Climate Migration Learning Lab
Provided by: The Climate Initiative|Published on: May 7, 2026|Last updated: September 26, 2026
Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12
Type: Lesson Plans
Subjects: Civics, Geography
Authors: The Climate Initiative
Location: Earth, North America > United States > Maine
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Synopsis
- In this six-lesson module, students will learn about climate migration, moving from a global to a local understanding.
- Students will analyze case studies of climate migration, write their own case study using data they have collected, identify a local climate migration issue they are passionate about, and design a communication project to spread the word about this issue.
- An overview of each lesson is provided in the slide deck, which includes links to teacher presentations, student labs (materials that may need to be printed or assigned), additional resources, and more in-depth teacher plans.
Teaching Materials
Positives
- This module demonstrates how using data as evidence is like interpreting the story that the data tells.
- The Bring it Home lesson takes a global issue and puts it in local terms for students to understand the implications for their own communities.
Prerequisites
- Lesson 1 has students look at climate migration through economic, ecological, and sociocultural lenses. Some students may need an explanation of these lenses before beginning the lesson. This slide deck provides an overview of the three lenses and is also linked in the Lesson 1 slides.
- Teachers should note that the link to the worksheet for the Bitmoji classroom goes to the answer key. Teachers may want to make their own copy of the classroom and worksheet to avoid students accessing the key.
- Teachers may have difficulties opening the slide deck for Lesson 4, and will need to request access to the slide decks for Lessons 5 and 6. These slide decks are optional, and teachers may not need them.
- Lesson 2 asks students to annotate the case study text. Teachers may want to model annotation when introducing the activity.
Differentiation & Implementation
- As students watch videos in the slides throughout the lesson, some may benefit from having a piece of paper nearby to record their thoughts, questions, and answers to the questions posed in the slides.
- If students do not have the time or resources to gather data with surveys, focus groups, interviews, or other methods, students can use resources linked throughout the module to research their questions on a broader level.
- Students can also use resources, like this environmental justice map or this climate impacts map, to identify climate change issues in their communities that may be connected to climate migration.
- Lesson 5 briefly mentions climate anxiety. Teachers may find these materials helpful for introducing students to the concept of climate anxiety and helping them process it.
This resource includes multiple detailed lesson plans for a multi-week focus on climate migration. Students will learn what climate migration is and how it relates to climate justice. Then, students will apply their knowledge to a community-based action project, which can make the lesson more impactful. The information presented is accurate, and this resource is recommended for teaching.
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
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