Provided by: Maine Department of Energy |Published on: August 17, 2023
Lesson Plans Grades 9-12
Synopsis
In this multi-unit module, students will read articles about climate change, learn about long-term and short-term climate solutions, implement some solutions in their own homes, and propose solutions for their communities.
Students will practice goal-setting, data collection, reading comprehension, and presentation skills in an authentic way.
This module contains a unit that breaks down climate change very thoroughly and through a variety of media to engage many different learners.
There are many excellent opportunities for learners to engage in self-reflection.
Additional Prerequisites
Some students may need the terms globalization, qualitative, quantitative, paleoclimatology, anthropogenic, ventilation, insulation, infrastructure, and others defined prior to starting this module.
In the first article, the author mentions Golden Billion Theory and antiglobalists. It may be beneficial to briefly summarize these concepts or define the terms.
The "How do you rate your environmental etiquette?" article from Unit 6 on Slide 4 of the field notes briefly mentions not to flush condoms down the toilet. Keep this in mind, depending on the maturity of your readers, especially if you plan to read the article aloud as a class.
Differentiation
Social studies classes can discuss and further research the concept that marginalized groups are the most impacted by the effects of climate change and then talk about solutions to mitigate this disparity.
Geography classes can compare states and their commitment to clean and renewable energy using the interactive map in Unit 3. Students can discuss factors that may play a role in the differences among states.
When gathering research and materials to support their town goal in Unit 6, students who have not done many research projects may need assistance with searching for and selecting relevant source materials, as well as giving the proper citations.
Consider having students work in pairs to complete this module or have stations for students to complete each lesson prior to the last project.