Teaching Activities

Little Shop of Physics
Students act out 4 different molecules (nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide and water vapor) to discover which ones are greenhouse gases and which ones are not.

Grade Level: High School (9-12), College Lower (13-14), Middle (6-8), Intermediate (3-5)
Online Readiness: Designed for In-Person
Resource Type: Activities: Activities, Lab Activity
Subject: Environmental Science:Global Change and Climate:Climate Change:Greenhouse gas emissions, Environmental Science:Global Change and Climate:Climate Change, Environmental Science:Global Change and Climate, Geoscience:Atmospheric Science:Climatology , Meteorology:Atmospheric structure and composition, Environmental Science:Global Change and Climate:Climate Change:Greenhouse effect, Geoscience:Atmospheric Science:Climate Change:Anthropogenic causes, Greenhouse effect, Geoscience:Atmospheric Science:Climate Change, Climate Change:Greenhouse gas emissions, Environmental Science:Global Change and Climate:Climate Change:Anthropogenic causes
Activity Review: Peer Reviewed as Exemplary

Our Changing Atmosphere part of CLEAN Collection

https://www.exploratorium.edu/snacks/our-changing-atmosp...

Exploratorium
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 ...

Grade Level: Middle (6-8), Intermediate (3-5), High School (9-12)
Resource Type: Activities: Activities:Lab Activity
Subject: Environmental Science:Global Change and Climate, Geoscience:Atmospheric Science:Climate Change:Anthropogenic causes, Geoscience:Atmospheric Science:Climatology , Environmental Science:Global Change and Climate:Climate Change:Greenhouse gas emissions, Environmental Science:Global Change and Climate:Climate Change, Geoscience:Atmospheric Science:Meteorology:Atmospheric structure and composition, Environmental Science:Global Change and Climate:Climate Change:Anthropogenic causes, Geoscience:Atmospheric Science:Climate Change:Greenhouse gas emissions, Geoscience:Atmospheric Science:Climate Change
Activity Review: Peer Reviewed as Exemplary

Choosing Earth's Climate Future part of CLEAN Collection

https://pbslearningmedia.org/resource/nvdtwm-sci-climate...

PBS
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 ...

Grade Level: Middle (6-8), High School (9-12)
Resource Type: Activities: Activities
Subject: Environmental Science:Global Change and Climate, Global Change and Climate:Climate Change:Mitigation of climate change, Environmental Science:Global Change and Climate:Climate Change, Geoscience:Atmospheric Science:Climate Change:Anthropogenic causes, Environmental Science:Global Change and Climate:Climate Change:Anthropogenic causes, Geoscience:Atmospheric Science:Climate Change
Activity Review: Peer Reviewed as Exemplary

Scientific Consensus: A Tsunami of Evidence part of CLEAN Collection

https://ncse.ngo/scientific-consensus

This is the first lesson in a series of 6 lessons about climate change from the National Center for Science Education. The 'Tsunami of Evidence' module directly addresses common ...

Grade Level: Middle (6-8), College Upper (15-16), College Lower (13-14), High School (9-12)
Online Readiness: Online Adaptable, Online Ready
Resource Type: Activities: Activities
Subject: Environmental Science:Global Change and Climate:Climate Change:Greenhouse gas emissions, Natural causes, Impacts of climate change, Environmental Science:Global Change and Climate:Climate Change, Environmental Science:Global Change and Climate, Geoscience:Atmospheric Science:Climate Change, Environmental Science:Global Change and Climate:Climate Change:Anthropogenic causes, Geoscience:Atmospheric Science:Climate Change:Impacts of climate change, Geoscience:Atmospheric Science:Climatology , Climate Change:Anthropogenic causes, Natural causes, Greenhouse gas emissions
Activity Review: Peer Reviewed as Exemplary

Ocean Acidification in a Cup part of CLEAN Collection

https://www.exploratorium.edu/snacks/ocean-acidification...

Exploratorium
This model of ocean-atmosphere interaction shows how carbon dioxide gas diffuses into water, causing the water to become more acidic. The video demonstration and instruction provide an explanation of ...

Grade Level: High School (9-12), Middle (6-8), College Lower (13-14)
Resource Type: Activities: Activities, Lab Activity
Subject: Environmental Science:Global Change and Climate:Climate Change:Greenhouse gas emissions, Environmental Science:Global Change and Climate, Global Change and Climate:Climate Change, Climate Change:Impacts of climate change, Geoscience:Atmospheric Science:Climatology , Climate Change:Anthropogenic causes, Geoscience:Oceanography, Atmospheric Science:Climate Change, Climate Change:Impacts of climate change, Greenhouse gas emissions, Environmental Science:Global Change and Climate:Climate Change:Anthropogenic causes
Activity Review: Peer Reviewed as Exemplary

Data Puzzle: Not All Warming is Equal part of CLEAN Collection

https://cires.colorado.edu/ceee/resources/data-puzzle-no...

In this lesson students analyze and interpret global temperature and carbon dioxide data to determine which parts of Earth are experiencing the greatest changes in temperature and carbon dioxide, and ...

Grade Level: High School (9-12), Middle (6-8)
Online Readiness: Online Ready
Resource Type: Activities: Activities
Subject: Environmental Science:Global Change and Climate:Climate Change:Anthropogenic causes, Geoscience:Atmospheric Science:Climate Change, Climate Change:Greenhouse effect, Environmental Science:Global Change and Climate:Climate Change:Greenhouse gas emissions, Global change modeling, Geoscience:Atmospheric Science:Climate Change:Impacts of climate change, Global change modeling, Geoscience:Atmospheric Science:Climatology , Climate Change:Anthropogenic causes, Environmental Science:Global Change and Climate, Geoscience:Atmospheric Science:Climate Change:Greenhouse gas emissions, Environmental Science:Global Change and Climate:Climate Change, Climate Change:Impacts of climate change, Greenhouse effect
Activity Review: Peer Reviewed as Exemplary

Decoding Ice Cores–Isotopic Analysis–How warm was the Earth in the past? part of CLEAN Collection

https://icedrill-education.org/portfolio/decoding-ice-co...

This lab activity teaches students about isotopes in ice cores and how different isotopes can tell us about the past climate. Students measure the mass of pennies as a proxy for different isotopes ...

Grade Level: Middle (6-8), High School (9-12)
Online Readiness: Designed for In-Person
Resource Type: Activities: Activities
Subject: Environmental Science:Global Change and Climate:Climate Change, Climate Change:Anthropogenic causes, Geoscience:Atmospheric Science:Climate Change:Paleoclimate records, Environmental Science:Global Change and Climate, Geoscience:Atmospheric Science:Climate Change:Anthropogenic causes, Geoscience:Atmospheric Science:Climate Change, Environmental Science:Global Change and Climate:Climate Change:Paleoclimate records
Activity Review: Peer Reviewed as Exemplary

Energy and Climate Change Educator Guide part of CLEAN Collection

https://climate.mit.edu/til-about-energy-electricity-edu...

The focus of this introductory activity is on energy/electricity sources and generation between 2001 and 2018. Students listen to a podcast about electricity generation and then are tasked to ...

Grade Level: College Lower (13-14), Middle (6-8), High School (9-12)
Online Readiness: Online Ready
Resource Type: Activities: Activities
Subject: Geoscience:Atmospheric Science:Climate Change:Anthropogenic causes, Greenhouse gas emissions, Geoscience:Atmospheric Science:Climate Change, Environmental Science:Energy, Global Change and Climate:Climate Change, Climate Change:Greenhouse gas emissions, Mitigation of climate change, Anthropogenic causes
Activity Review: Peer Reviewed as Exemplary

Through Tribal Eyes: Change on the Menominee Nation part of CLEAN Collection

https://toolkit.climate.gov/videos/through-tribal-eyes-c...

United States Climate Resilience Toolkit
In this video, members of the Menominee nation discuss their experiences with climate change.

Grade Level: High School (9-12), Middle (6-8)
Online Readiness: Online Ready
Resource Type: Activities: Activities:Classroom Activity, Audio/Visual:Animations/Video, Activities:Classroom Activity:Studio Teaching
Subject: Environmental Science:Ecosystems:Habitats, Restoration/Reclamation, Environmental Science:Ecosystems, Ecosystems:Habitats:Invasive species, Environmental Science:Ecosystems:Biodiversity, Environmental Science:Global Change and Climate:Climate Change, Environmental Science:Global Change and Climate, Ecosystems:Ecology, Environmental Science, American Studies, Biology:Plant Biology, Environmental Science:Forest Resources:Deforestation, Environmental Science:Forest Resources, Air Quality:Acid Rain, Environmental Science:Water Quality and Quantity, Anthropology, Environmental Science:Global Change and Climate:Climate Change:Climate feedbacks, Environmental Science:Water Quality and Quantity:Surface Water , Environmental Science:Global Change and Climate:Climate Change:Recent climate data, Impacts of climate change, Geoscience:Hydrology:Ground Water:Water supply/water resource evaluation, Geoscience:Atmospheric Science:Climate Change, Climate Change:Recent climate data, Geoscience:Hydrology:Ground Water:Water quality/chemistry , Biology:Ecology:Abiotic Relations, Biology:Ecology, Ecology:Habitats, Habitats:Freshwater, Geoscience:Atmospheric Science:Climate Change:Impacts of climate change, Anthropogenic causes, Geoscience:Atmospheric Science:Meteorology:Air quality, Air quality:Acid Rain, Environmental Science:Global Change and Climate:Climate Change:Anthropogenic causes, Geoscience:Atmospheric Science:Climatology :Orbital patterns, Climate sensitivity and feedbacks, Geoscience:Atmospheric Science:Climate Change:Climate feedbacks, History and evolution of Earth's climate, Geoscience:Atmospheric Science:Climatology :Hydrologic cycle, Environmental Science:Land Use and Planning, Air Quality, Global Change and Climate:Climate Change:History and evolution of Earth's climate, Environmental Science:Sustainability
Activity Review: Peer Reviewed as Exemplary

Black Carbon: Dirty Sidekick of CO2 part of CLEAN Collection

https://ourclimateourfuture.org/resource/black-carbon-di...

Our Climate Our Future
This resource explores the concept of black carbon and its contribution to climate change and human health through videos and discussion questions, and engages students in discussions about these ...

Grade Level: Intermediate (3-5), Middle (6-8)
Online Readiness: Online Ready
Resource Type: Activities: Activities
Subject: Environmental Science:Global Change and Climate:Climate Change:Impacts of climate change, Anthropogenic causes, Environmental Science:Energy, Energy:Fossil Fuels, Geoscience:Atmospheric Science:Climate Change:Impacts of climate change, Anthropogenic causes, Geoscience:Atmospheric Science:Climate Change, Environmental Science:Global Change and Climate:Climate Change
Activity Review: Peer Reviewed as Exemplary