Why Climate Matters

Lesson Plans

Grades6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12Biology, Earth and Space Sciences, Economics

Scientist Reviewed

Provided by ClimateScience

Open Resource

What it is

This interactive course explains how climate change impacts people, the economy, extinction, life on land, and ocean life.
The course contains text, interactive questions, infographics, data charts, links to numerous references, and a final quiz.

Teaching tips

Positives

There are a number of comprehensive scientific reports and papers linked throughout the document for reference or further study.
The content is available in a number of different languages.

Additional Prerequisites

This course is part of a series of climate change courses from ClimateScience.
Students should have a basic understanding of climate change prior to beginning this course.
Students will need a computer and Internet connection to use the interactive features.
Teachers and students will need to enroll and create a free account to use the course and save their progress.

Differentiation

This course provides two levels of learning. Before enrolling in the course, users can scroll down and use the button to toggle between. "Simple" and "Advanced." The "Simple" setting is recommended for middle school students, while the "Advanced" setting is recommended for high school students.
Students can proceed through the content at their own pace, and stronger students can spend time reading and exploring any of the links to scientific papers or reports.
Due to the broad scope of the content provided in this course, it can easily be applied to economics, social studies, ELA, and science lessons.
Other resources related to these topics include this video on the 6th mass extinction, this interactive textbook lesson on climate change in Earth history, and this video on ecosystem dynamics, functioning, and resilience.

From the scientist review

The resource presents reports on climate-related disasters, the impact of climate change on the economy, people's livelihoods, animal speciation and extinction, flooding, drought, and other natural hazards. The datasets used are valid, and the resource is recommended for teaching.

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At a glance

Grades: 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
Subjects: Biology, Earth and Space Sciences, Economics
Other types: Data, Graphs, and Maps, Assessments, Interactive Media
Language: English
Location: Earth
Provider: ClimateScience
Authors: ClimateScience
Published: October 25, 2024
Last updated: July 16, 2026
: Reviewed by our climate scientists How we review

Standards alignment · D2.Geo.4.6-8 + 18 more

Core

College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Standards

D2.Geo.4.6-8Explain how cultural patterns and economic decisions influence environments and the daily lives of people in both nearby and distant places.
D2.Geo.7.6-8Explain how changes in transportation and communication technology influence the spatial connections among human settlements and affect the diffusion of ideas and cultural practices.
D2.Geo.9.6-8Evaluate the influences of long-term human-induced environmental change on spatial patterns of conflict and cooperation.
D2.Geo.12.6-8Explain how global changes in population distribution patterns affect changes in land use in particular places.
D2.Eco.1.9-12Analyze how incentives influence choices that may result in policies with a range of costs and benefits for different groups.
D2.Eco.15.9-12Explain how current globalization trends and policies affect economic growth, labor markets, rights of citizens, the environment, and resource and income distribution in different nations.
D2.Geo.4.9-12Analyze relationships and interactions within and between human and physical systems to explain reciprocal influences that occur among them.
D2.Geo.9.9-12Evaluate the influence of long-term climate variability on human migration and settlement patterns, resource use, and land uses at local-to-global scales.

Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)

MS-ESS3-5.Ask questions to clarify evidence of the factors that have caused the rise in global temperatures over the past century.
HS-ESS3-C.1.The sustainability of human societies and the biodiversity that supports them requires responsible management of natural resources. (HS-ESS3-3)
HS-ESS3-D.1.Though the magnitudes of human impacts are greater than they have ever been, so too are human abilities to model, predict, and manage current and future impacts. (HS-ESS3-5)

Wisconsin Climate Education Hub

English Language Arts

R.6.7Compare and contrast how different formats, including print and digital media, contribute to the understanding of a subject. (RI&RL)
R.9-10.4Determine the meaning of words and phrases, including figurative and connotative meanings. Analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning, tone, and mood. Examine technical or key terms and how language differs across genres. (RI&RL)
R.11-12.3In literary texts, analyze the impact of the author's choices. (RL) In informational texts, analyze a complex set of ideas or sequence of events and explain how specific individuals, ideas, or events interact and develop. (RI)

Science

HS-ESS2-2.Analyze geoscience data to make the claim that one change to Earth’s surface can create feedbacks that cause changes to other Earth systems.
HS-ESS3-6.Use a computational representation to illustrate the relationships among Earth systems and how those relationships are being modified due to human activity.
HS-LS4-4.Construct an explanation based on evidence for how natural selection leads to adaptation of populations.
HS-ESS3-5.Analyze geoscience data and the results from global climate models to make an evidence-based forecast of the current rate of global or regional climate change and associated future impacts to Earth systems.

Social Studies

SS.Econ1.a.mPredict the opportunity costs of various decisions and explain why the opportunity cost might differ from person to person or in different situations. Assess how limited resources (e.g., money, land, natural resources, workers, time) impact the choices of individuals, households, communities, businesses, and countries.

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