Students and community residents of four remote Alaskan villages measure environmental data to identify their climate vulnerabilities.

Students investigate passive solar building design with a focus on heating. Insulation, window placement, thermal mass, surface colors, and site orientation are addressed in the background materials and design preparation. Students test their projects for thermal gains and losses during a simulated day and night then compare designs with other teams for suggestions for improvements.

Biofuels are made from plants that are growing today, and are being considered as an alternative to fossil fuels. To become biofuels, plants need to go through a series of chemical and physical processes that transform the sugars into ethanol. Scientists are interested in seeing how yeast’s ability to transform sugar into fuel is affected by environmental conditions in fields, such as droughts.

This resource has been evaluated using the HQUIM rubric linked here. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1y6pUBeJXq-dZLdIjWx_5rNjaj4JCttLpDm5fOt9mNsA/edit?usp=sharing

Lake Superior plays a vital role in the lives of people who live and work on its shores, and therefore all sorts of data are recorded to help understand and take care of it. Forrest, a high school student, used data from archives to figure out if the ice season was getting shorter each winter in his home town. The length of the ice season is important because it frees the island residents from working around a ferry schedule, allowing them to drive on the ice to get to the mainland.

This resource has been evaluated using the HQIM Rubric found here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ppn2frk888P0KwW6IJ8wDJNTa32Pa2T0nzrR6K8Tzos/edit?usp=drive_link

This interactive world map shows the impact of a global temperature rise of 4 degrees Celsius on a variety of factors including agriculture, marine life, fires, weather patterns, and health. Hot Spots can be clicked on to get more specific information about the problems in different regions.

This poster, viewable online, highlights some of the impacts of a global-average temperature rise of 4 degrees C above the pre-industrial age climate.

The changing climate is a phenomenon that will affect us all in the future - with a global increase of 2.1 degrees Fahrenheit over the last century1,decreasing sea ice in the arctic, rising sea levels, and an increase in the frequency of severe weather events, high school students are sure to feel the effects of climate change. While many students may have heard the terms “climate change” and “global warming” in the news, this unit aims to help students develop a scientific understanding as to what is causing these changes. Through a deeper understanding of the scientific basis of climate change, specifically the role of carbon dioxide in climate change, students will be better equipped to explain the changes that they are observing in real time. It is my hope that through this investigation students will become voices of change in their schools and communities, helping to educate others and get involved in climate action.