Climate and Energy Educational Resource Collection
The CLEAN Collection is a high-quality and rigorously reviewed collection of climate and energy educational resources and lesson plans aligned with the Climate Literacy and Energy Literacy frameworks, and the Next Generation Science Standards.
Through peer-review, scientists and educators ensure scientific accuracy, pedagogic effectiveness, and classroom readiness for each resource.
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Resource Type
Grade Level
Climate LIteracy
- 1. Scientists use observations and modeling to understand climate 68 matches
- 2. Greenhouse gases shape Earth’s climate 26 matches
- 3. Burning fossil fuels and other human activities are causing the planet to warm. 24 matches
- 4. Rapid warming and other climate changes threaten human and ecological systems. 61 matches
- 5. Climate justice is possible if climate actions are equitable. 15 matches
- 6. Humans can adapt social, built, and natural environments to better withstand the impacts of climate change. 11 matches
- 7. Reducing human-caused emissions of greenhouse gases to net zero by 2050 can reduce global warming and climate change impacts. 42 matches
- 8. A livable and sustainable future for all is possible with rapid, just, and transformational climate action. 12 matches
Teaching Across the Curriculum
Climate and Energy Topics
- Causes of Climate Change 175 matches Includes natural changes (cyclic variability, volcanic eruptions, solar output) and human-caused changes (due to GHG emissions and land use changes)
- Climate Impacts 314 matches Includes sea level rise; extreme weather; drought; changes to ecosystems, plants and animals; melting ice and permafrost; ocean warming; impacts to water resources, agriculture, public health and national security
- Climate System 271 matches Includes natural processes within the climate system: orbital patterns, solar radiation, oceans, atmosphere, water cycle, the natural greenhouse effect, carbon cycle, regional climates and differences between climate and weather.
- Energy Use 130 matches Sources of energy, usage trends, conservation, policy
- Human Responses to Climate 213 matches Includes policy, mitigation, adaptation, risk management, personal responsibility
- Measuring and Modeling Climate 296 matches Instrumental measurements, proxy data, climate model projections
- Nature of Climate Science 33 matches Includes the process of science and common misconceptions about climate science
NGSS Performance Expectations
NGSS Disciplinary Core Ideas
NGSS Cross-Cutting Concepts
NGSS Science and Engineering Practices
Energy Literacy Principles
- Energy is a physical quantity 57 matches Energy is a physical quantity that follows precise natural laws.
- Physical processes on Earth are the result of energy flow 168 matches Physical processes on Earth are the result of energy flow through the Earth system.
- Biological processes depend on energy flow 63 matches Biological processes depend on energy flow through the Earth system.
- Various sources of energy are used to power human activities 123 matches Various sources of energy can be used to power human activities, and often this energy must be transferred from source to destination.
- Energy decisions are influenced by several factors 79 matches Energy decisions are influenced by economic, political, environmental, and social factors.
- Human use of energy 81 matches The amount of energy used by human society depends on many factors.
- Energy affects quality of life 114 matches The quality of life of individuals and societies is affected by energy choices.
Regional Focus
Dataset Use
Results 1 - 10 of 743 matches
This lesson is the fifth and final module in the climate change curricula from the National Center for Science Education. It aims to teach students about the economic, social, and scientific ...
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This resources has passed the CLEAN review process
Here students use data from the NOAA carbon dioxide monitoring sites, such as Mauna Loa, to graph the Keeling Curve for themselves on large sheets of paper. Each group graphs one year, and the graphs ...
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This resources has passed the CLEAN review process
Tracking Water Using NASA Satellite Data
Using real data from NASA's GRACE satellites, students will track water mass changes in the U.S., data that measures changes in ice, surface and especially groundwater. The background ...Reviewed Collection
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This activity allows students to make El Nino in a container, but it might work better as a teacher demonstration. The introduction and information provided describe El Nino, its processes and its ...
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This very short video introduces the concept of sea level rise and ties it back to global warming. The video is brief, basic, and clear. It can be used for a quick introduction, but nothing deeper ...
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This resources has passed the CLEAN review process
I Live in the Midwest and Northern Great Plains - Does Climate Change Matter to Me?
This video features Katharine Hayhoe presenting a lively discussion of impacts that the Midwestern US is experiencing due to climate change. It steps through evidence for how climate change is ...Reviewed Collection
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This activity allows students to demonstrate the thermal expansion of water for themselves using water bottles and straws. The discussion allows them to explore the connection between this concept ...
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This resources has passed the CLEAN review process
Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation
In this short video, learn about actions that humans can take to mitigate climate change and adapt to its impacts. Use this resource to stimulate thinking and questions about climate change and to ...Reviewed Collection
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Choosing Earth's Climate Future
Students focus on the three interconnected choices global society faces as Earth's climate continues to change—suffer, adapt, and mitigate—to analyze and predict current and future impacts ...Reviewed Collection
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This series of two lessons uses cutting-edge scientific research on the effects of climate change on communities in the intertidal. Through a combination of a dynamic presentation and several videos, ...
Reviewed Collection
This resources has passed the CLEAN review process