Climate Impacts and Solutions with En-ROADS Student Lab

Articles/Websites

Grades8, 9, 10, 11, 12Social Studies, Earth and Space Sciences

Scientist Reviewed

Provided by The Climate Initiative

Open Resource

What it is

In this learning lab, students will explore four interactive modules to learn about the causes of climate change and climate solutions to adapt to or mitigate climate change.
Students will explore an interactive "classroom" of articles, videos, and data to learn more about the effects of climate change, take a look at multiple scenarios for the future of energy use and climate change, investigate how a fictional city is affected by (and can prepare for) the effects of climate change, and review what they have learned with a digital board game quiz.
A comprehensive teacher guide (Learning Lab), including six lessons that go along with this student resource, can be utilized to create an entire unit about climate impacts and solutions for your classroom.

Teaching tips

Positives

The gamified quiz in the fourth presentation is an engaging way for students to demonstrate their understanding.
Students will enjoy exploring the map of Bradburyville to learn about mitigation and adaptation strategies.

Additional Prerequisites

The crab and the solar panels in the interactive classroom are broken links.
In the third presentation, during the warmer winter portion, the information on the marsh is unfinished and the link for "This could mean trouble for fish species!" is broken.
Students should have a basic understanding of what climate change is and how humans are contributing to it.

Differentiation

Students exploring the first two presentations may benefit from guided notes or looking through the resources as a class.
Students exploring the map may want a way to track which/how many locations they have already clicked on.
Students can create their own quiz questions from the material in the interactives to test their peers on the content in a particular section.
After viewing the map activity, students can select one mitigation or adaptation strategy that would be beneficial in their area to explore.

From the scientist review

According to the IPCC's most recent science report, the effects of climate change would be felt around the world. With the help of this game, students may learn how to become more resilient and deal with the effects of hurricanes, wildfires, and other harsh events. In addition to being very engaging and instructive, the En-ROADS interactive can enable students to learn about a variety of climate solutions, such as afforestation, biodiversity preservation, renewable energy, green buildings, etc. and suggest such solutions across communities affected by climate change. This resource is recommended for teaching.

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At a glance

Grades: 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
Subjects: Social Studies, Earth and Space Sciences
Other types: Videos, Data, Graphs, and Maps, Interactive Media, Games
Format: YouTube Video
Language: English
Location: Earth, North America, North America > United States, North America > United States > Maine
Provider: The Climate Initiative
Authors: The Climate Initiative
Published: October 10, 2023
Last updated: July 16, 2026
: Reviewed by our climate scientists How we review

Standards alignment · D2.Geo.2.6-8 + 11 more

Core

College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Standards

D2.Geo.2.6-8Use maps, satellite images, photographs, and other representations to explain relationships between the locations of places and regions, and changes in their environmental characteristics.
D2.Civ.11.9-12Evaluate multiple procedures for making governmental decisions at the local, state, national, and international levels in terms of the civic purposes achieved.
D2.Civ.12.9-12Analyze how people use and challenge local, state, national, and international laws to address a variety of public issues.
D2.Civ.5.9-12Evaluate citizens' and institutions' effectiveness in addressing social and political problems at the local, state, tribal, national, and/or international level.
D2.Geo.3.9-12Use geographic data to analyze variations in the spatial patterns of cultural and environmental characteristics at multiple scales.
D2.Geo.9.9-12Evaluate the influence of long-term climate variability on human migration and settlement patterns, resource use, and land uses at local-to-global scales.

Common Core English Language Arts Standards (CCSS.ELA)

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.6-8.4Determine the meaning of symbols, key terms, and other domain-specific words and phrases as they are used in a specific scientific or technical context relevant to grades 6-8 texts and topics.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.11-12.2Determine the central ideas or conclusions of a text; summarize complex concepts, processes, or information presented in a text by paraphrasing them in simpler but still accurate terms.

Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)

MS-ESS3-3.Apply scientific principles to design a method for monitoring and minimizing a human impact on the environment.

New Jersey Climate Education Hub

Science

MS-ETS1-2.Evaluate competing design solutions using a systematic process to determine how well they meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.
HS-ESS3-1.Construct an explanation based on evidence for how the availability of natural resources, occurrence of natural hazards, and changes in climate have influenced human activity.
HS-ETS1-3.Evaluate a solution to a complex real-world problem based on prioritized criteria and trade-offs that account for a range of constraints, including cost, safety, reliability, and aesthetics, as well as possible social, cultural, and environmental impacts.

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From the scientist review

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