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Basics – Help students to understand what
climate change is and how it occurs |
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Impacts – Focus on understanding the effects
of climate change in their region |
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Solutions – Answer the question, “What can we do?” |
The lesson plans are organized below in two different formats: a topic list, and an annotated chart organized in a basics-impacts-solutions sequence. To choose the lesson plan you need, you can either:
Note: Please keep coming back to this page; it will expand as we continue to add more lessons.
Using the Lessons: Helpful Hints
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Lessons by Basics-Impacts-Solutions,
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Category |
Subject(s) |
Lesson Plan |
Sciences, Social Studies, Geography, Northern
Studies |
Topic: The albedo effect and feedback loops Author: Brent Urie, Nunavut Students plan and construct a “mini-lab” to measure the reflectivity of different earth surfaces. They measure reflectivity of materials, including ice, soil, rocks, etc., and then extrapolate from what they have learned to consider the impacts of melting ice on the Arctic. |
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Sciences, Social Studies, Northern Studies,
English Language Arts |
Climate Change: What’s Hot? What’s Happening? Topic: Northern climate change research Author: Brenda Hans, NWT Students conduct a web-based project to analyze recent or on-going climate change research in the North. |
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Sciences, Social Studies, English Language
Arts, Northern Studies |
Topic: Questions for each of the high school backgrounders Author: YCS Curriculum Team This lesson provides discussion, reflection and research questions for each of the 17 high school backgrounders developed for the Climate Change North website. Use them for class discussion, small group work, or individual assignments. |
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Science, Social Studies |
Topic: Quiz on climate change Author: Kyla Fennig, NWT As an introduction to climate change or as a wrap-up activity for a climate change study, students participate in an interactive game show. |
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Social Studies, Geography, Sciences, English
Language Arts, Northern Studies |
Topic: Educational quiz on climate change Author: Guy Dauncey, climate change consultant Through a television-style quiz challenge, students learn about the basics, impacts, and solutions to global climate change in a fun, informative manner. This multi-part quiz can be used as an introduction to climate change, as a culmination of a climate change unit, or in sections during a climate change unit to interest and motivate students. |
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Social Studies, Sciences, English Language
Arts, Northern Studies, Inuuqatigiit, Dene Kede, Visual Arts |
Topic: Climate change in the north Author: YCS Curriculum Team In this lesson, students share their prior climate change knowledge and work in groups to extract and present key information from large colourful climate change posters. This work generates further questions for individual research and presentations. |
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Sciences, Social Studies, English Language
Arts, Northern Studies, Drama, Visual Arts |
Getting Into the Backgrounders Topic: Ways to get students actively engaged in the background information on climate change Author: YCS Curriculum Team This lesson describes a number of methods to help students interact with the climate change backgrounders included in this resource, in ways that are engaging and interesting. They include whole-class and small-group activities that involve reading, brainstorming, quizzing, and teaching each other the information they have learned. |
Science, Social Studies, Northern Studies |
Topic: Effect of climate change on polar bear survival Author: Peter Maguire, Nunavut This game is similar to tag that simulates the prey and predator relationship between polar bears and ringed seals. It demonstrates the drastic impact of global warming by linking the amount of sea ice and length of season of sea ice to the survival of the polar bear. |
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Science, Social Studies, English Language
Arts, Northern Studies, Visual Arts, Inuuqatigiit, Dene Kede |
Changing
Climate, Topic: Impacts of climate change on northern animals Author: Maxine Malmberg, Nunavut Students review background materials (provided) on climate change impacts. They work in small groups to make a poster on the possible impacts of climate change on one particular northern animal, and how this will affect the people who depend on these animals. |
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Sciences, Social Studies, Northern Studies,
English Language Arts |
Climate Change – Boon or Bust for Northern Waters? Topic: Climate change impacts on northern water systems Author: Jamie Bastedo, NWT Students do research and engage in a role-play discussion on the potential benefits and costs of climate change on northern hydrological systems and related environmental and human factors. |
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Social Studies, Science, English Language
Arts, Inuuqatigiit, Dene Kede |
Topic: Observing northern climate change impacts Author: Libby Gunn, NWT Students work through a series of questions to explore how changes in climate are affecting hunting, trapping, fishing and berry picking around their community. They discuss what they have learned, write about it in fiction or non-fiction form, and examine the relationships between land, activities and culture. |
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Social Studies, Sciences, Northern Studies,
English Language Arts, Inuuqatigiit |
Topic: Tradition knowledge of climate change Author: Mindy Willett, Nunavut This lesson is about the observations traditional peoples have made of climate change. The students will compare the observations of traditional peoples with the observations of Western science. |
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Science, English Language Arts, Inuuqatigiit,
Dene Kede |
Observing
the Land Topic: Observing local climate change impacts Author: YCS Curriculum Team Students observe indicators of seasonal change over a period of time during the school year and post their observations on a class chart. Students learn how careful observation — a heightened awareness of their environment — prepares them to better recognize climate change and its impacts. They will also be introduced to the concept of ecological monitoring. |
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Social Studies, Sciences, Geography, Northern
Studies, English Language Arts, Inuuqatigiit |
Topic: Climate change impacts on polar bears Author: Guy Dauncey, climate change consultant Through discussion, reading, and activities, students learn about the Arctic food chain, polar bears, and the devastating impact that the melting ice will have on them. Using what they have learned, they take action – writing a letter to a local political representative explaining what they have learned and requesting positive action. |
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Science, Mathematics, Social Studies, Visual
Arts, English Language Arts |
Signs of Change: Studying Tree Rings Topic: Impact of climate change on tree rings Author: Nancy Colberg, Yukon In this very hands-on lesson, students will learn about dendrochronology (the study of tree rings to answer ecological questions about the recent past) and come up with conclusions as to what possible climatic conditions might affect tree growth in their region. Students determine the average age of the trees in their schoolyard, investigate any years of poor growth, and draw conclusions about the reasons for the years of poor growth. |
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Social Studies, Sciences, Northern Studies,
Geography, English Language Arts |
What Effect Does Climate Have on Wildlife? Topic: Wildlife survival and range extensions caused by climate change Author: Libby Gunn, NWT After students learn that climate change is affecting everything from newts to polar bears, they research habitat requirements for a local species and consider how climate change would affect it. They also consider whether changes in their own region are caused by climate change or by other human-caused factors. |
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Sciences, Social Studies, Northern Studies,
English Language Arts, Inuuqatigiit |
Exploring Values Towards Conservation Topic: Exploring traditional values towards climate change Author: Norma Shorty, Yukon Each group of students will read a First Nation story, identify the values expressed in it and discuss how those values relate to conservation issues we face today. With the knowledge that Elders and other respected community members have important stories to tell, students will then seek out stories relevant to climate change from their own Elders and respected community members. |
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Social Studies, Sciences, English Language
Arts, Fine Arts, Inuuqatigiit, Dene Kede, First Nations Studies |
The Land is Changing: Stories from Across the North Topic: Climate Change impacts, as seen by elders Author: YCS Curriculum Team Students interview elders, older relatives and/or parents about the issues, impacts and potential ways of adapting to climate change in the north. Interview questions are designed to shed light on the issues of climate change. Stories, photographs and art can be posted on the Student Web-Exchange portion of the website. |
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Sciences, Social Studies, Geography, Northern
Studies, English Language Arts, Drama, Fine Arts |
On Thinning Ice: An eco-theatre production about climate change Topic: Northern climate change impacts and solutions Author: Marianne Bromley, NWT Students participate in a Reader’s Theatre of the eco-theatre script, “On Thinning Ice,” and then discuss issues addressed in the script. “On Thinning Ice” uses drama and humour to examine the causes and possible consequences of climate change in the north. Ideally, after reading and discussing the script, your class will want to stage the production for your school or community. |
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Sciences, Social Studies, Northern Studies,
Geography, English Language Arts |
World Summit on Climate Change Topic: Coming to international agreement on climate change Author: YCS Curriculum Team Working in small groups, students research the impact of climate change on a particular country, and predict future impacts for this country. They simulate an international summit on climate change (taking place 20 years from now). The country representatives attempt to reach an international agreement on how to reduce GHGs. |
Sciences, Social Studies, Northern Studies,
Mathematics, English Language Arts |
Auditing the Energy-Guzzlers in Your Home Topic: Calculating home GHG emissions Author: YCS Curriculum Team In this lesson, students become aware of the renewable or non-renewable power sources in their community, and the amount of greenhouse gases they produce. They identify what kinds of energy are used to heat their homes and water, and power appliances and other energy-using devices. By calculating the power used by each appliance/device in their household, students can determine their GHG emissions, and seek ways to reduce them. |
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Social Studies, Sciences, Northern Studies,
English Language Arts, Visual Arts |
Barriers to Change: The Myths about Vehicle Idling Topic: Anti-idling Author: Jennifer Sanders, NWT In this activity students will have the opportunity to confront some of the most common misconceptions that surround vehicle idling, and employ the concept of social marketing to initiate change. |
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Science, Math, Social Studies, English Language
Arts, Visual Arts |
Topic: GHGs emitted by travel Author: YCS Curriculum Team Students use the formula and data provided in this lesson for determining the amount of greenhouse gases emitted as they travel in their daily lives. They calculate emissions for various vehicle sizes and other forms of transport on a per kilometer basis. Each student calculates the resulting emissions from either a family vacation, a sports event, travel to and from school, or travel during the course of a week. The results are used to create a class graph, and educational posters or brochures. |
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Social Studies, Science, English Language
Arts, Visual Arts |
Topic: Relating consumption to energy use Author: YCS Curriculum Team This lesson helps students to discover the links between consumer products, manufacturing and energy use, the burning of fossil fuels and the carbon dioxide emissions that contribute to climate change. Students learn by tracing the steps that produce the plastic components of a computer – from oil in the ground to the finished product being used at home. |
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Social Studies, Sciences, English Language
Arts |
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GHG Challenge Topic: Climate change solutions for northern communities Author: YCS Curriculum Team After reviewing background materials on reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and Suzuki’s Nature Challenge, students work in small groups to create a northern GHG Challenge. |
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Social Studies, Sciences, Geography, Northern
Studies, English Language Arts |
Renewable
Energy and Topic: Installing a renewable energy system in your school Author: Wade Carpenter, NWT The class explores renewable energy options and then researches, develops and installs a renewable energy system in their school or community. |
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Sciences, Social Studies, Northern Studies,
Mathematics, English Language Arts |
Topic: Reducing personal GHG emissions Author: YCS Curriculum Team Students learn about the One-Tonne Challenge, and work out how they could reduce their greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) by one tonne, through individual actions and by influencing other people. Students use a GHG emission table to select actions to help them reach the one-tonne reduction goal, then develop a motivational plan to help themselves and others stick to their reduction plans. |
Social Studies, Science, Mathematics, Visual
Arts, English Language Arts |
Topic: Anti-idling Author: Suzanne Bertrand, Yukon Students analyze data provided in this lesson or collect and analyze their own data from a survey of idling vehicles in community. Then they develop a campaign to reduce idling and lower greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles in their community. |
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Sciences, Social Studies, Geography, Northern
Studies, English Language Arts |
Topic: Alternative energy Author: Liz Girard, Nunavut Students, working in small groups, learn about hydropower, diesel power and wind power, and how they are currently used in the north. The small groups are jigsawed, and students share what they have learned. They compare wind power vs. hydro-electric power and diesel generated power in terms of its impact on the environment and the financial costs, and consider the use of wind power for their community. |
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Sciences, Social Studies, English Language
Arts, Northern Studies |
Topic: Writing letters on climate change Author: YCS Curriculum Team Students will write a letter to an editor of a newspaper or to a politician that will reflect their learning and articulate their views and concerns about climate change. This activity will help empower students and give them a voice on climate change and particularly how it impacts their northern community. Letters will be posted on the student exchange. |
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