Educational Links

Teacher Sites

Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE)
GLOBE projects offers a worldwide network of students, teachers, and scientists working together to study and understand the global environment. Students and teachers from over 13,587 schools in more than 100 countries are working with research scientists to learn more about our planet. By participating in GLOBE, teachers guide their students through daily, weekly, and seasonal environmental observations, measuring variables such as air temperature and precipitation. This is an excellent opportunity for K-12 teachers to integrate computers and the World Wide Web into classroom activities.

Alliance to Save Energy Educator Page
Great lesson plans for teaching about energy use and its effect on climate change. Hands-on, multidisciplinary lesson plans in the area of energy at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. Green Schools was developed by the Alliance to Save Energy and is a comprehensive program designed for K-12 schools. The program creates energy awareness, enhances experiential learning, and saves schools money on energy costs. Features specially created for teachers include lesson plans, a bibliography of resources, and comments from teachers currently using the Green Schools curriculum. Check it out

US Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) Educational Resources The USGCRP maintains a list of links to educational sites focusing on global change information, including an extensive collection of lesson plan resources.

NEED
Energy backgrounders and teaching materials written for different grade levels created by National Education Energy Development

Global Warming: Early Warning Signs
A high school curriculum for teachers, through the Environmental Defense Fund (U.S.)
Contains useful online education resources.

NOW. For Educators. Global Warming | PBS
Designed for social studies, debate, language arts, government/ citizenship, and current events classes, grades 9-12

Global Warming Unit
This teaching unit from LETSNet (Learning Exchange for Teachers and Students through the Internet) consists of five lessons designed for middle school and high school students.

Hot Times in Alaska
The current scientific consensus is that the steady warming trend seen in the global climate is caused by people. It is largely a consequence of the emissions from fossil fuels that have been burned in ever increasing quantities since the industrial revolution. The effects of this warming trend — sea level rise, shifting weather patterns, ecological change, and so on are showing up first in the coldest environments, the polar and sub-polar regions. This program will explore the extensive changes in the physical and natural environments that are now becoming evident in Alaska, and will take advantage of the many Alaska-based scientists who have active research projects on warming trends and consequences. Teaching guide
birds landing on water

Teachers' Guide on Climate Change and Global Warming
Teachers' Guide to High Quality Educational Materials on Climate Change including lesson, Top Ten Things You Need to Know about Global Warming

Global Warming Project
In this project, students play the role of scientific advisors to the heads of state. During the course of the activity students must be able to explain the specific causes and proposed effects of global warming and engage in debate to establish a mitigation plan. The program requires the use of computers and WorldWatcher software (download PC and Mac versions from web site). Recommended for 7th-10th grades.

corn field Energy Policy: A Decision-Making Simulation
Students participate in a decision making simulation, where students will serve as groups of advisors to the President (the teacher). Downloadable lesson plans (grade 7-12) from the Forum for Global Education.

Explorer: Global Warming
A downloadable lesson plan complete with overhead masters for students in grades 3-9. "This lesson plan covers the major greenhouse gases, human activities that contribute to the change of the Earth's atmosphere, and why there is a concern about climate changes. Also addressed are strategies for dealing with potential global warming and the major contributors to global warming. The possible effect of a global warming on forests, agriculture, health, wildlife, and the oceans are addressed."

Jiminy Cricket's Environmentality Challenge
A free, fun, and exciting journey that can turn class work into an adventure! By leading your students toward environmental education in a fresh new way, you can motivate them while teaching concepts from your regions' education Content Standards or Guidelines.

Green Teacher
A magazine by and for educators to enhance environmental and global education across the curriculum at all grade levels.

field with red flowers Dr. Art's Guide to Planet Earth
Book, performance, and online exhibit utilizing systems thinking to increase understanding of how our planet works.

State Education and Environment Roundtable
The State Education and Environment Roundtable works to improve learning by incorporating environmental curricula into K-12 education. California.

EnviroScape Features environmental tabletop educational models and tools demonstrating pollution and prevention.

Environmental Education Center
A collection of fact sheets, brochures, curriculum activities, projects, and more, for teaching students about the environment, compiled by the Environmental Protection Agency. It has background information, curriculum resources & activities, community service projects, workshops & conferences, student jobs & scholarships, grants, awards, contacts, and other links.
Curriculum & Activities.
EPA NE: Websites for Global Climate Change: Environmental Education

NASA's Earth Observing System page for Educators
Site includes Educational Links, Educational Publications from the EOS program, NASA's Ask an Earth Scientist section, and explanations of our program and the terminology used. The popular EOS Science Poster Series can be found under Educational Publications.

Advanced Supercomputing Stratospheric Ozone Depletion Tutorial
This resource file was developed by NASA's Advanced Supercomputing Division for both teachers and students interested in the ozone layer. Stratospheric ozone depletion is a concern because the ozone layer in the stratosphere keeps 95-99% of the suns ultraviolet radiation from striking the earth.

Resource Listing for Weather and Climate Instruction
This document is intended to assist those who teach weather and climate at any level from pre-school through introductory college level courses, by listing some of the available instructional resources. Teachers will find information about resources from the American Meteorological Society and Project Atmosphere including the formation of the Atmospheric Education Resource Agent (AERA) network, DataStreme, AAAS, the American Geological Institute, and others, with information about audiovisual materials, computer software, and data sources. www.nssl.noaa.gov/resources

National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration Education Resources
Materials designed to be used in the classroom or as background information on Weather, Climate Changes, Oceans & Coasts and Satellites & Space. These items are designed for the teacher to use in the classroom or as background reference material. CLIMATE CHANGE

Climate Prediction Center
The Climate Prediction Center serves the public by assessing and forecasting the impacts of short-term climate variability and emphasizing enhanced risks of weather-related extreme events. Educational materials include information on the ENSO cycle, and fact sheets and monographs.

Frequently Asked Questions about Global Warming
This site can answer many questions about global warming, including: What is the greenhouse effect, and is it affecting our climate? Are greenhouse gases increasing? Is the climate warming? Are El Niños related to Global Warming? Is the hydrological cycle (evaporation and precipitation) changing? Is the atmospheric/oceanic circulation changing? Is the climate becoming more variable or extreme? How important are these changes in a longer-term context? Is sea level rising? Can the observed changes be explained by natural variability?

Office of Global Programs Education and Outreach Products - NOAA has the primary task within the Federal Government to routinely provide climate forecasts and products to the nation and the Office of Global Programs assists in this capacity by sponsoring focused scientific research. This web site includes the “Reports to the Nation on Our Changing Planet” publication series: The Climate System, Our Ozone Shield, El Niño and Climate Prediction, Our Changing Climate.

El Niño Theme Page
El Niño is a disruption of the ocean-atmosphere system in the Tropical Pacific Ocean having important consequences for weather and climate around the globe. NOAA has primary responsibilities for providing forecasts to the Nation, and a leadership role in sponsoring El Niño observations and research. This home page addresses some of the following topics: What is La Niña? What is El Niño?; The Impacts and Benefits of El Niño; 1997-1999 Information; Forecasts; List of impacts and prediction benefits; and 3D Animation.

The National Climatic Data Center
This web site is a pathway to connect with both national and global climate data sets used by the government and the private sector.

wind powered generators A Paleoclimatological Perspective On Global Warming
Paleoclimatology is the study of past climate. This web site features information about global change, global warming and more from the National Geophysical Data Center.

The Arctic Theme Page
The education pages for this site include many educational resources. For example, you can find information on tracking the location of the North Magnetic Pole, what kind of research is done by arctic submarines, the location of a virtual classroom, how to understand latitude, and the page includes a polar climate section for young children.

Weather and Climate Resources for Teachers

The Climate TimeLine Information Tool

Sun-Wise School Program
EPA has developed the SunWise School Program, a national education program for grades K-8. SunWise Partner Schools sponsor classroom and school wide activities that raise children's awareness of stratospheric ozone depletion, UV radiation, and simple sun safety practices. SunWise is a collaborative effort of schools, communities, teachers, parents, health professionals, environmental groups, meteorologists, educational organizations, and others. With everyone's help, sun protection can grow beyond classrooms to the entire community.

U. S. Geolgical Survey Learning Web
The Learning Web offers lessons and activities relating to the Changing world, Maps and Earth Hazards. There is also a USGS Educational Materials list for more resources.

USGS Learning Web: Changing World (Global Change)
A web site with information on teaching about aspects of global change to students from grades 4 through 6.

Global Change
This teaching unit from the United States Geological Survey is intended for students in grades 4-6, although some activities can be used with older or younger students. The unit consists of an introduction and many activities. Each activity has background material, an experiment, suggestions for further reading and extensions.

National Safety Council's Environmental Health Center (Climate Change)
The National Safety Council's Environmental Health Center conducts a variety of outreach and education activities on climate change.

Global Systems Science Grades 9-12
"An interdisciplinary course for high school students (9-12) that emphasizes how scientists from a wide variety of fields work together to understand significant problems of global impact." Including climate change, energy use, biodiversity and population. A project of the Lawrence Hall of Science, UC Berkeley.

Earthguide
Earthguide is an educational website with a focus on earth, environmental, and oceanographic sciences, and global change. The site is intended to be useful to K-12 teachers and students, as well as the general public. The site includes stories that document research expeditions by Scripps scientists, and makes available key diagrams, maps, and images in earth and oceanographic sciences.

Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Teacher Resource Section

NREL: Education Programs
Renewable energy activities, curricula, online quizzes and resources for teachers and students (K-12).

RIDEM/Educational Resources Topics Page
North American Association of Environmental Education provides resources for the student and classroom teacher on environmental issues.

solar panel on post Energy Quest
A service of the California Energy Commission, Energy Quest provides energy education for children. A huge array of information and activities on energy sorted by level of difficulty, as well as resources for parents and teachers.

Energy Sourcebooks - Lesson Plans Grades 1-12Lesson plans and activities for elementary, junior high, and high school students to explore alternative energy sources.

Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC) - Teacher K-12 Resources
Online and downloadable resource materials for K-12 teachers. Features Solar Matters, a hands-on, solar energy science unit for 4-8th grade teachers and students, and Solar Wonders, an energy science unit for high school teachers and students.

TeachEarth.com
A portal to teaching resources for Earth science teachers, that include: instructional materials, web-based classroom materials, CD-ROMs, posters, fact sheets, workshops, fellowships and curriculum development activities.

Environmental Literacy Council
Site for K-12 teachers and students looking for international and U.S. databases, research and policy papers, fact sheets, lesson plans, and activities on the environment

parrot EERE Energy
Education and Training: Energy Lesson Plans

EnergyNet
Programs available to schools across the nation, for grades 3-5 and 6-12 providing teachers with effective methods for meeting learning standards and school improvement criteria. For information on participating, go to the online order form.

Academy of Energy
This website offers an information-rich, action-based journey that provides valuable information, tests knowledge, enables access to outstanding teaching and learning resources, and encourages everyone to take action in terms of energy conservation.

The K-12 Education site of the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association.
This site provides resources and for teaching about energy, transportion, and the environment.

seaside cliff Global Change and Environmental Education Resources
A high school curriculum for teachers, through the Environmental Defense Fund (U.S.)

Exploring the Environment
The vision of the ETE online series is to promote science-literate and reflective students who are knowledgeable of the earth's processes and their responsibilities for stewardship. The problems in the ETE modules and activities icicles ask students to address human activities and their impacts upon the environment. The modules and activities incorporate environmental issues such as water quality, deforestation, biodiversity, volcanoes, ozone depletion,

The National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) is a federal information and referral center supporting polar and cryospheric research with information on snow cover, avalanches, glaciers, ice sheets, freshwater ice, sea ice, ground ice, permafrost, atmospheric ice, paleoglaciology, and ice cores. Though the data products are targeted for the science research community, education resources for teachers and students are available.

California Regional Environmental Education Community
The California Regional Environmental Education Community (CREEC) Network is an educational project whose mission is To develop a communication network which provides educators with access to High Quality environmental education resources to enhance the environmental literacy of California Students. The CREEC Network is one of the best sources for Environmental Education resources in California.

Energy Ed Online is a service of the Energy Center of Wisconsin and is geared toward promoting energy education programs within Wisconsin schools. The site includes an online course for K-12 educators, Energy Eduction: Concepts and Practices, aimed at teaching energy definitions, natural laws of energy, energy flows, and related environmental issues.

Metropolitan East Coast Assessment Education Module: "Climate Change and a Global City"
The MEC Educator's Pack is a package of GIS software, datasets and lesson plans designed for educators who are interested in using GIS technology to explore global climate change issues.

Global Energy Perspective An interdisciplinary module for Energy Education -for middle school. The module uses the theme of global warming thoughout lessons that focus on Science, Mathematics, Language Arts, and Social Studies. Can be downloaded. Developed by the Center for Energy and Environmental Education, University of Northern Iowa. Grade Level: Middle School NPEEE Review

Information about a game "Global Change"
Educators can learn how to host the Game in their community and become a Global Change Game volunteer.

National Energy Foundation
Creates and distributes instructional materials relating to energy, conservation, the environment, and natural resources.

Earth Balloon, Inc.
Offering a K-12 enrichment program featuring the Earth Balloon, an interactive environment through which students learn about the planet.

Climate Change Awareness and Action Education Kit
An excellent resource that embraces a critical-thinking approach to climate change and uses a range of instructional methods to involve students in the issue. Produced in a convenient binder format, it allows ready access to lesson plans and to photocopy-ready student materials.

Climate Change Tool Kit: Teachers GuideThirteen fun, climate change science activities designed for the classroom.Excellent hands-on science experiments for the science classroom.

Climate Changes
Introduces students and teachers to the science of climate change and the issues surrounding it. Illustrates how personal action can have an impact. Includes strong science lessons, including grade 11 and 12 chemistry. http://www.insideeducation.ca/

Creating a Climate of Change (Multi-media Kit) –
Secondary school teachers and students can make use of a multimedia kit that addresses the basic concepts of global climate change and the associated scientific, political, economic, social, national and international issues. It helps students and their families to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by using energy wisely.

Go for Green (Guides/Materials)
The Active and Safe Routes to School program provides schools with an action kit to help implement an active transportation program that supports healthier students while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Quick Facts on Renewable Energy: It’s only Natural! (Kit)

Descriptions of renewable energy help teachers and students understand the various renewable energy sources and technologies with low GHG emissions.

Stormy Weather: 101 Solutions to Climate Change (Book)
Stormy Weather provides an excellent overview of climate change, the impacts and the solutions. Students will enjoy the clear and lively style in which this book is written. It focuses on reducing our use of fossil fuels and meeting our energy needs with cleaner sources.

Teaching About Climate Change: Cool Schools Tackle Global Warming (Book)
More great hands-on activities and information on climate change.

Way to Go! (Kit)
Way to Go! is a program to help students K-7 safely walk, cycle, car pool or take transit to school. Active ways of getting to school help reduce the greenhouse gas emissions responsible for changing our climate.

Pembina
Offers teacher support workshop and also climate change action and awareness kit.

Bringing the Greehouse Effect Down to Earth In this lab activity, high school students compare the amount of Carbon Dioxide in four different sources of gases.

[The] Greenhouse Effect in a Jar
An elementary/junior high experiment that will serve as an introduction to the greenhouse effect. Skills include observing and recording data, use of a control, drawing conclusions from results, and use of a model.

Re-Energy.ca — A renewable energy education project kit
Site has do-it-yourself plans to construct working renewable energy models. These models include a solar car, solar oven, wind turbine, small-scale hydro generator and a biogas generator, all of which produce usable energy. There are energy backgrounders, Web links and other resources available on the site.

LivingWise
LivingWise focuses on educating young people on the importance of conserving energy and water in their homes. It not only teaches 6th grade students how to save, but gives them the tools to start today.

Bullfrog Films
Films and videos about the environment, ecology, sustainable development, indigenous people, cultural diversity, and science and society for K-12.
seaside cliff

EB Links
The site also provides secondary level educational activities and many video
interviews with scientists about the carbon cycle, climate change, ...

Trash and Climate Change Activity Book
This 11-page publication is designed to educate children about the effects of product reuse and recycling on global climate change. Through a series of word games, the publication describes how children can prevent climate change by reducing solid waste.

Koala Bear Polar Action Guide - Want to help protect the polar ice cap? Download this PDF guide to find out what you and your family can do about global arming's impact on the arctic.

Chemistry and the Environment: Curriculum Materials on Environmental ChemistryContains topical and interesting group of 26 activities that emphasize the importance of chemistry to our environment. Divided into three main themes: air quality, water quality and radon, the book includes information on experiments, data interpretation exercises and stimulus material that can support both field and laboratory work. Each activity can be used as a stand-alone resource or linked in with others in the same area. The activities provide extra material for teachers on topics of fundamental importance to environmental issues.

Curriculum Guide to Confronting Climate Change in California
The guide is designed to complement the report and to make its findings accessible to younger residents of the state. The guide consists of multiple activities, which are closely tied to and build upon the report. To make these student-centered activities most useful to teachers, each activity is tied to the content and skills standards required for grades 9-12 according to the California Board of Education Standards for Science, and History and Social Science. Although teaching materials are geared towards students and teachers in grades 9-12, individual exercises are adaptable to other grade levels.
Curriculum Guide

TVA Kids.com Teacher Resources K-12 Education Materials
Downloadable energy education materials designed to enrich any science curriculum and are graded for students at all levels.

Alliance to Save Energy Lesson Plans
Hands-on, multidisciplinary lesson plans for K-12 teachers. Used in the Green Schools project-a collaborative effort by teachers, administrators, and facilities and maintenance staff which reduces school energy costs at the same time it educates students. Downloadable in pdf format.

River with trees on each side Educational Resources from CSS
Global Climate Change: Ozone Depletion 3. Energy Resources: Production and Consumption.