Decarbonization Solutions

Lesson Plans

Grades6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12Physics, Earth and Space Sciences, Engineering

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Provided by OER Project

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What it is

In this unit, students will look into some of the solutions to reducing emissions and overcoming the grand challenges of decarbonization.
Students will participate in research and a debate to explore decarbonizing energy, buildings and goods, agriculture, and transportation.
This is one of many lessons in the online Climate course by OER Project.

Teaching tips

Positives

Many of the articles are written with a conversational tone that students will enjoy.
The teacher guide is a handy tool, which includes possible answers to the questions, summaries of some of the included resources, and useful tips!

Prerequisites

Using the Teaching Tools button, students can access a teaching guide with a login and two helpful blog articles.
The lesson preceding this one is called Exploring the Grand Challenges and teachers may want to have their students go through this lesson before participating in this one.
Students should understand how to support a claim with evidence.
Teachers should note that there is no link to the article Getting Alternative Fuels in Use in the Grand Solutions Research Library. There are enough additional resources for this solution to supplement the missing article.

Differentiation & Implementation

Many strategies for differentiating the lesson and other suggestions are implemented in the teacher guide.
Teachers can utilize the student-facing platform by assigning the readings and videos as homework, saving time in class for interactive activities.
For the final debate, students with anxiety or other differences may find it difficult to speak in front of the whole class. Teachers may want to give these students the option to give the presentation in front of just the teacher or to record their presentation ahead of time.
Teachers can strategically assign the topics for the Grand Challenges Solutions Research. For example, students with high reading stamina can research renewable energy, low-carbon cement, and other solutions that have a lot of article resources. Students with strengths in math skills may benefit from researching one of the solutions that include a data exploration resource.
Teachers can adapt this lesson to focus on career exploration by highlighting the graphic biographies that feature case studies of people working in their field to reduce emissions.

From the scientist review

This resource guides students through understanding the technologies and challenges to decarbonization. Throughout, the connections between sectors and tradeoffs are highlighted. This lesson is strongly grounded in rigorous climate science and features several documents that list sources to help students get started on their own research. This resource is recommended for teaching.

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At a glance

Grades: 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
Subjects: Physics, Earth and Space Sciences, Engineering
Other types: Articles/Websites, Videos, Data, Graphs, and Maps, Activity - Classroom, Worksheets
Format: PDF
Language: English
Location: Earth
Provider: OER Project
Authors: OER Project: Climate
Published: June 20, 2025
Last updated: July 16, 2026
: Reviewed by our climate scientists How we review

Standards alignment · D2.Eco.12.9-12 + 14 more

Core

College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Standards

D2.Eco.12.9-12Evaluate the selection of monetary and fiscal policies in a variety of economic conditions.
D2.Eco.15.9-12Explain how current globalization trends and policies affect economic growth, labor markets, rights of citizens, the environment, and resource and income distribution in different nations.

Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)

HS-ESS3-C.1.The sustainability of human societies and the biodiversity that supports them requires responsible management of natural resources. (HS-ESS3-3)
HS-ESS3-D.1.Though the magnitudes of human impacts are greater than they have ever been, so too are human abilities to model, predict, and manage current and future impacts. (HS-ESS3-5)

New Jersey Climate Education Hub

English Language Arts

RI.CR.9–10.1cite a range and thorough textual evidence and make clear and relevant connections, to strongly support an analysis of multiple aspects of what an informational text says explicitly and inferentially, as well as interpretations of the text.
RI.CI.11–12.2Determine two or more central ideas of an informational text and analyze how they are developed and refined over the course of a text, including how they interact and build on one another to provide a complex account or analysis; provide an objective summary of the text.
W.WR.9–10.5Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.
SL.II.9-10.2Integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, qualitatively, orally) evaluating the credibility and accuracy of each source.
SL.PE.11-12.1Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with peers on grades 11-12 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
SL.PI.11-12.4Present information, findings, and supporting evidence clearly, concisely, and logically. The content, organization, development, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

Science

HS-ESS3-2.Evaluate competing design solutions for developing, managing, and utilizing energy and mineral resources based on cost-benefit ratios.
HS-ESS3-4.Evaluate or refine a technological solution that reduces impacts of human activities on natural systems.
HS-ESS3-5.Analyze geoscience data and the results from global climate models to make an evidence-based forecast of the current rate of global or regional climate change and associated future impacts to Earth’s systems.
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.
HS-ETS1-4.Use a computer simulation to model the impact of proposed solutions to a complex real-world problem with numerous criteria and constraints on interactions within and between systems relevant to the problem.

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