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New Jersey Climate Change
Education Hub

The resources you and your school need to effectively teach climate change.

These comprehensive resources are built around the official NJ Student Learning Standards and expand on the work of the New Jersey Department of Education.

Teaching Resources

Search our database by keywords, resource type, grade level, subject, NJ Student Learning Standards, and more. All resources have been reviewed by a scientist and teacher team.

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  • This short video focuses on how stronger storms and more extreme changes in lake levels are affecting the Great Lakes Region and how the cities along the lakes are adapting.  
  • The video is about 3 minutes long and includes footage of damaged roadways along Lake Superior, the shore of Lake Michigan, and interviews with individuals involved with city planning and water policy.
Grade 9-12 | ap-college
Subject Social Studies,Engineering,Career Skills
Resource Type Videos

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  • This infographic report details the predicted effects of various climate and human factors on different regions in Oregon.
  • Students will see impacts related to the ocean, wildfires, health, extreme weather, and population growth for Oregon's coast, Northern Willamette Valley, Mid to South Willamette Valley, Southwestern Oregon, the Mid-Columbia region, Central Oregon, Northeastern Oregon, and Southeastern Oregon.
Grade 6-8 | 9-12
Subject Earth and Space Sciences,Geography
Resource Type Scientific Reports

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  • In this lesson, students will learn about harmful algae blooms and how, due to increasing pollution and rising temperatures, they now impact Lake Superior.
  • Students will view maps and videos to understand watersheds, examine a photograph of Lake Eerie, watch a news segment about Lake Superior's algal blooms, read an article connecting rising temperatures to the presence of algae in Lake Superior, and create eutrophication models.
Grade 6-8
Subject Biology,Earth and Space Sciences
Resource Type Lesson Plans

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  • In this lesson, students will participate in multiple activities to look at the harmful effects of coal ash in Michigan.
  • Students will watch a video that warns about how coal ash threatens the Great Lakes area, read an article detailing the possible dangers of extreme weather near coal plants, experiment with filtration methods, and use the Understanding Global Change website to create models of the cause-and-effect relationships associated with coal ash.
Grade 6-8
Subject Science,Biology
Resource Type Lesson Plans

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  • This lesson includes multiple activities to explore how climate change is impacting the Great Lakes region.
  • Students will watch a video about the impact of climate change on ice fishing in Michigan, read an article about climate change impacts in the Great Lakes region, conduct experiments to model the impacts of increased carbon dioxide on temperature and ocean acidity, read about ocean acidification, and create climate change infographics.
Grade 6-8
Subject Chemistry,Earth and Space Sciences
Resource Type Lesson Plans

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  • This lesson explores recycling differernt materials, with an emphasis on shipbreaking in Lake Erie.
  • Students will watch videos to see what happens to paper and ships when they are recycled, read about recycling efforts in Michigan, explore the difference between the recycling numbers on plastics, melt plastic to make something new, and take apart a LEGO build to create a new one.
Grade 6-8
Subject Chemistry,Engineering
Resource Type Lesson Plans

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  • This multi-week lesson includes several activities for students to explore food waste, its impacts, and possible solutions.
  • Students will watch a video and read an article about efforts in Cleveland to reduce food waste, research local efforts to combat food waste, bake with minimal ingredients, and compare food storage methods.
Grade 6-8
Subject Science,Biology
Resource Type Lesson Plans

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  • This lesson explores ecosystems in Michigan along the Great Lakes, focusing on the importance of wetlands.
  • Students will learn about the different coastal ecosystems in Michigan, some of the species that reside in these ecosystems, and the life cycle of fish.
Grade 3-5 | 6-8
Subject Science,Biology
Resource Type Lesson Plans

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  • This resource contains detailed information about Michigan plants and animals, with separate sections for birds, fish, crayfish, insects, mammals, plants and trees, and reptiles and amphibians.
  • Each species has a beautiful image and links to information about the habitat, food sources, life cycle, and tips for identification.
Grade 3-5 | 6-8
Subject Science,Biology
Resource Type Articles/Websites

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  • Students will learn about the habitats, animals, and plants native to Michigan from this website and can use the included activities for coloring and identifying the birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians native to these ecosystems in Michigan.
  • The resource includes an article, list of species for each habitat, labeled pictures of the animals, a blank coloring page for each, and the Michigan state symbols.
Grade 3-5
Subject Science
Resource Type Articles/Websites

Professional Learning

Find the right professional learning opportunity for you or your school, whether it is support for curriculum development or foundational knowledge about climate change.

New Jersey Agriculture in the Classroom

NJ Ag in a Box Series

New Jersey Agriculture in the Classroom (NJAITC) is seeking teachers in grades 3, 4, or 5 from 12 schools to particip...

Date(s) Offered: October 2024-June 2025
Stockton University

Climate Change Learning Collaborative

Professional Learning in Climate Change for K-12 EducatorsThis project is designed to prepare educato...

Format: In Person, Online: Asynchronous, Online: Synchronous
Date(s) Offered: November 2024 - February 2025
Monmouth University

Monmouth University Climate Change Learning Collaborative

The Climate Change Learning Collaborative events are designed for teachers and ad...

Format: In Person, Online: Synchronous
Date(s) Offered: October 2024 - March 2025
CLEAN

Fundamental Concepts: Connecting Elementary Science Topics to Climate

The US Global Change Research Program has identified several Climate...

Format: Online: Asynchronous
The Cloud Institute for Sustainability Education

The Cloud Institute's Education for Sustainability Benchmarks for Individual and Social Learning

The Cloud Institute's Education for Sustai...

Format: Online: Asynchronous
CLEAN

Create Your Own Climate and Energy Units

This step-by-step guide provides a framework for utilizing CLEAN resources to develop NGSS-aligned...

Format: Online: Asynchronous
New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection

Summary of Climate Change in New Jersey for Teachers

This 15-page guide outlines the state of climate change in New Jersey for teachers. It...

Format: Online: Asynchronous
STEM Teaching Tools

Climate Learning Resources

This page features many resources on many different topics. These resources are divided into six sections: STEM...

Format: Online: Asynchronous
National Center for Science Education

1.5°C May Not Seem Like Much, But It's a Really Big Deal. Here's Why.

This article explains the importance of limiting global heating to th...

Format: Online: Asynchronous
Green Teacher

Talking With Green Teachers Podcast

This inspiring podcast features conversations with environmental educators from around the globe.

Format: Online: Asynchronous

All resources can be used for your educational purposes with proper attribution to the content provider.