SYNOPSIS: In this lesson, students analyze the concept of greenwashing of products.

SCIENTIST NOTES: This lesson introduces students to greenwashing and then presents Trader Joe’s as a case study. Students are tasked with designing their own green product and an accompanying marketing plan. The lesson informs students how companies can mislead them with products that only seem environmentally friendly and gives tips on how to spot greenwashing. This lesson is recommended for teaching. (The only small issue with this lesson is that an advertisement for a VPN is included in the Trader Joe’s case study video, but that's just part of using resources from YouTube.)

POSITIVES:
-Students create a product and then see what effect their product has on consumers. This will show students how greenwashing occurs within marketing campaigns.
-This lesson includes media literacy components.

ADDITIONAL PREREQUISITES:
-Teachers should be familiar with the term greenwashing and be able to explain what is regulated by the FDA and what is not regulated by the FDA.
-Teachers should understand the term green is not regulated by the FDA, but the term organic is regulated by the FDA.

DIFFERENTIATION:
-The term greenwashing is an abstract concept, so it may be hard for students to grasp. Showing other examples of greenwashing may help students better understand the concept.
-Teachers can show students different labels or advertisements and have students analyze whether they consider each example greenwashing or not.

SYNOPSIS: In this lesson, students learn some of the impacts climate change is having on the Arctic, hear youth perspectives about the impacts of climate change, and write their own personal climate stories.

SCIENTIST NOTES: Students are instructed in this lesson on the effects of climate change on the Arctic region. Temperature increases are hastening the melting of permafrost, glaciers, and sea level rise. This has an effect on the polar ecosystems and human populations. The contrast between how climate change affects the northern and southern regions of the Arctic is also covered in the lesson, along with suggestions for how students may learn and share their experiences to promote climate action. This lesson passed our science review process after all the materials were fact-checked.

POSITIVES:
-This lesson can be used in any middle school writing class and tailored to the specific skills the class is working on.
-This lesson helps students connect climate change to people.
-This lesson highlights a local community in the Arctic and demonstrates the impact storytelling can have.
-This lesson encourages students to participate in the writing process, including the planning and publishing stages.
-This lesson allows teachers to integrate skills specific to their students.

ADDITIONAL PREREQUISITES:
-The Inquire section gallery walk is about the student-made infographics from the previous lesson. Alternatively, teachers can use the infographics from the Teacher Slideshow.
-Students should understand the basics of writing a story. This includes, but is not limited to, characters, setting, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution.
-When teaching this lesson teachers should have a baseline understanding of how climate change works and understand some of the impacts in the Arctic.
-In this lesson the term, “story” is consistently used, despite one of the primary standards referring to the term, “narrative.” If students ask to clarify the difference, one way a middle school ELA teacher can differentiate personal narratives from stories is that a personal narrative is a true story whereas a story can be fictionalized.
-For their writing, students will need a basic understanding of the ways climate change is affecting their own communities.

DIFFERENTIATION:
-The final draft of the writing can be used as a summative assessment for this lesson.
-It may be helpful to share a map and show where the Arctic is located if students are unfamiliar.
-Students may need more specific and individual guidance when planning out their writing. Rubrics can be customized for individual students and their learning goals.
-Teachers can give students more time for writing the personal climate story.

Bell Telephone Science Hour produced this video in 1958, explaining how the production of CO2 from factories and automobiles is causing the atmosphere to warm, melting the polar ice caps, and causing the sea level to rise.

This documentary film takes the viewer on a virtual trip around the world to visit communities in different countries (Asia, Africa, Central America, Australia) taking action on climate change. The documentary weaves together nine inspiring stories, showing that action on climate change is creating jobs, improving lives and turning dreams of a better future into reality.

In this video segment adapted from Haskell Indian Nations University, student filmmakers explain why it is important to them to make a video about climate change.

In this video segment adapted from Navajo Technical College, meet two members of the Navajo Nation, one Elder and one scientist, as they share their observations about how precipitation has changed since they were children.

SYNOPSIS: In this lesson, students will analyze Amanda Gorman's poem "Earthrise" and write their own poetry.

SCIENTIST NOTES: The lesson introduces students to basic literary techniques and how to use poetry skills to communicate climate change and solutions to a diverse audience. There is no science to verify, but the resources, accompanying materials, and links in the lesson are credible and ideal for teaching. This lesson has passed our review.

POSITIVES:
-Amanda Gorman is a brilliant poet.
-Students will engage in lively group discussions. This poem is abundant in deep meaning and rhyme.

ADDITIONAL PREREQUISITES:
-Before class, share the following with your students:
-Student Slideshow. All students need editing rights, as they will be writing in the same slideshow.
-Full Text of the Poem "Earthrise." Students will need viewing rights.
-Student Document. Each student needs their own copy, as they will be writing their own poem on this document.
-Amanda Gorman is most famous for performing "The Hill We Climb" at Joe Biden’s presidential inauguration on January 20, 2021.
-Amanda Gorman delivered a TED talk called "Using Your Voice is a Political Choice."

DIFFERENTIATION:
-You can select students of all abilities to read part of the poem after you have watched the video.
-The six stanzas selected for group discussion are of various lengths. They range from 6 lines to 19 lines. You can assign weaker students to the shorter stanzas.
-You can create groups of mixed abilities.
-Students who like to take notes can be scribes in their groups.
-Students may be unfamiliar with some of the vocabulary in “Earthrise.”
-Students should use the two linked dictionaries on the resources slide to find definitions of unfamiliar words.

This learning activity is a climate change musical for K-12, youth groups or faith organizations. Shine weaves together climate science and performance art into a fun and powerful story, which spans 300 million years of geological time to convey how humanity, energy, and climate are interrelated.

In this lesson, students listen to and analyze the song “Broken” by Xiuhtezcatl, then create their own art project to share their feelings about the future of the planet.

Step 1 - Inquire: Students listen to the song “Broken,” do a close reading of the lyrics, and reflect on the meaning of the song.

Step 2 - Investigate: Students watch a video and read a short autobiographical statement to learn more about the artist and activist, Xiuhtezcatl.

Step 3 - Inspire: Students create their own art project to share their emotions about the future of the planet.

SYNOPSIS: In this lesson, students listen to and analyze the song “Broken” by Xiuhtezcatl, then create their own art project to share their feelings about the future of the planet.

SCIENTIST NOTES: Music is critical to spreading climate education. It is one of the fastest ways to communicate the impact of climate change to a diverse audience. This lesson is a song study that allows students to improve their ability to make songs that will convey vital climate information to different people (to protect the environment against climate change impacts). The videos, song study guide, and images were fact-checked and this lesson has passed our science credibility process.

POSITIVES:
-This lesson integrates music and climate justice.
-Students create their own art projects to inspire change.

ADDITIONAL PREREQUISITES:
-You can learn to pronounce Xiuhtezcatl’s name correctly by watching this video.
-Students should already have some background knowledge of climate change and its effects, including the disproportionate impacts of climate change on Indigenous communities.
-Students should have experience brainstorming and creating art projects. This lesson offers students an opportunity to express themselves through an art project, but due to the wide range of possible options, it does not provide specific scaffolding on how to complete the projects.

DIFFERENTIATION:
-Art projects can be completed individually, in groups, or as a whole class project.
-Teachers can identify additional words from the lyrics to define ahead of time, depending on students' reading levels.
-Teachers can add or eliminate annotation techniques in the Inquire section. Alternatively, students can pick their own techniques that work for them.