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Teaching Climate

Interdisciplinary Teaching Ideas on Climate for All Subjects & Grade Levels

  • Home
  • Teacher Guides
    • Introduction
    • Global Warming Basics
    • Climate Justice — and Injustice
    • International Efforts: IPCC, UNFCCC, & COP
    • Measuring and Accounting for Greenhouse Gas Emissions
    • Analysis, Reporting, and Action
    • Elementary School Resources
    • Middle School Resources
    • High School Resources
    • Links – Sources & Additional Resources by Topic
  • Subject Areas
    • Community & Restorative Justice
      • Introduction to Community & Restorative Justice Resources
      • Suggested Anti-Racist Curriculum Resources
      • Suggested Anti-Racist Curriculum Resources – Classroom Projects and Activities
      • Community & Restorative Justice Teaching Resources
      • Enhancing Education Through Creative Instruction and Student-designed Projects
      • Unlearning What We’re Taught in School
      • Regenerative Community Justice
    • Ideas for Elementary School Teachers
    • Ideas for Teachers – Individual Subjects
      • Art
      • Astronomy
      • Biology
      • Chemistry
      • Communication & Journalism
      • Drama & Theatre
      • Economics & Business
      • Engineering
      • English & Language Arts
      • Environmental Science & Earth Science
      • Family & Consumer Science / Home Economics
      • Government
      • History
      • Mathematics
      • Music
      • Physics
      • Social Studies
    • Resources That Apply to Many Subjects
    • Teacher-Recommended Readings for Students
    • Metric System (System Internationale)
  • Student Voices & Resources
    • Student Quotes
    • Student Action Resources
    • Student Groups
  • GHG Calculator
  • About Us
    • About Us – TeachClimate.net
    • Contact Us
    • About Us – Alliance for Sustainable Communities Lehigh Valley
    • Website Creation Credits/Acknowledgements
    • Indigenous Land Acknowledgement
    • Copyright / Usage Policy

Resources (alphabetic)

  • Home
  • Interdisciplinary Teaching on Climate & Sustainability
  • Resources (alphabetic)
  • A Blueprint for Environmental Literacy – Science (CA Dept of Education)
  • Arctic Report Card 2016. National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration [NOAA] website [www.arctic.noaa.gov/Report-Card/Report-Card-2016]
  • Art of Sustainability. Sustainability Institute at Florida A&M.  [sustainability.famu.edu/engagement/art]
  • The art of sustainability: imagination, not spreadsheets will create change. The Guardian, 24 May 2013.
    [www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/art-sustainability-imagination-create-change]
  • Assessing ‘Dangerous Climate Change’: Required Reduction of Carbon Emissions to Protect Young People, Future Generations and Nature, by James Hansen, Johan Rockström, and 15 other scientists. Public Library of Science (PLOS), 2013.  [journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0081648]
  • Astronomy and the Climate Crisis, by Antony Cooke. Springer, 2012.  [www.springer.com/us/book/9781461446071]
  • Astronomy, Cycles, and Climate Change (Geological Digressions blog, 4 August 2016) [www.geological-digressions.com/?p=887]
  • A bridge to nowhere: methane emissions and the greenhouse gas footprint of natural gas [PDF]. Robert W. Howarth. Energy Science and Engineering, 2014.
    [www.eeb.cornell.edu/howarth/publications/Howarth_2014_ESE_methane_emissions.pdf]
  • Calculating GHG Inventories. Tufts University
    [sustainability.tufts.edu/wp-content/uploads/InventoryMethods.pdf]
  • Calculating the Energy from Sunlight Over a 12-hour Period (NASA)
    [www.grc.nasa.gov/www/k-12/Numbers/Math/Mathematical_Thinking/sun12.htm]
  • The Carbon Cycle. Kids’ Crossing (National Center for Atmospheric Research)
    [eo.ucar.edu/kids/green/cycles6.htm]
  • The Carbon Cycle. NASA website. [earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/CarbonCycle]
  • Carbon Cycle & Photosynthesis, Combustion, Sedimentation, Respiration, & Human Impacts. University of California – Davis.  [chemwiki.ucdavis.edu/Biological_Chemistry/Biochemical_Cycles/Carbon_Cycle]
  • Carbon Flows diagram 2014. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 2016. Sankey chart showing sources, carbon flows & processes, and destinations. [flowcharts.llnl.gov/commodities/carbon]
  • Carbon Footprint Calculator (free). Carbon Footprint. [www.carbonfootprint.com/calculator.aspx]
  • Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (Formerly the Pew Center on Global Climate Change). A highly-rated center for reliable information, policy proposals, and action plans.  [www.c2es.org]
  • Center for the Study of the Steady-State Economy. [www.steadystate.org]
  • Children of the Earth United website. Ideas, writing, and lessons by students (Amazing Animals, Awesome Activities, Creative Kids, Earth Issues, Eco-Careers, Great Books, Green Homes, Native Wisdom, Nature Programs, Powerful Plants, Recycling, We Give Thanks)  [www.childrenoftheearth.org]
  • Climate Accountability Scorecard. Union of Concerned Scientists, 2016. Climate deception, disclosure, and action by major fossil-fuel companies.
    [www.ucsusa.org/global-warming/fight-misinformation/climate-accountability-scorecard-ranking-major-fossil-fuel-companies]
  • Climate Adaptation – State of Practice in U.S. Communities. Kresge Foundation, November 2016. [www.kresge.org/sites/default/files/library/climate-adaptation-the-state-of-practice-in-us-communities-full-report.pdf]
  • Climate Change and Your Community. Two short video clips from PBS.
    [www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/lessons_plans/climate-change-and-your-community]
  • Climate Change, Climate Justice. Trócaire, Republic of Ireland (Overseas Development Agency of the Catholic Church of Ireland). A variety of resources.
    [Include useful resources, but please note that they are produced by a church-related organization, and may contain a few religious references.]
  • Climate Change Education. Stanford University School of Earth, Energy, & Environmental Sciences website. Curriculum for middle school and high school.
    [pangea.stanford.edu/programs/outreach/climatechange/curriculum]
  • Climate Change Information Kit [PDF]. UNFCCC, UNEP, Very comprehensive resource –some information needs to be updated but still very useful. [unfccc.int/resource/iuckit/cckit2001en.pdf]
  • Climate Change, Global Warming & Solutions for Elementary School. Climate Change Education website. [www.climatechangeeducation.org/k-12_schools/curriculum/elementary_school.html]
  • Climate Change, Global Warming & Solutions for Middle School. Climate Change Education website. Resource list & links. [www.climatechangeeducation.org/k-12_schools/curriculum/middle_school.html]
  • Climate Change, Global Warming & Solutions for High School. Climate Change Education website. [www.climatechangeeducation.org/k-12_schools/curriculum/high_school.html]
  • Climate Hot Map website. Union of Concerned Scientists. Explore the signs of global warming on this map or Google Earth. The evidence of climate change includes heat waves, sea-level rise, flooding, melting glaciers, earlier spring arrival, coral reef bleaching, and the spread of disease. [climatehotmap.org]
  • Climate Tipping Points: Current Perspectives and State of Knowledge. Center for Climate Change and Environmental Forecasting (2009).
  • Consequences of Climate Change. National Aeronautics & Space Administration [NASA]. [climate.nasa.gov/effects]
  • Cross-Curricular Math, English, and Science Lesson. Open Educational Resources website.
    [www.oercommons.org/authoring/7876-climate-change-cross-curricular-math-english-scien]
  • Current state of the polar ice caps.  [nsidc.org/arcticseaicenews]
  • EcoLiterate: How Educators Are Cultivating Emotional, Social, and Ecological Intelligence, by Michael K. Stone & Zenobia Barlow. Center for Ecoliteracy, 2012. [www.ecoliteracy.org/book/ecoliterate]
  • EcoMusicology website.  [www.ecomusicology.info]
  • Effects of Global Warming. National Geographic website.
    [environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/gw-effects]
  • Emission Factors for GHG Inventories [PDF], Environmental Protection Agency [EPA]. (Note: this sheet is included with the School GHG Calculator.)
  • Emissions Gap Report [PDF]. United Nations Environmental Programme [UNEP].
  • Energy Flows diagram 2021. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 2016. Sankey chart showing sources, energy flows & processes, and destinations/uses.[flowcharts.llnl.gov/]
  • Global Sea Level Rise Map. Geology.com website – lets you see sea level rise of various amounts  [geology.com/sea-level-rise]
  • Global Warming. Teaching & Learning Center website. Resources on biodiversity, desertification, deforestation, environmental science, energy, el Niño, food, meteorology & weather, polar regions,
    [www.k12tlc.net/content/globewrm.htm]
  • Global Warming Science. Union of Concerned Scientists website  [www.ucsusa.org/our-work/global-warming/science-and-impacts/global-warming-science]
  • Global Warming and the Greenhouse Effect. Tufts University.
    [ase.tufts.edu/cosmos/view_chapter.asp?id=21]
  • Global Warming Potential [PDF]. GHG Protocol. Global Warming Potential
    [www.ghgprotocol.org/files/ghgp/tools/Global-Warming-Potential-Values.pdf]
  • Global Warming’s Terrifying New Chemistry, by Bill McKibben. The Nation, April 2016.  [www.thenation.com/article/global-warming-terrifying-new-chemistry]
  • Global Warming’s Terrifying New Math, by Bill McKibben. Rolling Stone, July 2012. [www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/global-warmings-terrifying-new-math-20120719]
  • Greenhouse Gas Index, Annual. Earth System Research Laboratory (NOAA)
    [www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/aggi/aggi.html]
  • How to Teach High-School Students to Spot Fake News. Slate.com, December 2016. [slate.com/technology/2016/12/media-literacy-courses-help-high-school-students-spot-fake-news.html]
  • Ice Sheets and Sea Level Rise [PDF]. NASA, 1999.  (Curriculum document, good source for calculation methods, but volume of ice sheets may not be up to date.)  [pumas.nasa.gov/files/02_10_97_1.pdf]
  • Indigenous Environmental Network.  [www.ienearth.org]
  • IPCC Fifth Assessment Report (consisting of several complementary reports). Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2013 & 2014  [www.ipcc.ch/report/ar5]
  • Justice and Responsibility in a Changing Climate. National Council for Social Studies
    [www.ncss.org/system/files/publications/se/7901/79011535.pdf] (membership site)
  • Keeling Curve. Scripps Institute of Oceanography website [scripps.ucsd.edu/programs/keelingcurve]
  • League of the Iroquois. History World.  [www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.asp?historyid=158]
  • Life Cycle Analysis. Environmental Literacy Council.
    [enviroliteracy.org/environment-society/life-cycle-analysis]
  • Life Cycle Assessment. Global Development Research Center, Urban Environmental Management, 1990.  [www.gdrc.org/uem/lca/lca-for-cities.html]
  • Making the Case for Environmental Sustainability in the Arts. Grantmakers In the Arts, 2012. [www.giarts.org/article/making-case-environmental-sustainability-arts]
  • Manifest Destiny mural. Smithsonian American Art Museum website. [americanart.si.edu/images/2011/2011.36A-D_1a.jpg]
    Manifest Destiny – more info. Brooklyn Museum website. [www.brooklynmuseum.org/exhibitions/alexis_rockman]
    (The painting is also on display at the Nurture Nature Center, Easton, PA.)
  • MassArt Sustainability – Massachusetts College of Art & Design website.  [sustainability.massart.edu]
  • Math Is Fun website.  [www.mathsisfun.com]
  • Melody discrimination and protein fold classification, by Robert P. Bywater & Jonathan N. Middleton. Heliyon open access journal, October 2016.  [www.heliyon.com/article/e00175]
  • Moravian College at the UNFCCC. Blog. Bethlehem-based Moravian College is one of the few colleges accredited to attend the annual COP; most activity occurs at the annual COP. [moraviancollegeatunfccc.blogspot.com]
  • Mystery of the Three Scary Numbers: A Climate Change Teaching Activity. Zinn Education Project
  • National Energy Development Project (NEED). Many curricular materials for different subjects and levels. [www.need.org]
  • Next Generation Sustainability, by Maura Adams. Independent School. NAIS, 2013.
    [www.nais.org/Magazines-Newsletters/ISMagazine/Pages/Next-Generation-Sustainability.aspx}
  • Ocean Acidification. Smithsonian Institution, Ocean Portal website. Includes information on causes, impacts, and chemistry of the acidification process.  [ocean.si.edu/ocean-acidification]
  • On the Arts and Sustainability. Ian David Moss, CreateEquity blog, 2009.
    [createquity.com/2009/06/on-arts-and-sustainability]
  • PBS Learning Media. Thousands of short clips sorted by grade level and subject, standards-aligned. [www.pbslearningmedia.org/about/products/teachers]
  • A People’s Curriculum for the Earth, Bill Bigelow & Tim Swinehart, editors. Rethinking Schools, 2014. [www.rethinkingschools.org/proddetails.asp?ID=9780942961577]
  • Planetary boundaries (great visual, TED talk) Stockholm Resilience Center.
    [www.stockholmresilience.org/research/planetary-boundaries.html]
  • Plastic-Free Back To School Guide from BeyondPlastics, which also provides a variety of other resources reducing the terrible climate, heal, and environmental impacts of plastic. [a project from Bennington College] [https://www.beyondplastics.org/plasticfree-back-to-school-guide]
  • The Precautionary Principle.  [www.precautionaryprinciple.eu]
  • Precautionary Principle:  the Wingspread Statement. Science and Environmental Health Network, 1998. [www.sehn.org/wingspread-conference-on-the-precautionary-principle]†
  • Quantifying global soil carbon losses in response to warming. T. W. Crowther, et al. Nature Magazine, December 2016.  [www.nature.com/articles/nature20150.epdf]
  • Rainforest destruction — Why are rainforests being destroyed?.  Rainforest Concern.
    [www.rainforestconcern.org/rainforest_facts/why_are_they_being_destroyed]
  • Regenerative Organic Agriculture and Climate Change [PDF]. Rodale Institute, 2014.
    [rodaleinstitute.org/regenerative-organic-agriculture-and-climate-change]
  • Renewable Energy: All You Need to Know. Environmental Science website.
    [www.environmentalscience.org/renewable-energy]
  • Rethinking Schools – quarterly magazine committed to a strong public education system and social justice – features teachers describing real classroom experiences, including teaching on climate, environmental health, and climate justice. [www.rethinkingschools.org]
  • Sea Level Rise. National Geographic website.  [ocean.nationalgeographic.com/ocean/critical-issues-sea-level-rise]
  • Sea Level Rise and Coastal Flooding Impacts. National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration [NOAA] website – lets you set moderate sea level rise. [coast.noaa.gov/slr]
  • A Short History of Energy. Union of Concerned Scientists.
    [www.ucsusa.org/clean_energy/our-energy-choices/a-short-history-of-energy.html]
  • Smart by Nature: Schooling for Sustainability, by Michael K. Stone. Center for Ecoliteracy, 2009. [www.ecoliteracy.org/book/smart-nature-schooling-sustainability]
  • Social Cost of Carbon: What Is It, and Why Do We Need to Calculate It? Columbia Climate School (2021)
  • Social Cost of Carbon Pollution website explores costs that producers avoid, leaving them to the rest of us to absorb  [costofcarbon.org]
  • State of the Climate. National Oceanographic & Atmo­spheric Administration [NOAA].Monthly reports with global, national, and regional updates on atmospheric conditions, temperatures, ice and snow, and severe weather.   [www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc]
  • Integrated Environmental and Sustainability Education. Washington State Department of Education, 2014. 30+ activity descriptions from K-12 teachers.  [www.k12.wa.us/EnvironmentSustainability/Curriculum/Examples.aspx]
  • STEM to STEAM. Rhode Island School of Design website [www.stemtosteam.org]
  • Integrated Environmental and Sustainability Education. Washington State Department of Education, 2014. 30+ activity descriptions from K-12 teachers.
    [www.k12.wa.us/EnvironmentSustainability/Curriculum/Examples.aspx]
  • Student’s Guide to Global Climate Change: The Greenhouse Effect. EPA website. (suitable for younger students)   [www3.epa.gov/climatechange/kids/basics/today/greenhouse-effect.html]
  • Sustainable Consumption Through an Environmental Lens: Challenges and Opportunities for Home Economics, by S. Lorek & S Wahlen. In Creating Home Economics Futures – The Next 100 Years. Australia Academic Press, 2013.
    [www.academia.edu/1885178/Sustainable_Consumption_Through_an_Environmental_Lens_Challenges_and_Opportunities_for_Home_Economics]
  • Sustainable Scotland. Learning for Sustainability Scotland website, University of Edinburgh. Developing ideas and programs to promote engagement and learning about sustainability for all ages. [learningforsustainabilityscotland.org]  
  • Some of these resources are no longer available online, but we have uploaded a PDF of their Schools’ Global Footprint Teacher Handbook. 
  • TeachEngineering website – large, searchable database of curriculum resources include lessons and activities for grades K–12 [www.teachengineering.org]
  • Three Scary Numbers [3-min. video]. Bill McKibben.
    [www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KtGg-Lvxso]
  • 350.org – a grassroots organization on climate change
  • The Six Nations: Oldest Living Participatory Democracy on Earth. [ratical.org/many_worlds/6Nations]
  • UNFCCC newsroom. United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change  [newsroom.unfccc.int]
  • Why Use the Arts for Sustainability? – EcoArts Australis
    [www.ecoartsaustralis.org.au/ecoarts-australis/why-use-the-arts-for-environmental-sustainability]
  • Zinn Education Project website. Teaching materials contribute by teachers.
    Environment & Food teaching materials)
    [zinnedproject.org] | [zinnedproject.org/teaching-materials/?themes=environment-food]
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Sources for More Ideas

  • Rethinking Schools
  • Zinn Education Project
  • Alfie Kohn’s blog
  • Big Picture Education, by Pat Walsh

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