K-12 Education
Climate Superstars Activities
Turn your middle schoolers into Climate Superstars with our easy-to-use climate education lessons and activities
Make Climate Education Empowering
Climate Superstars is a set of learning activities that align with Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and take roughly 15-20 minutes to complete. They're easy to fit into your daily schedule as a fun complement to your lesson plans and can be performed online or in person.
Start With The Basics
In this task, students will watch a short video to learn about the difference between weather and climate. Students will then learn about the significant climate categories. Then, students will analyze a sequence of data visualizations that illustrates a warming trend.
Action item: Students will use a map to identify and describe the climate where they live, and using what they have learned from this task, they will identify evidence of climate change in their community.
LEarn how we Affect the Climate
In this task, students will watch a video to learn about earth system science and analyze an infographic to determine ten indicators of a warming world. Students will learn about direct and inverse relationships using the infographic. For the student
Action item: Students will identify direct and inverse relationships among key indicators of climate change.
understand Renewable Energy
In this task, students will watch a video to discover the benefits of renewable energy and how it can help humans combat climate change. Students will then analyze several graphs to discover the mix of energy sources used to generate electricity in different regions of the country.
Action item: Students will research how much renewable energy their local power plant or utility uses to produce electricity and compare the local energy mix to the overall averages for the United States.
In this task, students will first analyze a graphic from the EPA categorizing energy sources by their respective environmental benefits. Students will then watch a video to find out the benefits and impacts of one type of renewable energy. This task then includes 5 video explainers for more information on the following non-hydro-based types of green power: biomass, geothermal, solar PV, solar thermal, and wind power. Students could watch one of these video explainers and share the takeaways as a class to learn about each type in more detail.
Action item: Students will debate the pros and cons of non-hydropower based renewable versus green energy using an Electricity Generation Impact Assessment Rubric.
In this task, students will continue analyzing a graphic from the EPA that categorizes energy sources by their respective environmental benefits. Students will watch two short videos about hydropower and tidal power.
Action item: Students will debate the pros and cons of non-hydropower based renewable versus green energy using an Electricity Generation Impact Assessment Rubric.
In this task, students will learn about how electric vehicles work and the different types of electric vehicles. First, students will compare gasoline vehicles' impact to electric vehicles using a bar chart. They will learn about the parts of an electric vehicle battery. Then, students will explore a list of available electric vehicles.
Action item: Students will find a photo of their favorite electric car or draw an electric car of the future and discuss alternative transportation options in the local community that don't involve a car.
Inspire Your Students
AY Young
Hip-hop Artist and United Nations Youth Ambassador for the Sustainable Development Goals
Task 10: Pledge to be a Climate Superstar
In this task, students will watch a video from hip-hop artist and the only United Nations Youth Ambassador for Sustainable Development Goals from the Unites States, AY Young, to inspire them to be an “Outlet for Change” and become a Climate Superstar. Then, students will learn about actions they can take at home, at school, and throughout the community that can help protect the climate, and why.
Action Item: Students will pledge to be a Climate Superstar by selecting specific actions that they will take to help protect the climate.