Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Climate and Earth Systems
The components of the atmosphere have a significant impact on long-term climate change. Learners begin by analyzing the role of carbon dioxide in the earth systems and how varying the levels would affect those systems—and ultimately...
National Wildlife Federation
Quantifying Land Changes Over Time Using Landsat
"Humans have become a geologic agent comparable to erosion and [volcanic] eruptions ..." Paul J. Crutzen, a Nobel Prize-winning atmospheric chemist. Using Landsat imagery, scholars create a grid showing land use type, such as urban,...
National Wildlife Federation
I Speak for the Polar Bears!
Climate change and weather extremes impact every species, but this lesson focuses on how these changes effect polar bears. After learning about the animal, scholars create maps of snow-ice coverage and examine the yearly variability and...
NASA
Geographical Influences
"If global warming is real, why is it so cold?" Distinguishing the difference between weather and climate is important when it comes to understanding our planet. In these activities, young scientists look at the climate patterns in a...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Reflecting on What I Learned About Climate Change
After three eye-opening lessons about our environment, scholars revisit a 10-question survey, reflect on their new-found knowledge, and take action by writing to a representative or creating a public service announcement about climate...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Historical Climate Cycles
Scientists use ice core samples to obtain temperatures of the earth from 400,000 years ago! The third of five lessons instructs pupils to interpret historical climate data to see changes over time. In part I, participants interpret...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Climate Change Around the World
You know climate change is happening when you see a bee take off its yellow jacket. Part four in a series of five lessons explores all factors affecting climate change: temperature, cloud cover, precipitation, and carbon dioxide. By...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Review and Assessment: Causes and Effects of Climate Changes
The last activity in the series of five is a short one where individuals show what they've learned about the causes and effects of climate change. Working independently, they fill in a graphic organizer, then compare their notes with a...
Curated OER
Climate Comparison Charts
In this comparing climate charts worksheet, young scholars record average monthly temperatures and average monthly precipitations on two charts. Students record twenty-four monthly statistics.
Curated OER
Climate Change
Ninth graders compare the Arctic and Antarctic. For this climate lesson students work in groups, research and complete an oral report or a poster.
Curated OER
Climate Change
Learners discuss global warming. In this global warming lesson, students read an article about global warming and list five things they learned. Learners work in small groups to compare what they wrote. Students illustrate one of the...
NASA
Comparing Temperature and Solar Radiation for Common Latitudes
There's snow much to learn! Excited individuals use real-world data to discover how latitude affects the odds of a snow day. Scientists compare latitude, solar radiation, and temperature using NASA data for several locations....
Curated OER
Changing Planet: Black Carbon - a Dusty Situation
Introduce your young meteorologists to black carbon produced by the burning of fossil fuels by showing the video, "Changing Planet: Black Carbon." Viewers discover that deposition of this carbon on polar ice impacts the absorption of...
Center Science Education
Feeling the Heat
What is an urban heat island? Middle school meteorologists find out by comparing temperatures at different locations on campus. They relate their findings to what might be happening in a concrete jungle and how it impacts local weather....
Curated OER
Using Climographs to Compare and Contrast Two Climates
In this climographs instructional activity, students use two given climographs to compare the climate of West Palm Beach and Katmandu. They answer questions about the climographs and about the similarities and differences between the two...
Curated OER
Global Warming Part 2: Climate Change
Learners examine natural climate fluctuations of the Earth and compare climate change in last 100 years to earlier climate changes. From this data students will begin to define current issues related to global warming.
Chicago Botanic Garden
Weather or Not
What is the difference between weather and climate? This is the focus question of a lesson that takes a deeper look at how weather data helps determine climate in a region. Using weather and climate cards, students decide if a statement...
US Environmental Protection Agency
Mapping Greenhouse Gas Emissions Where You Live
After investigating the US Environmental Protection Agency's climate change website, your environmental studies students discuss greenhouse gas emissions. They use an online interactive tool to look at data from power production...
Curated OER
Differences between Climate and Weather
Learners collect weather data over weeks, graph temperature data and compare the temperature data collected with averaged climate data where they live.
Curated OER
Physical Geography- Climate
Sixth graders explore different climates. In this compare and contrast lesson, 6th graders look at the differences in climates of America and Europe. Students use KWL charts and graphic organizers to record information about different...
Curated OER
How Oceans Affect Climate
Students draw conclusions about how the ocean affects temperature. In this weather instructional activity, students use the Internet to gather data to help them come to a conclusion about how the climate in a certain region is directly...
Curated OER
Climate
In this science worksheet, students write several sentences about their countries climate and then compare their countries climate to their hometowns climate in a graphic organizer.
Curated OER
Climate Change
Students compare weather data and draw conclusions. In this climate change lesson plan, students determine whether data collected over a period of ninety years shows a warming trend.
Curated OER
TE Lesson: What to Wear? What to Drink? Weather Patterns and Climatic Regions
Students examine how climate affects lifestyle, clothing choices, food, and water sources. They explore climatic regions such as tropical, desert, coastal, and alpine situations. They look at the longitude and latitude, land features and...