SYNOPSIS: In this lesson, students identify the causes and consequences of climate change, explore the Indigenous cosmovision of El Buen Vivir, and reflect on the values needed to live within the ecological limits of the planet.

SCIENTIST NOTES: The lesson highlights the importance of protecting nature and recognizes the role played by Indigenous Peoples in protecting biodiversity and living well with nature. Students will find this lesson promising and insightful as it prepares them to be environmental stewards. All the materials are credible, and this lesson is recommended for teaching.

La lección destaca la importancia de proteger la naturaleza y reconoce el papel que juegan los pueblos indígenas en la protección de la biodiversidad y vivir bien con la naturaleza. Los estudiantes encontrarán esta lección prometedora y perspicaz, ya que los prepara para ser administradores ambientales. Todos los materiales tienen buenas fuentes y esta lección se recomienda para la enseñanza.

POSITIVES:
-This lesson integrates interpersonal and presentational speaking skills with listening and reading activities from authentic Spanish-language sources.
-Students make interdisciplinary connections to science and global challenges.
-Students explore the diversity of Indigenous cultures in Latin America and are exposed to women who are Indigenous leaders.
-Many activities are student-led and reinforce new vocabulary in multi-modal ways.
-Answer keys are provided for the listening activities.
-The teacher can leave the posters or artwork visible in the classroom to refer back to when discussing values related to other topics or units later in the year.

ADDITIONAL PREREQUISITES:
-Students should have a minimum of novice-high proficiency to complete the activities in this lesson.
-Students should have a basic understanding of some natural cycles of the Earth in order to complete the activity in the Investigate section without teacher support.

DIFFERENTIATION:
-Teachers can divide this lesson into two or more class periods as needed. For example, students can complete the Inquire and Investigate sections in one class period, complete the reading and video comprehension activities for homework, then complete the Inspire section in a second class period.
-Teachers can extend the Inspire section to two class periods to accommodate in-class presentations or ask students to record their presentations for homework.

Groups of 3-4 students work in parallel on different radiocarbon data sets in this project assignment; the content described here would comprise one group data set including a brief descriptive statement and bibliographic reference, raw data including errors, background lecture notes, and an example final poster presentation.

(Note: this resource was added to OER Commons as part of a batch upload of over 2,200 records. If you notice an issue with the quality of the metadata, please let us know by using the 'report' button and we will flag it for consideration.)

Ranchers are participating in a pilot project to improve carbon storage and reduce net greenhouse gas emissions. After quantifying their baseline emissions and carbon storage, they implement conservation practices that may let them tap into revenue from voluntary carbon markets.

Students answer several questions about Rayleigh fractionation and the oxygen isotope composition of ice cores which require them to manipulate the values and equations in a MS Excel spreadsheet. This helps them to see how the oxygen isotope composition of ice cores changes with temperature in the high latitudes. Future iterations of the exercise should include a visualization of the Clausius-Clapeyron equation.

(Note: this resource was added to OER Commons as part of a batch upload of over 2,200 records. If you notice an issue with the quality of the metadata, please let us know by using the 'report' button and we will flag it for consideration.)

This visualization offers a variety of realistic actions anyone can take to live a more sustainable lifestyle. Topics include how to create an energy efficient home, how to practice sustainable shopping, how to adopt sustainable eating habits, and how to prioritize eco-friendly transportation and travel.

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

This video is about the Rebuild by Design competition offered to address the structural and social vulnerabilities exposed by Superstorm Sandy.

Redford Center Stories is an environmental storytelling initiative for students in grades 5th-12th, designed to empower youth as changemakers to impact environmental justice, restoration, and regeneration through the power of storytelling.

SYNOPSIS: This lesson plan connects redlining with current issues of environmental and racial justice.

SCIENTIST NOTES: This is a thoroughly sourced and cited lesson plan. All of the external links meet our quality standards for accuracy and current information. Additionally, the external links are well-sourced, and the data is provided for tools like the Tree Cover Equity map. This lesson has passed our scientific quality assessment.

Positives
-This environmental racism lesson plan clearly connects redlining in the 1930s and environmental injustice today.
-This lesson is extremely powerful because students make the connection between redlined areas and their case studies. It is nuanced and will not always line up perfectly. Overwhelmingly, however, neighborhoods that were redlined are experiencing environmental injustice - higher rates of asthma, unbearable heat, air pollution, and less tree cover. It is an incredibly meaningful "aha moment" for the students.

ADDITIONAL PREREQUISITES:
-There might be some pushback with those who do not understand racism.
-Students might think “I’m not racist.” But it’s important to know that racism exists whether one perpetrates individual racist acts or not.
-For some background information and definitions, use this resource from Dr. Ibram X. Kendi’s book, How to Be an Antiracist.
-It may be useful to discuss how climate change is a “threat multiplier.” For things like urban heat islands and urban tree cover, climate change makes inequities even worse.

DIFFERENTIATION:
-It may be best to group students of different abilities when they are exploring their case studies.
-If you live in the United States you can adapt case study #4 - the American Forests Tree Equity Score Map - to whichever major city is closest to your school. The lesson is designed for students to explore Philadelphia, but students can simply look at any other city to make the connection between redlining and urban tree cover.

SYNOPSIS: In this lesson, students learn how redlining connects to tree equity and racial justice.

SCIENTIST NOTES: This lesson introduces the concepts of redlining, tree equity, and environmental racism to students. It walks students through the history of these practices and how the effects of these policies are still seen today. The links all provide detailed information about where their data is from and have been reviewed for accuracy. This resource is recommended for teaching.

POSITIVES:
-This lesson provides a clear story between redlining in the 1930s and environmental injustice seen today.
-This lesson shows students a tangible effect of systemic racism.
-Students are given voice and choice in this lesson.
-Students are empowered to think about solutions to environmental injustice.

ADDITIONAL PREREQUISITES:
-Students should have some basic understanding that racism exists whether one perpetrates individual racist acts or not.
-Students should have some basic understanding that systems or policies can be racist.

DIFFERENTIATION:
-Extension activities can have students explore other forms of environmental injustice stemming from redlining. Examples include health issues, air pollution, urban heat, industrial pollution, water quality, etc.
-Student groups can pair up to compare and contrast different regions in New Jersey.
-Students can research policies or movements in addressing redlining in New Jersey.
-Students can research the relationship between redlining and voter suppression.

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

SCIENTIST NOTES: This lesson introduces students to the sustainable waste management principles of reduce, reuse, and recycle. They would be engaged in sorting waste and disposing of it into appropriate recycling bins. They would also be able to explain the implications of waste recycling on the environment. All materials are thoroughly sourced and written. Accordingly, this lesson has passed our science review.

POSITIVES:
-Students participate in a hands-on and physically active learning activity.
-Students collaborate and develop long-term plans together.
-Students get a sense of ownership from developing a classroom waste management plan.

ADDITIONAL PREREQUISITES:
-Teacher needs to either:
-Bring in materials to sort for The Great Reduce Reuse Recycle Relay.
-Print the alternate materials in advance.
-Some sort of large poster needs to be available to hang in an easily viewed space for students to have easy access to the classroom waste management plan.

DIFFERENTIATION:
-Students could work in groups to complete the cut and sort in the Investigate stage if time is limited.
-Students with physical limitations may do The Great Reduce Reuse Recycle Relay at their desk with the alternate materials or be the “bin monitor” to help ensure each relay team is sorting their materials correctly.

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.

This video highlights the work of climate scientists in the Amazon who research the relationship between deforestation, construction of new dams, and increased amounts of greenhouse gases being exchanged between the biosphere and the atmosphere.

Rising seas and coastal erosion are eating away at the barrier island on which the Alaska Native Village of Kivalina rests. Residents and others are making concerted efforts to move the community to safety.

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.