Social Studies Unit Plans

Incorporating climate change and environmental issues into social studies lessons can be a challenge. These SubjectToClimate unit plans for third, fourth, and fifth grade were developed by our content developers to provide social studies teachers with free, detailed lesson plans that are packed with reliable resources, engaging activities, fun games, and more. The lesson plans are made by teachers, for teachers!

Each of the social studies unit plans includes five to six lessons, a unique set of printable vocabulary cards, beautifully designed teacher slideshows, links to resources, and detailed instructions for activities. The lessons are standards-aligned and include teaching tips and ideas for differentiation. Many of the lessons provide teachers with SubjectToClimate worksheets, graphic organizers, and data sheets that can be used digitally or printed. The social studies unit plans below feature high-interest topics that integrate social studies concepts with cross-curricular connections in several subjects. Teachers will find that the units require little to no preparation while offering many options for student choice and extension activities.

This social studies unit plan consists of six lessons on the importance of green spaces in communities. This unit will get students thinking about what green spaces mean to their community and other communities around the world. Students will learn valuable lessons on environmental injustice and feel empowered to take action in society. While the lessons focus on important social studies concepts (e.g., reading and interpreting maps, creating maps, and understanding demographic data) they are also filled with opportunities for cross-curricular connections. Teachers can use aspects of these lessons in science, art, or English language arts classes. Teachers can use the lessons in the Green Spaces unit as stand-alone lessons, or they may use all six lessons for an entire social studies unit plan. The final project is open to interpretation, so teachers can elaborate or simplify it as they would like.

This lesson introduces students to the concept of community involvement as they listen to a picture book about community activism, explore maps of their communities, and design an ideal green space. 

In this lesson students learn that while green spaces provide goods and services to people and the environment, some communities are excluded from these benefits because of environmental injustice. Students will watch videos on the disappearance of green spaces around the world and environmental youth activism, evaluate maps of tree cover disparities, discuss environmental justice issues, and complete a reflection activity.

In this lesson, students will learn about ecosystem services, read two articles on Indigenous Peoples and climate activism, complete a reflection activity, and watch a video on youth activism. 

This lesson gives students the chance to imagine their community without green spaces. Students will learn about urban farmer Ken Sparks, they will research the relationships between green spaces and mental health, physical health, ecosystem health, and climate change, and they will create a map of their community with added green spaces.

In this lesson students learn how trees clean the air and discuss ways to put more trees in low-income communities. Students will complete an activity comparing two cities’ income levels, demographics, tree cover, and air pollution. They will then choose between learning about Greta Thunberg, creating a climate protest sign, and researching the 2019 Youth Climate Summit.

In this lesson students learn how trees clean the air and discuss ways to put more trees in low-income communities. Students will complete an activity comparing two cities’ income levels, demographics, tree cover, and air pollution. They will then choose between learning about Greta Thunberg, creating a climate protest sign, and researching the 2019 Youth Climate Summit.

This unique social studies unit combines various academic disciplines to teach students about the importance of air quality. Teachers will appreciate that each of the five lessons in the Air Quality unit uses the Inquire, Investigate, Inspire framework to keep students engaged. Students will have the opportunity to think critically about what they know and don’t know about each topic before beginning their investigation. Once they have a firm understanding of the topic, students will have the opportunity to use their knowledge to engage in meaningful discussions, educate others, or make changes in their community. While this unit covers many social studies standards, some of the lessons can be used for other academic subject blocks. The first and second lessons are perfect for English language arts, while the third could be used as a science lesson. Teachers could also use components of certain lessons for different subjects. While the fifth lesson focuses on the social studies concept of community involvement, the Investigate section includes data collection and interpretation that students could complete during a science or math block.

In this lesson students will start by filling in a KWL chart to think about what they know and what they want to know about air quality. Students will learn about the Environmental Protection Agency, then they will read or listen to a digital book about asthma and air quality and reflect on the story.

This lesson starts with activity on character traits. Students will re-read the text from the first lesson, identify the characters’ traits, and complete a reflection activity on how air quality affects people with asthma. 

In this lesson students will watch a video on air pollution in Los Angeles, play a fun game that shows how cilia protect our lungs from particle pollution, and use a real-time EPA air quality map to find the current air quality index in their community. 

This lesson begins with a journal-sharing activity that gives students a chance to review what they learned in the first three lessons. Students will complete a Venn diagram with the concepts of “Environment” and “Justice”, watch a video about environmental justice,  explore the EPA’s Environmental Justice Screening and Mapping Tool, and choose a journal reflection to complete.

This lesson begins by having students define the term “idling” and then watch a video about the air pollution it causes. Students will collect data on idling cars, graph the data, and interpret it. Students finish the lesson by either creating a public service announcement that explains why idling cars are bad for air quality or starting a No Idling Campaign at the school. 

This detailed social studies unit prompts students to consider the importance of renewable energy. This unit offers teachers tons of options to choose different activities, resources, and discussion questions that will work for their students.  A great example of the built-in differentiation options is the Investigate section in the fourth lesson. Teachers can choose from several data analysis worksheets, including adaptive versions of the worksheets for students who need additional support. The lessons in this cohesive unit can be used in succession or spread out over the course of a term. Each of the lessons has built-in opportunities for review and student reflection so that students can get a firm grasp on the material. 

In this lesson students reflect on how they use energy in their daily lives. Students will learn the difference between renewable and nonrenewable energy resources, watch videos on green energy and fossil fuels, complete an energy sort activity, explore energy source consumption data, and begin working on an energy audit worksheet. 

In this lesson students use their energy audits to make a bar graph of the class’s energy footprint. In small groups, students will their bar graph and brainstorm ways that the class can conserve energy. At the end of the lesson, students will create a conservation poster to share their ideas with the community.

This lesson gives students a chance to learn about different types of renewable and nonrenewable energy sources. Students explore renewable and nonrenewable energy sources through a mock town hall debate. After a mindful breathing exercise, they research energy types in groups, represent energy companies, and craft pitches for a town’s energy contract. The class votes on the winning proposal.

In this lesson students will learn about William Kamkwamba, an inventor who built a windmill to bring electricity to his village in Malawi when he was fourteen years old. Students will build their own renewable energy projects, such as solar ovens or wind generators. After finishing their projects, students will write about what they created and display their work.

In this lesson students will start thinking globally as they peruse the Google Maps Energy Map to see which countries use renewable energy. Then students will work as data scientists to analyze renewable energy usage using one of several well-designed data analysis worksheets. Finally, students will watch a video about renewable energy in Iceland and discuss their thoughts on daily life in a country that has so many renewable energy resources.

In this lesson students will learn about a group of young activists in Santa Monica, California who worked to eliminate plastic pollution in their community. Afterward, students will learn what it means to be a climate activist, select a way to advocate for renewable energy, and put their plans into action!

In this unit, students explore the red oak, New Jersey’s state tree, to understand its adaptations, life cycle, and ecological significance. Using maps, they analyze how human activity and climate change have altered New Jersey’s landscape over time, impacting local ecosystems and biodiversity. Students will also examine the role of trees in sustaining communities and advocate for a tree-planting initiative to promote environmental stewardship. While the focus is on New Jersey, this unit highlights the broader importance of trees for both people and wildlife around the world.

In this lesson, students explore the red oak’s adaptations, life cycle, and role in fighting climate change. They read Joyce Kilmer’s poem Trees and learn why New Jersey designated the red oak as its state tree. To demonstrate their understanding, students create a triorama—an artistic, informative display—showcasing the importance of trees and their impact on people and the climate.

In this lesson, students examine how human activity has impacted New Jersey’s forests. They practice nature journaling to observe the natural spaces around their school and analyze changes in forest fragmentation and impervious surfaces from 1986 to 2020. Using the “Time Machine” simulator, they explore how the state’s landscape has evolved over time. Students discuss the causes and effects of human impact on natural areas, brainstorm restoration ideas, and summarize their learning.

In this lesson, students explore how climate change affects red oaks and the animals that rely on them, then develop a plan to plant a tree on their campus. After listening to The Lorax by Dr. Seuss, they reflect on its message and discuss their feelings about environmental responsibility. They learn how rising temperatures in New Jersey impact red oaks and other living things. To take action, students present their findings to a community group, such as the PTA or Board of Education, to request support for planting red oaks or other trees on school grounds.