Climate Emotions Toolkit Activity 1
Provided by: The National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF)|Published on: May 1, 2025|Last updated: September 26, 2026
Grades: 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
Type: Activity - Classroom
Subjects: Biology, Health
Authors: The National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF), Climate Mental Health Network
Location: Earth
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Synopsis
- In this activity from the Climate Emotions Toolkit, students will attempt to counter their brain's negativity bias with five positive climate feelings.
- Students will learn about the psychology of the negativity bias and media influences that contribute to feelings of doom.
Teaching Materials
Positives
- This activity is powerful and widely applicable for students experiencing negative emotions.
- The activity is simple to implement, and teachers can do so as negative emotions arise without necessarily printing the worksheet.
Prerequisites
- Students should have a basic understanding of climate change or global warming.
Differentiation & Implementation
- Teachers can implement this strategy during a unit about climate change or introduce it at the beginning of the year for students to use as a tool for processing any negative emotions.
- Students can create a master list of positive climate feelings and post it prominently in the room as a reminder of the good things.
- Teachers can add this exercise to a journaling rotation or as an option for a free-write.
- To hear from other students who are experiencing similar emotions, older students can listen to the podcast episode Eco-Anxiety & Optimism, which may also provide inspiration for positive emotions.
- Teachers may also benefit from An Educator's Guide to Climate Emotions.
This activity discusses the negative feelings that can come up while talking about climate change, why they can feel so intense, and how students can cope with these feelings. This is an important lesson because learning about climate change can be overwhelming and defeating for some, and can lead to them avoiding the topic. Additionally, maintaining hope and optimism around climate change helps motivate them to seek out and implement climate change solutions. The information presented is accurate, and this resource is recommended for teaching.
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
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