Educational Resources about Climate & Sustainability
This section compiles resources for educators working in many different settings. It covers educators’ guides, including the one created to accompany this Almanac, websites, videos, podcasts, books, and lesson plans. These resources are useful to educational institutions, community-based programs, and learners of all ages. Six are highlighted to get you started. Additional resources follow, organized by resource type.
An interactive online game that teaches about climate issues. Players settle on an uninhabited island covered by green trees and thick forests, harvest, use and plant trees, and manage income to develop island infrastructure. Players must be aware that actions have consequences!
National Geographic is where education meets exploration. We are transforming the learning experience for young people and the educators who reach them with the tools, resources, and support they need to feed their curiosity and become the explorers of tomorrow. Through immersive experiences, interactive lesson plans, maps, and other free resources – there are endless ways to learn with National Geographic.
Check out these resources to enhance K–12 STEM-focused water conservation learning, discover how technology is being used to impact water conservation today, and increase kids’ and teens’ impacts on water conservation.
A document assembled by the Carbon Almanac Team to help educators lead conversations with their students, manage stress, and promote solution-based thinking. References back to the Almanac for optimum effect.
The mission of the Young Voices for the Planet film series is to limit the magnitude of climate change and its impacts by empowering children and youth, through documentaries and short films, to take an essential role in informing their communities — and society at large, challenging decision-makers, and catalyzing change.
Provides insight into how audiences engage with climate change information. Written for environmental educators. Authors are from Cornell University. Print and online open access versions available.
The “Carbon Footprint of Everything” for educators, the “climate uncertain”, and as a resource for readers who want to persuade others. Accessible science delivered with British humor.
A document assembled by the Carbon Almanac Team to help educators lead conversations with their students, manage stress, and promote solution-based thinking. References back to the Almanac for optimum effect.
For educators grades 6-12 who are interested in using the Yale Climate Communications in their classrooms, such as the Yale Climate Opinion Maps and Yale Climate Connections. These materials were developed based on recommendations from educators across the United States. They aim to immerse students in climate change issues in an accessible, digestible, and interactive way. They are NGSS and Common Core-aligned for middle and high school.
"Easy-to-read explanations of science and policy, designed to step students through the key principles of climate and energy." Literacy principles, suggested approaches and resources from CLEAN. La Enseñanza de la Ciencia Del Clima, Enseñar temas sobre energía.
From Conservation International, an organization that has worked since 1987 to spotlight and secure the critical benefits that nature provides to humanity. Climate expert Shyla Raghav shares advice to help parents educate their children about climate change.
Resources from the British Council to help integrate environmental issues into language teaching, learning and assessment. The Climate Connection program includes a global school video competition.
From the World’s Largest Lesson. “There’s a growing movement to formalize climate and environmental education for everyone and your students can be part of making this change happen.” Interactive website, teacher's guides, videos and more.
Teachers’ guide including activities, articles and videos in Spanish. El Departamento de Energía ha traducido algunos de nuestros recursos más populares de inglés a español, incluyendo videos, actividades y guías para consumidores y educadores de energía.
Science and Math Informal Learning Educators (SMILE): Free math and science activities for all ages. For anyone teaching and leading in informal learning environments, especially “after-school and outdoor education programs; science museums, aquaria, zoos, and technology centers; and homeschoolers creating their own curriculum.”
From Oxfam. "With links across the curriculum, these teaching resources use stories, film and role play to explore the human element of the climate crisis." Ages 9-16.
"Promotes use of the Sustainable Development Goals in learning so that children can contribute to a better future for all." Resources for climate education: distance learning, lesson plans, projects, quizzes and games, training and guides. Ages 4-16.
From the World Wildlife Fund's Wild Classroom: "subject-integrated lessons perfect for school, home, or any learning environment and will leave kids with an understanding of how their actions help shape the future of nature."
Video from VlogBrothers explores the tools and strategies countries are using to decarbonize and stabilize the climate to help citizens advocate for change.
Crash Course Geography video #14 explains that “while individual actions do matter … it’s also up to us to hold corporations and governments responsible for the policies and the large-scale emissions that play a disproportionate role in impacting our atmosphere and climate.”
Resources provided by the British Council to help students 9-13 years old develop their knowledge of renewable energy through math, geography, critical thinking and other subjects.
Part of the BioenergizeME initiative, this activity book is designed for children as a fun learning tool to inform them about bioenergy and raise their awareness of alternative fuel sources and renewable energy.
Organization that trains and empowers youth to be effective leaders. Using art, music, storytelling, on the ground projects, civic engagement, and legal action, they advance solutions to the critical issues at the intersections of environmental and climate justice.
Observed annually by the United Nations. Brings attention to water and the two billion people who live without access to safe water. Also brings attention to UN Sustainability Development Goal 6: Water and Sanitation for all by 2030.
Online and in-person courses for environmental education professionals, teachers, students, and the public. Includes topics such as climate change education and climate action.
This online learning platform has several courses about Climate Change for all levels (beginners to advanced), from institutions such as The World Bank Group, Yale University and the University of Copenhagen. Free and/or paid. Financial aid available in some cases.
Founded by Harvard and MIT, this online platform has climate change courses for all levels from top international institutions. Free, with paid upgrade available.
Facts, graphics, and multimedia for educators, and public in general from a special arm of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (US). Some content available in Spanish.
Articles, projects and commentary from the premier science institution in the US “Building on decades of work, the National Academies continue to provide objective advice from top experts to help the nation better understand, prepare for, and limit future climate change.”
From the School of Earth, Energy and Environmental Sciences of Stanford University: Stanford’s Climate Change Education Project brought together climate scientists and education specialists who develop curricula and resources for middle and high school science classrooms (or homeschooling).
Section of the leading UK science academy’s website shares scientific insight and information regarding climate change and environmental issues. Includes Q&A, guides for classroom instruction and videos.
Free, short online course offered through the Scottish institution’s partnership with FutureLearn (five-week or two-week). Course aims to develop an informed personal response among students and to encourage them to take positive actions toward a sustainable future.
In the Netherlands. Courses and programs from the institution ranked by US News & World Report as the No. 1 University for Environment/Ecology. Paid. Financial aid available.
Sponsored by US NOAA, students are encouraged to play several online arcade-style games about Climate Change and become inspired to create an original game on the topic to share with others.
From the US EPA, this interactive game invites students to explore energy choices and teaches the considerations and costs of deciding what type of energy generation to build. Free download of game and materials. Grade 6-12.
