SYNOPSIS: In this lesson, students analyze data, create line graphs, conduct research, and plan their data art project.

SCIENTIST NOTES: This lesson builds students' data analysis and research skills. Students learn how to use data to create an appealing artwork that can explain and raise awareness on climate change impacts. All materials are properly sourced, and datasets for analysis are accurate. The lesson has passed our science credibility process.

POSITIVES:
-Students learn how to create a line graph that includes title, x-axis label, y-axis label, data points, and a line connecting the data points.
-Students think critically in their groups and in whole class discussions.
-Students practice media literacy skills when conducting research.

ADDITIONAL PREREQUISITES:
-This is lesson 5 of 6 in our 3rd-5th grade Art for the Earth unit.
-Students should have a basic understanding of data analysis and why graphs are useful tools to view data.
-You may have to guide students to good resources when they are conducting research on their topic in the Investigate section. A great tip when students are doing online research is to use the PARC method, which stands for Purpose, Author, Reliability, and Currency. Students can ask of every website:
-What is the purpose of this website?
-Who is the author of this website?
-Is this website reliable?
-Is this website current?

DIFFERENTIATION:
-It may be best for students to collaborate when creating their line graphs. Grouping students with varying levels of logical-mathematical intelligence and spatial-visual intelligence would probably work best.
-Line graphs can also be created using technology tools, including iPads or Chromebooks.
-Your students may or may not have different line graphs. If the data comes from a true class campaign, all students will have the same line graph. If students gathered their own data for different issues or used the different available data from NASA, their line graphs will be different.
-The Inspire section is meant for students to prepare to complete their projects. They will actually finish their projects in the sixth lesson in this unit after discussing more about the impact of art on one's feelings, how colours affect emotions, and how to appeal to different audiences.

In this lesson, students analyze data, create line graphs, conduct research, and plan their data art project.

Step 1 - Inquire: Students analyze their own data from the previous lesson.

Step 2 - Investigate: Students create a line graph and conduct research on their topic.

Step 3 - Inspire: Students plan their data art project.

SYNOPSIS: In this lesson, students learn about deforestation and climate change and respond by writing an ode or an elegy.

SCIENTIST NOTES: This lesson empowers students to understand what deforestation entails and how they can write poems to express their feelings of grief, respect, emotion, and valor in combating deforestation in their community. All materials used in the lesson have been verified and are suitable for teaching. In this light, this lesson is credible and recommended for the classroom.

POSITIVES:
-This lesson can be used as a standalone or as a lesson in a poetry unit.
-Students are given voice and choice.
-Students create their own poetic response to a real-world challenge.

ADDITIONAL PREREQUISITES:
-Students should have some basic understanding of poetry.
-Students should have a basic understanding of deforestation and its connection to climate change.

DIFFERENTIATION:
-This lesson is easily adaptable to Advanced Placement or honors level classes by including other literary and language elements in the poems such as juxtaposition, oxymoron, consonance, assonance, enjambment, alliteration, and personification.
-Students can write each stanza in a different meter or rhyme. Examples include iambic pentameter or ABBA rhyme scheme.
-Teachers can split the lesson in two and focus on an ode in the first lesson and an elegy in the second.
-Students can write both an ode and an elegy and compare the differences in writing, tone, and overall effect.
-Social studies, civics, and economics classes can extend this topic to social justice, socioeconomic class, and cultural impacts of deforestation within each specific region.
-Student poems can be shared outside of the classroom in the school newspaper or a community newsletter, on a class or teacher website, on school display boards, or in extracurricular poetry or environmental clubs.

SYNOPSIS: In this lesson, students learn how climate change and deforestation are linked to the water cycle.

SCIENTIST NOTES: This lesson provides students with a background on the relationship between deforestation, water cycle, erosion, and climate change. It establishes the fact that deforestation poses stress on the forest ecosystem and services, including impacting the water cycle and speeding up erosion and climate change. These issues could be addressed with well-informed adaptive strategies and action to restore the forest and biodiversity. All materials have been verified thoroughly, and this lesson has passed the science credibility process.

POSITIVES:
-Students participate in multiple interactive and hands-on learning activities to engage in kinesthetic, auditory, and visual learning.
-Students continue to better their understanding of how Earth’s natural systems are interconnected and dependent on each other.

ADDITIONAL PREREQUISITES:
-This is lesson 3 of 4 in our 6th-8th grade Water Cycle, Deforestation, and Climate Change unit.
-Materials required for the erosion model activity include the following:
-Scissors or sharp knife
-Clean, empty one-gallon container with a lid (such as a plastic milk jug)
-Water
-Two aluminum bread pans
-Dirt
-Two aluminum, 9-by-13-inch cake pans
-12 to 14 plastic forks
-Two blocks, shallow plastic containers, or other items of the same height to prop up the aluminum bread pans
-Outdoor test area with a flat, level surface where it is easy to clean spilled water and soil

DIFFERENTIATION:
-The erosion activity may be completed as a hands-on activity in lab groups or as a demonstration by the teacher.
-Lab groups may be in mixed abilities to aid in understanding.
-Teachers can prepare examples of diagrams for students to reference during the Inspire section.

In this lesson, students learn how climate change and deforestation are linked to the water cycle.

Step 1 - Inquire: Students view an Indigenous perspective on deforestation and learn how climate change can lead to deforested areas.

Step 2 - Investigate: Students complete a hands-on activity to investigate the effects of deforestation on erosion and watch a video on deforestation and climate change.

Step 3 - Inspire: Students create a cause and effect diagram about erosion and the water cycle.

In this lesson, students learn about deforestation, analyze paintings featuring deforestation themes, and then have the choice to learn about Wangari Maathai or design a climate action plan related to deforestation.

Step 1 - Inquire: Students activate background knowledge about deforestation, watch a timelapse video of deforestation, and learn the different parts of the word "deforestation."

Step 2 - Investigate: Students analyze and reflect upon two paintings featuring themes of deforestation.

Step 3 - Inspire: Students watch a video about climate activist Felix Finkbeiner and choose one of two options: learn more about Felix's inspiration Wangari Maathai or design a climate action plan related to deforestation.

SYNOPSIS: In this lesson, students learn about deforestation, analyze paintings featuring deforestation themes, and then have the choice to learn about Wangari Maathai or design a climate action plan related to deforestation.

SCIENTIST NOTES: The lesson allows students to explore the importance of reforestation to combat climate change. There are no scientific misconceptions in the lesson except for one instance in the Young Voices for the Planet video, which is embedded on slide 19 of the Teacher Slideshow. At 3 minutes, 35 seconds into the video, the boy Julian says, "We plant trees to help climate change." This is an error because we plant trees to fight climate change. All other materials are properly sourced. Thus, this lesson has passed our science credibility process.

POSITIVES:
-There is opportunity for a lot of peer and group discussion in this lesson.
-Students share their own thoughts and feelings about Jill Pelto's art, validating how they feel about deforestation and climate change.

ADDITIONAL PREREQUISITES:
-This is lesson 2 of 6 in our 3rd-5th grade Art for the Earth unit.
-A stable Internet connection is required to play the videos, especially the Google Earth timelapse video.
-Students should have some background knowledge on Jill Pelto, which you can find in lesson 1 of our Art for the Earth unit.

DIFFERENTIATION:
-This entire lesson lends itself to discussion. Group students accordingly so they can get the most out of this lesson.
-The Google Earth timelapse video of deforestation can be emotional to watch. Students may react with anger, sadness, fear, or shock. Tell them that those feelings are normal and natural. You can also tell them that you are learning about deforestation and climate change in order to do something about it. Empowering your students is one of the most powerful gifts you can give them.
-Some students may be eager to share their thoughts and feelings about Jill Pelto's art. Let them share with the class. Some students, however, may want to keep their feelings to themselves. That is OK too.
-The Inspire section of this lesson features a lot of student agency. Some students may want to learn more about Wangari Maathai and then be "done" with the deforestation part of this unit. Other students may want to design an action plan for your school or community. Perhaps they'd like to plant more trees on your school grounds. Support these students appropriately, and perhaps their efforts will lead to a greener, healthier, calmer school environment.

SYNOPSIS: In this lesson, students explore different methods of desalination.

SCIENTIST NOTES: This lesson teaches students about potable water scarcity and then explores desalination as a possible solution in water-stressed areas. Desalination technologies are introduced, and energy and environmental costs of desalination are discussed. A video resource explores a novel desalination technology, the Solar Dome, being built in Saudi Arabia. Students are tasked with designing and building their own solar still, and opportunity is given for design optimization. This lesson is recommended for teaching.

POSITIVES:
-This lesson can be multidisciplinary and can be completed in engineering, computer science, digital art, English or science classes.
-Students and teachers are given voice and multiple areas of choice in this lesson.
-Students become agents of change in their own communities, identifying problems and solutions.
-Students and teachers can make this conceptual, practical, or hands-on.
-This lesson can be spread out over several days and be considered a mini-unit.

ADDITIONAL PREREQUISITES:
-Students should be familiar with the basics of climate change.
-Students should be familiar with the basic scientific concepts of osmosis.
-Students should be familiar with basic engineering concepts like scaling and design.

DIFFERENTIATION:
-Students can work independently or in a group with adjusted requirements.
-Teachers can use subject and grade level vocabulary already being worked on or learned in class. Teachers can add vocabulary words in the glossary slide of the Teacher Slideshow.
-To further develop practical science or engineering skills, students can work together to create and implement a workable desalination solution at the school, home, or community level. Students can lead a workshop for family, an environmental club, or the community.
-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.

SYNOPSIS: This lesson introduces the idea of soil as an ecosystem and as a carbon sink.

SCIENTIST NOTES: This lesson unravels the importance of soil and engages students to take actions to restore the soil for living things to survive. All materials have been fact-checked, and this lesson is recommended for teaching.

POSITIVES:
-This lesson creates a collaborative learning environment for students to learn about soil as an ecosystem and a carbon sink for the environment.
-This lesson features kinesthetic learning as students will be digging into samples of soil.
-Students will develop a strong connection to self and others as they explore how we depend on soil.
-Students will have an opportunity to share with family members the lessons learned via their artistic model of soil and its importance to all of us.
-This lesson features age-appropriate vocabulary development.

ADDITIONAL PREREQUISITES:
-It is necessary to obtain soil samples magnifying glasses before the lesson.
-The teacher will need to gather “found” art materials from the classroom (e.g., paper, chenille stems, tissue paper, yarn, felt, glue, tape, etc.).
-Teachers will need to get the book Dirt: The Scoop on Soil ahead of time. It is available in most public and school libraries.

DIFFERENTIATION:
-Students can make predictions or answer questions after viewing the time-lapse video while exploring the soil samples, and as they develop their soil carbon sink models.
-Students can work in pairs or teams to complete the hands-on soil activity and during the Inspire step.
-Groups of students with mixed abilities can collaborate as they build their soil carbon sink models.
-As an extension, students can walk around the schoolyard or playground and look for examples of “healthy” soil that is home to living organisms.

This lesson introduces the idea of soil as an ecosystem and as a carbon sink.

Step 1 - Inquire: Students view a timelapse video that demonstrates the difference between soils with and without invertebrate decomposers.

Step 2 - Investigate: Students learn about the concept of soil as a carbon sink and examine soil samples to learn how to define soil.

Step 3 - Inspire: Students draw and record their findings demonstrating understanding of soil as an ecosystem and create a model of their soil artistically using found materials in the classroom.

SYNOPSIS: This lesson explores the benefits of green spaces, how green spaces are disappearing, and how the disappearance of green spaces relates to environmental justice.

SCIENTIST NOTES: This lesson lets students understand the relationship between disappearing green spaces and environmental justice in their community. The lesson is elementary, suitable for classroom, use and has no scientific misconceptions. All materials are thoroughly sourced and have passed our science review.

POSITIVES:
-Students will better understand deforestation utilizing Google Earth.
-Students learn how urban tree cover disproportionately benefits wealthier communities.
-This lesson uplifts student voices and creates student agency to make the world better.

ADDITIONAL PREREQUISITES:
-This is lesson 2 of 6 in our 3rd-5th grade Green Spaces unit.
-Knowledge of the terms goods and services would be helpful prior to this lesson.

DIFFERENTIATION:
-Students are able to select one of three options in the Inspire section of this lesson.
-Outgoing students can share their mini-comics or stories with the class when they are finished.
-Teachers can support students who feel motivated to make changes in their schools or communities. Any project like this can extend far beyond this lesson.

SYNOPSIS: In this lesson, students practice civic engagement by researching and writing a proposal for climate resiliency and scarce water allocation in the Deschutes River Watershed and presenting it in a mock Town Hall meeting.

SCIENTIST NOTES: The lesson allows students to propose ways to solve water scarcity in their local communities and engage with key stakeholders and policymakers to design policies that will enable local communities in Oregon to manage their water resources while building their resilience to climate change. The lesson and all the accompanying materials were reviewed and are suitable for teaching.

POSITIVES:
-Students engage in a mock Town Hall and learn how to build community while voicing community concerns.
-Students practice listening skills and engage in discourse over an important issue.
-Students learn to collaborate with different stakeholders and diverse voices, working together to find a solution that best fits a community.
-Students practice using local research to support their ideas.
-Students learn to write and present a proposal.
-The lesson can be spread out over two to four days, with a full day for research, a full day for the Town Hall, a day for voting or decision-making, and a day for letter writing and sharing in the class.

ADDITIONAL PREREQUISITES:
-Students should have an understanding of media literacy and best research practices.
-Students should have a basic understanding of rhetorical structure and devices for persuasion in oral delivery techniques.
-Teachers should review the general overview and agenda in the Town Hall Guide and make adjustments as needed.
-You will need to make a copy of the Student Slideshow for each group of students and grant them editing rights before the lesson. Students will be writing in the Student Slideshow.

DIFFERENTIATION:
-Students with little experience in persuasive speaking could use some instruction on rhetorical methods and devices using these resources:
-41 Rhetorical Devices That Will Make Your Words Memorable
-How to Use Rhetoric to Get What You Want
-PBS Literary Elements & Techniques: Imagery and Figurative Language.
-Students could develop their research into a Community Action Project proposing policy to actual stakeholders.
-Students could connect with local stream restoration projects or organizations as a hands-on learning experience.
-Students could lead a school community education campaign to spread awareness of water-saving techniques.

SYNOPSIS: This lesson is an exploration of climate change data, including greenhouse gases, global temperature, ice melt, and sea level rise.

SCIENTIST NOTES: This lesson lets students explore almost real-time data on the ways human-caused global warming is disrupting different earth systems. All of the external links use the highest quality data available and are considered reputable sources. This lesson has passed our science quality assessment.

POSITIVES:
-This lesson is all about curiosity and exploration. Students make meaning from all of this data collectively. This should be a very social activity as students share noticings, wonderings, and realizations with each other.
-This can be a very hands-off lesson, as students guide their own learning and discussion.

ADDITIONAL PREREQUISITES:
-You must copy the Student Slideshow, share it with your students, and grant them editing rights. They will be writing in the slideshow during the lesson.
-The data from these sources is always being updated.
-There are other greenhouse gases that students will not explore. These are the fluorinated gases, "a family of man-made gases used in a range of industrial applications." (Source: EU Commission)

DIFFERENTIATION:
-Seeing the extent of these numbers might cause feelings of anxiety, sadness, anger, despair, or surprise in some students. Make sure to remind them that those feelings are normal and natural. Sharing those feelings with the class usually helps students feel better. Encourage students to share their honest reactions.
-This exploration and these discussions might naturally lead into the “What can we do about it?” discussion.
-These graphs are all unsustainable. It might be useful to use these graphs to better explain the concept of sustainability to the students.
-Students should feel free to conduct research on their own to better understand their resources. For example, students can research sources of atmospheric nitrous oxide.
-It is a good thing if students have more questions leaving this class than when they entered.

In this lesson, students learn the importance of migratory hummingbirds and how to help them face the impacts of climate change.

Step 1 - Inquire: Students listen to a legend about a hummingbird from the Nasca culture in Peru and wonder about the events in the story.

Step 2 - Investigate: Students explore the diversity of hummingbirds in North America and imagine the life of the ruby-throated hummingbird as it faces the impacts of climate change.

Step 3 - Inspire: Students reflect on efforts to support hummingbirds in Mexico and create an imaginative response of their own.

SYNOPSIS: In this lesson, students learn the importance of migratory hummingbirds and how to help them face the impacts of climate change.

SCIENTIST NOTES: This lesson teaches students all about hummingbirds. Hummingbirds are important pollinators, and climate change is hurting their habitat. This lesson passed the scientific review process.

Esta lección enseña a los estudiantes todo sobre los colibríes. Los colibríes son polinizadores importantes y el cambio climático está dañando su hábitat. Esta lección pasó el proceso de revisión científica.

POSITIVES:
-This lesson encourages students to look for hummingbirds in their local environment and feel connected to the natural world and their neighboring country, Mexico.
-The lesson exposes students to the diversity of Indigenous peoples in the Americas through Indigenous language names for hummingbirds in Mexico and the stories from three different Indigenous cultures.
-This lesson could connect with a Day of the Dead lesson by beginning with the video of the Aztec legend about the relationship between the cempasúchil flower and the hummingbird.

ADDITIONAL PREREQUISITES:
-The main species in this lesson, the ruby-throated hummingbird, is currently abundant. In fact, climate change may extend the range of this species farther north as the climate becomes hotter. Students have a high probability of encountering this hummingbird in New Jersey and thus appreciating its tenacity and beauty.
-Appreciating the local migratory hummingbird can help students understand the concept of interdependence within communities and across borders.
-Understanding interdependence and fomenting cross-cultural cooperation are important aspects of finding solutions to climate change.
-Other species of hummingbirds, as noted on the poster from CONABIO, are more acutely threatened by climate change. Students can discuss why. For example, the more a hummingbird depends on an endemic species of plant (a plant found only in its region) or a more specific microclimate, the more vulnerable it is to disruption from climate change.
-Teachers can use this resource from Rutgers to further their understanding of the ruby-throated hummingbird.

DIFFERENTIATION:
-Teachers can use all the activities in the lesson or choose activities that are most apt for their class.
-Teachers should preview the videos that tell stories about hummingbirds from the Nasca culture and the Aztec culture. These stories include events that students may find sad or scary. For example, the Aztec story includes the death of a warrior whose soul becomes the hummingbird. Students can talk about how they and the characters feel at different moments.

In this lesson, students play a game about fishing, write a story about what happened, and learn how climate change impacts fish populations.

Step 1 - Inquire: Students describe photos depicting different ways of fishing and discuss their knowledge and experience of fishing.

Step 2 - Investigate: Students play the fish game, a role-play about a fishing community.

Step 3 - Inspire: Students make connections between a news report about climate change and the results of the fish game and create a comic strip to tell the story.

In this lesson, students play a game about fishing, write a story about what happened, and learn how climate change impacts fish populations.

Step 1 - Inquire: Students describe photos depicting different ways of fishing and discuss their knowledge and experience of fishing.

Step 2 - Investigate: Students play the fish game, a role-play about a fishing community.

Step 3 - Inspire: Students make connections between a news report about climate change and the results of the fish game and create a comic strip to tell the story.

SYNOPSIS: In this lesson, students play a game about fishing, write a story about what happened, and learn how climate change impacts fish populations.

SCIENTIST NOTES: In this lesson, students play the Fish Game to investigate sustainable fishing practices. This lesson passes our scientific review process.

En esta lección, los estudiantes juegan El Juego de Peces para investigar prácticas de pesca sostenible. Esta lección pasa nuestro proceso de revisión científica.

POSITIVES:
-This lesson includes hands-on, student-led communicative tasks and an authentic Spanish language listening activity.
-The fish game allows students to practice their extemporaneous speaking skills while learning about the impact of decision-making on communities.
-By playing the fish game, students encounter the economic, ecological, and social challenges of sustainable fishing.

ADDITIONAL PREREQUISITES:
-This is Lesson 1 of 3 in our Cambio Climático y la Pesca unit.
-This lesson is meant for students with an intermediate-low Spanish language proficiency level. However, novice-high level students can play the game by using the support materials in the Differentiation section below.
-Teachers can use paper clips or scraps of paper to represent the fish in the game to help students visualize their “catches” and the fish remaining in the lake.

DIFFERENTIATION:
-Students who need a review of basic grammatical concepts can complete the Grammar Review before playing the game.
-Students with novice-high proficiency levels can use the useful phrases included at the end of the El Juego de Peces Student Packet to help them interact in Spanish during the game.
-The tira cómica activity in the Inspire section can be modified to incorporate advanced grammar, such as the use of past tenses or the present tense subjunctive.

In this lesson, students play a game, participate in communicative activities, and research recipes to explore the role of consumers in supporting climate change resilience in the oceans.

Step 1 - Inquire: Students describe photos and talk about cultural traditions related to eating fish and seafood.

Step 2 - Investigate: Students play an interactive board game to explore the challenges of buying and selling sustainable, climate-resilient fish.

Step 3 - Inspire: Students research and present recipes for a class competition, “La Gran Receta de los Océanos.”

SYNOPSIS: In this lesson, students play a game, participate in communicative activities, and research recipes to explore the role of consumers in supporting climate change resilience in the oceans.

SCIENTIST NOTES: Many people use fish as their primary source of protein. But climate change is hurting fish populations and the people who need them. This lesson has passed our scientific review process.

Muchas personas utilizan el pescado como fuente principal de proteínas. Pero el cambio climático está perjudicando a las poblaciones de peces y a las personas que los necesitan. Esta lección ha pasado nuestro proceso de revisión científica.

POSITIVES:
-Students participate in a variety of communicative activities and are exposed to authentic resources from Spain and Latin America.
-The post-game reflection allows students to make personal connections to the ideas in this lesson and reflect on cultural and social justice themes.
-The recipe competition is motivating and allows for student voice and choice.
-Since most activities are completed independently, this lesson can be used for substitute plans.

ADDITIONAL PREREQUISITES:
-This is lesson 3 of 3 in our Cambio Climático y la Pesca unit.
-This lesson can be used as a standalone lesson or added to units on food, shopping, the environment, global challenges, science, technology, or contemporary life.
-Students with intermediate-low proficiency will be able to successfully navigate the activities in this lesson.
-Students should have a general familiarity with vocabulary and concepts related to climate change and fishing.

DIFFERENTIATION:
-As an alternative to the video in the Investigate section, teachers can print out MarViva's Guía de Trazabilidad and place the pages around the room. Students can walk around the room and take notes on the recommendations in the guide.
-The teacher can project the game board and students can play the game as a class instead of in pairs or small groups.
-Students can create personalized lists of vocabulary with expressions from this lesson to practice on a platform like Quizlet.
-Students can create a local guide in Spanish about where to buy sustainable seafood or write an article in Spanish for the school newspaper.
-Advanced classes can begin the lesson by analyzing Pablo Neruda’s poem “Oda al Caldillo de Congrio” instead of describing the photos.
-After completing this lesson, AP Spanish Language and Culture students can record a two-minute cultural comparison using one of these prompts:
-¿Cómo ha afectado el cambio climático la vida de las personas en tu comunidad? ¿Qué hacen para expresar solidaridad los miembros de tu comunidad?
-¿Qué hábitos o actividades se consideran una expresión de los valores en tu comunidad? ¿Qué opinión tienen las personas en tu comunidad con respecto a los avances en la ciencia y la tecnología?
-¿Qué papel juegan las tradiciones de la comida en las familias de tu comunidad? ¿Qué importancia tiene el trabajo en el bienestar de las familias en tu comunidad?
-As a culminating activity for this three-lesson unit, the class can watch this Youth for Sea music video and then create their own version of the video or create graphics to go with the song.
-The class can come up with their own criteria, based on the lesson, for the competition “La Gran Receta de los Océanos.”