SYNOPSIS: In this lesson, students view images of plastic pollution around the world, watch a video on plastic pollution, and analyze artwork about plastic pollution.

SCIENTIST NOTES: The lesson characterizes plastic pollution around the world. It deploys the power of arts to change people's beliefs towards plastic consumption and improve their understanding on the impact of plastic pollution on the environment. The lesson is well-sourced and is suitable and recommended for teaching.

POSITIVES:
-Students are exposed to the impacts of global plastic pollution.
-Students are exposed to a variety of ways activists can use art to create awareness and apply cultural and political pressure to create change.
-Students will understand that big companies are the ones creating major plastic pollution.

ADDITIONAL PREREQUISITES:
-This is lesson 3 of 6 in our 3rd-5th grade Art for the Earth unit.
-Students should have a basic understanding of plastic pollution.
-Partners or small groups will need a set of artwork critiquing question cards between them. To save time, cards can be cut out before the lesson or shared with students digitally.

DIFFERENTIATION:
-Students can be paired or grouped based on ability. Students who do not regularly shine in class may have the most insightful analysis of the artworks. Make sure to provide concrete, specific feedback on how their analysis is insightful.
-Make sure to guide students to "share the air" when discussing the artwork in partners or groups. Step in to make sure all students have their voices heard so that certain students are not always talking or always listening.

This is an interactive video in which students navigate around a virtual island while learning about the characteristics of land formations and bodies of water.

In this 45-60 minute high-stakes board game, everyone wins or everyone loses. As they play, groups of three to four children ages 8 to 13 build an understanding of how human actions impact global change. As teams, children play a game in which chance and choice determine the fate of a lone polar bear on an ice floe.

Students learn how a bill becomes law in the U.S. Congress and research legislation related to global warming.

This short video explains how climate change can lead to more extreme precipitation events and more frequent flooding. Information from the CDC has succinct information about the health downsides of extreme precipitation events, including mental health impacts.

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.

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.

This article from Beyond Weather and the Water Cycle provides ideas on how school librarians can work with elementary teachers to teach about the Sun's impact on weather and climate. The author introduces the Standards for the 21st Century Learner, developed by the American Association of School Librarians. The author focuses on Standard 1, which calls for students to inquire, think critically, and gain knowledge through developing and refining questions, investigating answers, seeking divergent perspectives in information, and assessing whether the information found answers the questions posed. The free, online magazine draws its themes from the Seven Essential Principles of Climate Literacy, with each issue focusing on one of the seven principles.

This is an excellent interactive simulation of the earth moving around the sun.

This lesson introduces the idea of reduce, reuse, recycle and has students create a classroom waste management plan.

Step 1 - Inquire: Students are introduced to the idea of reduce, reuse, recycle through an engaging video and cut and match sorting activity.

Step 2 - Investigate: Students practice RRR by sorting recyclables in The Great Reuse Reduce Recycle Relay!

Step 3 - Inspire: Students make a classroom waste management plan using the information they have gained throughout the lesson.

Students work in pairs to pick black and white beads out of a bag to represent the percent of renewable and nonrenewable resources used in different countries, and then graph the information.

This is a National Geographic video that defines renewable energy and discusses the benefits and drawbacks of different examples.

SYNOPSIS: In this lesson, students analyze how much renewable energy is used around the world.

SCIENTIST NOTES: This lesson offers key insights for students to explore renewable energy, map countries' renewable energy sources, and analyze relative change and patterns. Students are able to compare and make recommendations for a just and fair transition to clean energy. All materials embedded in the lesson are thoroughly sourced and are void of scientific misconceptions. We recommend this lesson to be used for teaching.

POSITIVES:
-Students can study any countries they want!
-Students can internalize that renewable energy solutions already exist all around the world. They simply must be scaled up in order to address the climate crisis.

ADDITIONAL PREREQUISITES:
-This is lesson 5 of 6 in our 3rd-5th grade Renewable Energy unit.
-Some students may struggle with the x-axis and y-axis scales when comparing different countries. The scales are not the same for all countries.

DIFFERENTIATION:
-You have many options in the Investigate phase of this lesson. Students can complete worksheets for individual countries, two countries, or multiple countries. Students can complete these worksheets individually or in groups. Students can also complete more than one worksheet if they finish early.
-You can share the student worksheets digitally or you can print hard copies.
-Be sensitive with how you share the "Adapted" worksheets with certain students. Students may realize that they have different worksheets from some of their peers.
-If students would like to learn more about geothermal energy around the world, they can explore this interactive graph from Our World in Data.

In this eight-lesson unit, students explore cultural connections with the sun, learn about light and discover how light interacts with other materials through hands-on activities, literacy integration, and engineering.

This video explores the myth that developing or emerging countries/cities (Africa, Mexico, Dubai, Peru) must be dependent on coal, oil or gas because of their poor economies and not on clean, renewable energy sources because of the expense. Innovative clean energy storage techniques and base load power is discussed.

SYNOPSIS: In this lesson, students discuss and evaluate artwork by Jill Pelto, investigate renewable and nonrenewable energy, and demonstrate their learning through writing or drawing.

SCIENTIST NOTES: This lesson demonstrates the impact of climate change in our ecosystem through Jill Pelto's arts. Arts appear to be an effective tool in climate science communication. The lesson has passed our scientist review and is recommended for classroom use.

POSITIVES:
-This lesson creates a collaborative atmosphere for the unit.
-Students are able to identify how meaning can be created through art, especially when learning about fossil fuels and their damage to the environment.
-Students can identify and share their own thoughts and feelings about Jill Pelto's artworks.

ADDITIONAL PREREQUISITES:
-This is lesson 1 of 6 in our 3rd-5th grade Art for the Earth unit.
-iPads or computers with Internet connectivity are necessary.
-Students will need basic research skills and computer skills.
-Teachers will need to create a free Newsela account to access the readings on renewable and nonrenewable energy.

DIFFERENTIATION:
-Teacher can create groups to include mixed ability levels, especially when students are taking notes on renewable and nonrenewable energy in the Investigate section.
-Teacher can pause throughout the reading of Sven's Search for Clean Energy to encourage students to write in the "Learned" section of their KWL charts.
-The two Newsela articles on renewable and nonrenewable energy are available in many reading levels. Teacher can select the appropriate reading level for each student.

Students listen to radio broadcasts about climate change causes, impacts, and solutions and learn how this creates a framework for effective scientific communication.

The students create a conceptual framework showing the scientific basis of climate change and its impacts on land and services provided, and figuring out the causes and consequences of the different phenomena.

Warming oceans and melting landlocked ice caused by global climate change may result in rising sea levels. This rise in sea level combined with increased intensity and frequency of storms will produce storm surges that flood subways, highways, homes, and more. In this activity, visitors design and test adaptations to prepare for flooding caused by sea level rise.