BSAC Virtual Climate Education Activities

Welcome Educators!

The Boston Student Advisory Council (BSAC) is dedicated to climate change education. They have put together a set of virtual resources for educators K-12. Below you will find a virtual activity that can be completed with your students as well as a list of resources they have found helpful. Together, we can make a difference and it starts with children!


K-2 Activity

Goal: Introduce different sources of renewable energy.

Pre-Activity Question:

  • How do lights turn on?

Play the online game Power Up. Try to gain the maximum amount of energy to light up each window from the sun and wind using solar panels and wind turbines. Get the platinum badge on each level.

Post Activity Questions:

  • What were the machines in the game?

  • Which machine was easiest to light up the house? Wind turbine or solar panel?

  • What does a wind turbine do? What does a solar panel do?

  • Why are wind turbines and solar panels important?

Grades 3-5 Activity

Goal: Introduce the concept of climate change. Learn about carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Pre-activity question:

  • Has anyone heard of climate change? What have you heard?

Watch the video Crash Course: Climate Change (3:40). Write down or try to remember unfamiliar words or phrases. Pay attention when she says “carbon dioxide”.

Play the game OFFSET. Try to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the air before time or money runs out!

Post-activity questions:

  • What were some unfamiliar words you heard during the video?

  • Why is it important to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in our air?

  • What ways do you and your family add carbon dioxide to the air?

Grades 6-8

Goal: To introduce climate change and what evidence is used to back up climate change.

Pre-activity questions

  • Have you heard about climate change? What have you heard? How do scientists know about climate change?

Watch Climate Change with Bill Nye (4:09) to learn or refresh about climate change.

Explore Nasa's Climate Time Machine Tool. You can visualize how sea ice, sea level, carbon dioxide, and global temperature has changed over time.

Post-activity questions

  • Which factor in the Climate Time Machine Tool surprised you the most?

  • What can these changes impact? Will these changes impact all people equally? Why or why not?

Grades 9-12

Goal: To introduce climate change and what evidence is used to back up climate change.

Watch Our Climate Our Future Video Experience (total 41:00 but can be broken up by “chapter”).

Discussion questions: **make it an interactive conversation**

  • What is one new thing that you learned?

  • What could you do as a person to decrease the impacts of climate change?

  • What are some things you would like to learn more about?

More Resources for K-12 Learning