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.

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.

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.

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 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 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 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 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.

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 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.