Resources and Activities
This is a gallery of resources and activities implemented during WV Climate Change PD sessions. The WV Climate Change PD does not take credit for any of the activities on this page. West Virginia teachers are invited to email us at wvccpd@gmail.com for access to teachers' Lesson Plans and Video Presentations for how they implemented these activities in their classrooms.
Climate Science Basics
Learn about the two loops of the Carbon Cycle and how they are connected by playing the Virtual Carbon Journey Game created on Scratch.mit.edu by Katherine Johnson/NASA IV&V Education Outreach Specialist, Josh Revels
This material is based on work supported by an Environmental Literacy Grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Office of Education (NA09SEC4690009).
You may also enjoy this Coal vs Banana video from NASA Earth Observatory and a Carbon Cycle Role-Play game from the California Academy of Science
Recommended Follow Up - Do these Carbon Capture & Sequestration Demos to talk about a potential solution to reducing the build-up of CO2 in the amtosphere due to the burning of fossil fuels!
The Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center at The Ohio State University provides the Build-Your-Own Ice Core activity we LOVE!
What's the evidence for global warming? Ice cores are like time machines, with each layer preserving air pockets of the climate from when it formed. Ice core research provides a window in the history of Earth's climate from the past 800,000 years! The data shows that, even though Earth's climate has gone through cycles in the past, our current levels of CO2 are much higher than what they've been.
Did you know cabbage juice acts like a pH indicator? You can blow the CO2 from your breath into a test cup and watch the color change as the water (H2O) chemically reacts with the carbon dioxide (CO2) to create carbonic acid.
Check out this activity from the Lawrence Hall of Science.
Additional Video Demos and Lectures on the NASA IV&V ERC YouTube Channel
This is what our oceans are doing for us. They are absorbing the extra CO2 emissions in the atmosphere and becoming too acidic. This makes it hard for sea creatures to create hard shells and causes coral bleaching.
MASS Concentration (MASCON) of Water
A) Global Changes and MASCON Concentration
B) West Virginia Changes in Mass Concentration
Learn about the journey that a single drop of water makes as it travels through the water cycle. Think about how these natural processes and what factors may change the rate at which these processes occur.
Water Cycle Dice Game created on Scratch.mit.edu by Katherine Johnson/NASA IV&V Education Outreach Specialist, Josh Revels
Optional Data Sheet to track your journey and compare with others.
Adaptation of Arctic Climate Modeling Program's Water Cycle Dice Game and intended for free use. Copy of original lesson plan.
Source: NASA's Global Precipitation Measurement.
Greenhouse Effect in a Bottle
Carbon Footprint & Resource Management
Carbon Footprint Calculator
Ever wanted to measure your impact on the environment? Your carbon footprint is the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) that you emit based on your life style. Calculate your carbon footprint with these links:
Carbon Footprint Coloring Activity
Global Footprint Network's Earth Overshoot Day - also see their lesson plan for "What is Earth Overshoot Day?" (Grades 6-12) and enter your prediction to the annual competition before June 5th!
Article: The Carbon Footprint Sham- Mark Kaufman
Article: Big Oil Coined "Carbon Footprints" to Blame Us For Their Greed. Keep Them On The Hook. - Rebecca Solnit
Article: Living within a One Planet reality: the contribution of personal Footprint calculators
Population Education
https://populationeducation.org/
Many of our WVCCPD Teachers have incorporated activities from Population Education into their lesson plans to help students understand resource management and allocation. WVCCPD Teachers recommend the activities: Mining Cookies, Food for Thought, Earth: The Apple of Our Eye, A Woman’s Place, Deforestation
WV Climate Change Impacts
West Virginia Climate Link
https://wvclimatelink.wvu.edu/
Many WVCCPD teachers have been excited to use the interactive map and accompanying lesson plans from WVU's WV Climate Link, developed by Professor Nico Zegre. You can browse Historical and future climate predictions for specific areas of West Virginia.
WV Flood Tool Mapping Activity
The full activity at left is a Google Doc that you can copy and edit before giving to your students. One of our teachers, Aubrey Hall, also created this simpler version and an accompanying worksheet for students!
B) Lessons Learned from 2016 Floods
Explore more with FloodFactor.com
Climate Solutions
Solutions are empowering. WVCCPD Teachers have found it useful for their students to browse solutions featured on Project Drawdown and to do the activities below.
Stabilization Wedges Game
Check out the game from the Princeton Environmental Institute Carbon Mitigation Initiative and the Climate.gov review for teachers.
While the science behind climate change isn't up for debate, the solutions are. How can we stabilize our carbon emissions? How much can we increase energy and transportation efficiency? How much can we rely on renewables and biostorage? What about nuclear energy? Student teams work to develop plans that would be supported by a variety of stakeholders.
EN-ROADS is a climate change simulator that helps people visualize connections between climate change and human activities. Within the simulator, people can forecast climate change scenarios based on enacting certain environmental policies such as highly taxing non-renewable resources or electrifying the transportation sector. The following activity was created for teachers to use within their classrooms to educate students on various climate change impacts while also opening conversations around climate change solutions. The activity covers carbon pricing and energy efficiency simulations, and also allows for students to create their own solution simulations. EN-ROADS can be combined with previous webinar activities such as the Carbon Cycle Game to further classroom discussion on human-environment interaction.
The En-Roads activity is designed to help students evaluate the effectiveness of energy supply, energy efficiency, transportation, industry, land, and environmental policies in flattening the trend of carbon dioxide concentrations in Earth's atmosphere. The simulator is also powerful when used in a role-playing game or policy workshop.
Youth Voices
Young people are the least to blame for the climate crisis but the most vulnerable. This 2019 study by Danielle Lawson and colleagues, published in Nature, shows that "Children can foster climate change concern among their parents." The WVVCPD project is inspired by Youth Climate Activist, such as these youth leaders.
Young Voices for the Planet
https://www.youngvoicesfortheplanet.com/civic-engagement-democracy-curriculum/
Young people are the least to blame for the climate crisis but the most vulnerable. Some of our WVCCPD Teachers have used the Young Voices of the Planet "Civic Engagement & Democracy Curriculum" in their classrooms. They and their students have been inspired by the video examples of youth talking about climate solutions!
Climate Communication
Yale Climate Opinion Maps
The Yale Climate Opinion Maps show Americans' climate change beliefs, opinions, and support for policies to address climate change at the national, state, congressional district, county, and metro area levels. For example, in West Virginia: 59% of West Virginians think climate change is happening, 67% want carbon dioxide to be regulated as a pollutant, and 56% want fossil fuel companies to pay a carbon tax.
See their Education Activities for Grades 6-12. We recommend the Six Americas Role Playing Activity.
Sort through misinformation techniques of Fake Experts, Logical Fallacies, Impossible Expectations, Cherry Picking, and Conspiracy Theories by playing a fun game with a "Cranky Uncle!" Teachers Guide is here.
Teachers in our courses have also found these resources, which pair nicely with the Cranky Uncle: Adfontes Media Bias Chart, Get Bad News Game, The CRAAP Test, Factitious Game