plans with the class through a gallery walk and have a final discussion about the viability of using renewable energy to fully power their community.

SYNOPSIS: In this lesson, students use what they have learned about renewable energy to create their own plan to implement green energy in their community.

SCIENTIST NOTES: This lesson stretches students' capability to compute and determine the type of renewable energy plan that is suitable for their community. The lesson would provide them with insights on how renewable energy access is important. They will be able to analyze the land size and energy output required to design specific renewable energy projects that would efficiently power the energy needs in their community. The lesson has passed our science credibility, and there is a high confidence in using it for teaching.

POSITIVES:
-The lesson connects to students’ own communities.
-Students are able to think critically about the viability of renewable energy.
-Students engage with their community to find possible solutions and places for renewable energy.
-Students are introduced to ideas of urban planning and community building.

ADDITIONAL PREREQUISITES:
-This is lesson 5 of 5 in our 6th-8th grade Renewable Energy Algebra unit.
-Students will need access to a device to view Google Maps.

DIFFERENTIATION:
-Students can work in groups instead of individually.
-Teachers can walk the class through creating the map of the community using Google Maps if technology access is an issue or to provide additional support to students if necessary.
-Students can present their projects in small groups instead of doing the gallery walk.
-The final activity where students create something to educate their community can be completed as homework.
-Interdisciplinary connections can be made with Earth science, physical science, and engineering design.

SYNOPSIS: This lesson gives students the opportunity to experience a simplified version of how mathematicians and scientists use data analysis and statistics to determine how much our planet is warming due to climate change. Students will create a data table and scatter plot and use linear regression to make predictions about the future.

SCIENTIST NOTES: This lesson develops students' statistical skills to analyze weather data, compute trends and variance, and fit scatter plots in regression to understand climate variability in U.S. cities. All materials embedded in the lesson are thoroughly sourced. Accordingly, this lesson is recommended for classroom use.

POSITIVES:
-This lesson fosters independence by letting students choose their city, find their own data, create their own data table and graph, and analyze their data using guiding questions.
-Students get to use what they learned in the lesson to practice discussing climate change with people who might be skeptical or misinformed.

ADDITIONAL PREREQUISITES:
-Students need access to their own computer (or teachers could have students work in partners if devices are limited).
-Students should be familiar with graphing in Google Sheets.

DIFFERENTIATION:
-Teachers could use this lesson as a mini-project to assess students' understanding of graphing, data analysis, and/or linear regression.
-For lower levels, teachers can instruct all students to select the same city (use the city from the example graph if you want to make sure there is a positive association).
-For higher levels, students can look at multiple cities in different regions and compare their scatter plots.
-This article can be used as an extension or follow up activity for early finishers or students who are interested in learning more.