Social Studies
Teaching climate across the curriculum social studies resources include K-12 lessons focused on topics such as civics, geography, economics, and political science. The following are examples of art-aligned lessons organized by grade level, and you can find our full collection here.
Elementary Example Lesson
Recipe for a Region
Lunar and Planetary Institute, Universities Space Research Association
https://cleanet.org/resources/57935.html
Description: Students consider the ways their climate affects their region, by identifying a type of food unique to the region and selecting (and possibly cooking) a recipe that features that ingredient. Optional activities to make the food are also provided.
Instructional Time: 30 minutes
Grade Level: Second through eighth
Middle School Example Lesson
Beat the Uncertainty: Planning Climate-Resilient Cities
Tarlise Townsend, Astrid Kause, Peg Steffen, Dinh Thai Hung, Than Ngo Duc, Vinh Nguyen Li Ai, Susan Fox, NOAA
https://cleanet.org/resources/56001.html
Description: This learning activity explores the concept of resiliency. It allows students to make city planning decisions and then employs a game to test their resilience decisions against potential impacts from severe weather, climate change, and natural hazards.
Instructional Time: One to two 45 min class periods
Grade Level: Sixth through twelfth
High School Example Lesson
Student Exploration of the Impacts of Climate Change on Human Health in the United States
Dana Brown Haine, Stefani Dawn, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
https://cleanet.org/resources/56883.html
Description: This module follows the 5E instructional model to promote student discovery and learning about the complex interactions between climate change, the environment, and human health. Students describe the impacts of changing climatic conditions on human health with emphasis on vulnerable populations and apply systems thinking to create a visual model of various health implications arising from climate change.
Instructional Time: Two to three 45-minute class periods.
Grade Level: Ninth through twelfth