In this lesson, students explore increased precipitation and sea level rise in New Jersey and advocate for a climate adaptation strategy. 

Step 1 - Inquire: Students explore two interactive maps showing increased precipitation and sea level rise in New Jersey.

Step 2 - Investigate: Students learn the causes of increased precipitation and sea level rise in New Jersey.

Step 3 - Inspire: Students choose and advocate for a climate adaptation strategy by communicating to leaders in government and business.

In this lesson, students conduct research on electric bicycles and electric cars, choose one of these technologies, and create a video promoting its use as a climate solution. 

Step 1 - Inquire: Students view a series of images related to bicycles and cars and discuss their emotional reactions with a partner.

Step 2 - Investigate: Students investigate the benefits and drawbacks of electric bicycles and electric cars.

Step 3 - Inspire: Students create a video advertisement advocating for electric bicycles or electric cars.

In this lesson, students explore how climate change is impacting public health in New Jersey, understand the difference between climate mitigation and climate adaptation, and create a video advocating for a climate adaptation strategy related to public health in New Jersey.

Step 1 - Inquire: Students watch What Are the Implications of Climate Change for Public Health? and discuss how the video relates to emotions and justice.

Step 2 - Investigate: Students learn the difference between climate mitigation and adaptation and explore example climate adaptation strategies related to public health in New Jersey.

Step 3 - Inspire: Students select one climate adaptation strategy related to public health in New Jersey, conduct research, and create a video.

In this lesson, students investigate the effectiveness of visual art in addressing climate change. 

Step 1 - Inquire: Teacher asks students to think about the ways that art about climate change impacts audiences differently from factual information. What ways can visual art specifically be used to address climate change?

Step 2 - Investigate: Students simulate organizing an art show around the issue of climate change, with some students representing artists and others representing museum curators. Students will research to prepare for their roles.

This lesson introduces the importance of bees to humans, our food supply, and how children can create a healthy habitat for bees. 

Step 1 - Inquire: Students generate ideas in response to the question "Why are bees important to us?" Then students watch a video of the book Bee and Me by author Alison Jay.

Step 2 - Investigate: Students create captions for the book Bee and Me to demonstrate the importance of bees. 

Step 3 - Inspire: Students develop a plan for how they will help bees in New Jersey.

This lesson introduces students to the benefits of an aquaponics system, especially in areas where clean soil and water are scarce. 

Step 1 - Inquire: Students answer questions about what plants need to grow and make predictions about what an aquaponics system is.

Step 2 - Investigate: Students learn about aquaponics systems by watching videos and having a discussion.

Step 3 - Inspire: Students set up their aquaponics system in the classroom and create journals for recording predictions and observations.

In this lesson, students discuss what they know about air quality, play a game to facilitate understanding of air quality, and create an action plan to inspire solutions in their community.

Step 1 - Inquire: Students spend some time wondering and writing about air quality, climate change, and health.

Step 2 - Investigate: Students play a classroom game called “How’s Your Atmosphere?” and create an action plan to be presented next class and shared with others.

Step 3 - Inspire: Students participate in a class discussion about personal actions to address air quality.

Students learn how climate change impacts cardiorespiratory health and explore ways they can expand their actionable responses to climate change. 

Step 1 - Inquire: Students warm up, look over the diagram of the cardiorespiratory system, and consider the questions “What might cause harm to my cardiorespiratory system?” and “How does the quality of the air I breathe impact my lungs and my health?”

Step 2 - Investigate: Students play the "Catch Your Breath Game" and analyze how air quality impacts the cardiorespiratory system.

Step 3 - Inspire: Students consider how New Jersey organizations and stakeholders can work collaboratively to minimize impacts of air pollution and climate change on their own health and the health of future generations.

This lesson introduces students to sea turtles and the human-caused dangers they face while encouraging them to create a way to help save these beautiful creatures. 

Step 1 - Inquire: Students are introduced to sea turtle conservation and student activism through the story Follow the Moon Home by acclaimed activist Philippe Cousteau and renowned author Deborah Hopkinson.

Step 2 - Investigate: Students activate background knowledge of sea turtles and reflect on the dangers they face in the oceans of the world.

Step 3 - Inspire: Students work collaboratively to design and create a solution to one of the problems sea turtles are facing today.

This lesson introduces students to climate change and the idea that renewable energy sources are a better choice for the planet. 

Step 1 - Inquire: Students generate ideas in response to the question "What is climate change?" and watch an introductory video on climate change.

Step 2 - Investigate: Students learn about renewable energy sources through the book Energy Island and compare this community to their own.

Step 3 - Inspire: Students are challenged to follow the engineering design process and plan, design, and build their own zero emissions ferry to the island of Samsø.

This lesson introduces students to the relationship between health and climate change through play and movement. 

Step 1 - Inquire: Students complete an exercise warm-up and wonder about the question "Why am I breathing so hard?"

Step 2 - Investigate: Students play a game focusing on exercise, the carbon cycle, and climate change.

Step 3 - Inspire: Students discuss ways in which they can help address climate change, such as planting trees.

This lesson explores ways to reduce carbon emissions through the reduction of disposable plastics in daily routines.

Step 1 - Inquire: Students watch a music video and identify actions and objects in the daily routine associated with disposable plastics.

Step 2 - Investigate: Students learn about the connection between plastics and climate change.

Step 3 - Inspire: Students explore efforts in Spanish-speaking countries to reduce plastic consumption, and then complete an individual or group project.

In this lesson, students think critically about carbon emission reduction strategies proposed by companies. 

Step 1 - Inquire: Students define greenwashing and define carbon emission reduction strategies.

Step 2 - Investigate: Students evaluate a company’s sustainability plan in regards to carbon emission reductions.

Step 3 - Inspire: Students present their findings to the class. As a class, students generate a list of which companies will and will not receive support from the students in the future.

In this lesson, students analyze the concept of greenwashing of products. 

Step 1 - Inquire: Students watch videos related to greenwashing and look at examples of green products on the market.

Step 2 - Investigate: Students design a green product with a marketing campaign. 

Step 3 - Inspire: Students analyze the word choice that their peers used in their presentations of their product.

This lesson introduces the idea of reduce, reuse, recycle and has students create a classroom waste management plan. 

Step 1 - Inquire: Students are introduced to the idea of reduce, reuse, recycle through an engaging video and cut and match sorting activity.

Step 2 - Investigate: Students practice RRR by sorting recyclables in The Great Reuse Reduce Recycle Relay!

Step 3 - Inspire: Students make a classroom waste management plan using the information they have gained throughout the lesson.

In this lesson, students learn Spanish phrases about animals, climates, and simple actions to save energy at home. 

Step 1 - Inquire: Students watch a music video and play games to learn about animals and why climate is important to the animals.  

Step 2 - Investigate: Students listen to a story from Chile about children taking action to save energy at home. 

Step 3 - Inspire: Students create postcards in Spanish showing how they will protect Earth’s climate.

In this lesson, students learn about climate change, calculate their carbon footprint, and take steps to reduce their carbon footprint. 

Step 1 - Inquire: Students watch a video about climate change and work in groups to discuss how they positively or negatively impact climate change in their behaviors and practices. 

Step 2 - Investigate: Students calculate their carbon footprint to discover their impact on the planet.

Step 3 - Inspire: Students learn how they can reverse the impact they make on climate change and inspire others to make a difference by creating posters for their classroom, homes, and community.

In this lesson, students learn about the impact of household energy use on climate change and compare and contrast strategies to reduce emissions in Chile and the United States. 

Step 1 - Inquire: Students share observations and questions about the impact of households on climate change. 

Step 2 - Investigate: Students explore the sources and uses of electricity in households in Chile and the United States. 

Step 3 - Inspire: Students identify ways to promote household energy efficiency and conduct class surveys about habits.

In this lesson, students examine the nutritional value and environmental impact of non-dairy alternatives as a replacement to traditional dairy.

Step 1 - Inquire: Students discuss their current knowledge about both the dairy and non-dairy industries and compare those predispositions to graphical data.

Step 2 - Investigate: Students deliberate about the perceived worth of non-dairy alternatives based on nutritional value before revisiting the graphical data to further compare the positive and negative aspects of each industry.

Step 3 - Inspire: Students create a flier promoting the inclusion of non-dairy alternatives in the cafeteria.

In this lesson, students evaluate arguments and reasoning on the effects of climate change and advocate for climate change through a personal call to action. 

Step 1 - Inquire: Students explore three different personal perspectives on how climate change has affected three different regions.

Step 2 - Investigate: Students identify three different personal calls to action and explore strategies in personal evidence and reasoning.

Step 3 - Inspire: Students identify their own personal perspective with climate change in their region and write their own call to action.

In this lesson, students learn the five climate zones in New Jersey and interpret facts into a poetic voice from the point of view of nature. 

Step 1 - Inquire: Students explore two interactive maps showing increased precipitation and sea level rise in New Jersey. 

Step 2 - Investigate: Students learn the details and differences of the five climate zones in New Jersey. 

Step 3 - Inspire: Students read a short poem describing a zone of nature, choose one climate zone, and reinterpret the details and differences of the zone into a poem from nature’s point of view.

In this lesson, students explore four major categories of climate change, identify one to further research, and create a fact sheet. 

Step 1 - Inquire: Students read New Jersey's Changing Climate and identify the four specific effects of climate change in New Jersey.

Step 2 - Investigate: Students discuss two open-ended questions related to the fact sheet.

Step 3 - Inspire: Students choose one category from the fact sheet and discussion, engage in their own research, and create their own fact sheet and infographic.

In this lesson, students investigate plant growth by measuring their own plants. 

Step 1 - Inquire: Students investigate a small portion of the school yard, such as a square foot, to discover what lives and grows there and then work together to answer the questions “Why are plants important for the Earth and for people?” and “What do plants need to grow?”

Step 2 - Investigate: Students watch a video about what plants need to grow and read a book to learn how gardening can transform a community and provide needed resources.

Step 3 - Inspire: Students create their own classroom garden from common items found at school and in their kitchens and predict and measure plant growth.

In this lesson, students explore the role of video games in bringing awareness to climate change and evaluate or design a climate change video game.

Step 1 - Inquire: Students discuss the role of video games in education and behavior modification, sharing their personal experiences and thoughts.

Step 2 - Investigate: Students read an article on how the gaming industry is addressing its environmental impact and answer discussion questions.

Step 3 - Inspire: Students choose to evaluate the effectiveness of climate change games or design their own climate change video game.

In this lesson, students identify the main character in a story and identify their character traits. 

Step 1 - Inquire: Students read Saving Planet Earthly and discuss the character traits of the main character, Thoko.

Step 2 - Investigate: Students act out scenarios in small groups, demonstrating their knowledge of Thoko's character traits.

Step 3 - Inspire: Students choose one scenario and create a comic strip, showing how Thoko would act based on her character traits.

In this lesson, students learn the importance of migratory hummingbirds and how to help them face the impacts of climate change. 

Step 1 - Inquire: Students listen to a legend about a hummingbird from the Nasca culture in Peru and wonder about the events in the story.

Step 2 - Investigate: Students explore the diversity of hummingbirds in North America and imagine the life of the ruby-throated hummingbird as it faces the impacts of climate change. 

Step 3 - Inspire: Students reflect on efforts to support hummingbirds in Mexico and create an imaginative response of their own.

This lesson introduces the concept of weather to students.

Step 1 - Inquire:  Students generate ideas in response to the question "What is weather?" and watch a read aloud video of the book Fabienne’s Wild Weather Adventure.

Step 2 - Investigate:  Students learn the definition of weather and start an individual weather journal to track the weather each day.

Step 3 - Inspire: Students design their own weather wheel and make a prediction of the Earth’s climate 30 years from now by drawing a timeline.

In this lesson, students learn how cultural practices can spread not only ideas and traditions, but also invasive species into new areas. 

Step 1 - Inquire: Students watch a video outlining invasive species and write a summary outlining their new knowledge.

Step 2 - Investigate: Students play a digital game and a hands-on game to understand how invasive species can outcompete native species in their environments.

Step 3 - Inspire: Students use guided questions to conduct research about an invasive species in their community and create a presentation to spread awareness.

In this lesson, students learn about how climate change is affecting flood risk in New Jersey. 

Step 1 - Inquire: Students share their experiences with flooding and watch a video about how climate change has caused increased flooding in New Jersey in recent years.

Step 2 - Investigate: Students build model houses with flood mitigation features and test their designs.

Step 3 - Inspire: Students learn more about flood mitigation tactics and write a short summary of their knowledge.

In this lesson, students analyze videos about students challenging the government to protect natural resources, research why natural resources are a source of conflict, and create a video summarizing their findings. 

Step 1 - Inquire: Students analyze two videos portraying young people who are suing the government for its lack of climate action.

Step 2 - Investigate: Students research a natural resource to determine why it's a source of conflict and how the United States has addressed the conflict in comparison to other countries' responses.

Step 3 - Inspire: Students create a short video explaining why a natural resource continues to be a source of conflict and how the United States is handling this conflict.

This lesson introduces students to the effects of climate change on animals and their habitats. 

Step 1 - Inquire: Students observe ocean animals and their habitats using scientific observation skills. 

Step 2 - Investigate: Students identify characteristics of animal habitats and analyze how habitat changes can affect animals. 

Step 3 - Inspire: Students write a letter to a community leader explaining what humans could do to help animals adapt to change.

In this lesson, students use New Jersey precipitation data to create graphs and discuss climate change.

Step 1 - Inquire: Students discuss initial observations about a New Jersey precipitation data chart showing monthly and annual averages.

Step 2 - Investigate: Students explain the relationship of precipitation over time by graphing, finding the line of best fit, and finding the equation of the line.

Step 3 - Inspire: Students choose an independent activity, complete a short reading, and then apply their learning to a discussion about the relationship between precipitation and climate change.

In this lesson, students graph data to explore the relationship between maximum and minimum New Jersey temperatures over time.

Step 1 - Inquire: Students interact with two data tables showing maximum and minimum average temperatures in New Jersey.

Step 2 - Investigate: Students choose data to graph both max and min temperatures over time and discuss their findings.

Step 3 - Inspire: Students watch a video showing the current effects of temperature in New Jersey and explore the connection between the video’s information and their graph.

In this lesson, students learn how redlining connects to tree equity and racial justice.

Step 1 - Inquire: Students learn definitions of redlining and systemic racism and explore the Mapping Inequality tool.

Step 2 - Investigate: Students explore the connection between redlining and tree equity.

Step 3 - Inspire: Students share their new knowledge, discuss possible solutions to environmental inequality, and complete a written reflection.

In this lesson, students choose one impact of climate change affecting New Jersey and write a claim-evidence-reasoning (CER) paragraph.

Step 1 - Inquire: Students watch a video on the basics of climate change.

Step 2 - Investigate: Students take notes while watching four videos on the impacts of climate change in New Jersey.

Step 3 - Inspire: Students select one of the impacts of climate change in New Jersey and write a paragraph explaining why they believe it is the worst impact of climate change.