Earth Day Lesson Plan
Length: Approx. one 50-min. class periodMake Earth Day count. Give students the foundation they need to understand today’s changing climate — and spark deeper curiosity.Note: A free teacher account is required to see sample answers.Click here to sign up or log in.Sample Standards AlignmentNGSS MS-ESS3-5: Ask questions to clarify evidence of the factors that have caused the rise in global temperatures over the past century.CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.11-12.1: Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain.NCSS Theme: People, Places, and Environments: Explore how human actions modify the physical environment (e.g., carbon emissions, deforestation).Learning Objectives: • Evaluate data and trends that demonstrate climate change over time.• Analyze data to make an evidence-based prediction about possible future impacts to Earth’s systems. Opener: Students develop their own definition of climate change and record their current understanding with the quick activity Climate Change Is...Read: Students read the article “How Do We Know Climate Change Is Real?” to explore the evidence around global temperatures and emissions. Find key idea questions and sample answers for this article here.Do: Have students analyze evidence from the article to develop an evidenced-backed claim that answers the question: How do we know climate change is real? Explore FurtherWant to explore even more? Check out these resources and their corresponding activities :• Infographic: Small Parts, Big Impacts• Article: Climate Currents NewsletterEARTH DAY LESSON PLAN