Last week millions of people marched in hundreds of countries worldwide to demand "climate justice".
Greta Thunberg speaking at World Economic Forum 2018
Choose from any of our 14 activities to let students quantify some of the results of climate change.
Louisiana - In this activity we take a look at the rate of land and wetland loss in Louisiana after the past hurricanes. At this present rate when will Louisiana disappear? 5.MD, 6.RP.A, 6.GA, 7.RP.A, HSF.IF, HSA.CED, HSM
Cost of light bulbs - Students learn more about LED and CFL light bulbs as they analyze and graph their energy use and costs of lights and appliances. Students use decimals operations, order of operations, graphing, systems and piecewise functions in this activity to help them think about ways to conserve the energy that they use. 5.NBT.3, 5.NBT.7, 6.NS.3, 6.RP.3, 6.EE.1, 6.EE.9, 8.EE.8, HSF.IF.C.7.B, HSA.REI.C.6, HSA.CED.A.2
Measuring sea levels - We've given students a diagram of what the interior of this mechanism contains and asked them to try to decide what its purpose must be. Then we've given them the data that was collected from this place and others globally and asked what they can conclude. 6.RP.3, 7.RP.1, 8.EE.B.5, 8.F.B.4, HSS.ID.C.7, HSF.IF.B.6, MP8
Should I replace my toilets? - I have really old fashioned toilets and I'm trying to figure out if I should invest in saving water. Can you help me? 8.F.3, 8.F.4, 8.F.5, HSF.IF.B.4, HSF.IF.B.6, HSF.IF.C.7, HSF.IF.C.9, HSF.LE.A.2, HSF.LE.B.5
Methane Math - Carbon dioxide and methane are our two most prevalent human-contributed greenhouse gases. This holstein cow is one of many huge contributors to our methane production. Let students calculate percentages of greenhouse gas production from cars, cows, and people. Warning! Flatulence humor. 6.RP, 7.RP, 7.SP
Have you seen more Monarch butterflies lately? - Students read charts, do a little research, and make observations about the decline and resurgence of Monarchs. MP4, 3.MD, 6.RP.A, 7.RP.A, 7.EE, 8.EE, HSN
Alarming ice cracks in Antarctica - A new, fast-growing ice crack is forcing the Halley VI British research station in Antarctica (shown above) to be moved. Fear of a huge break-off from the ice sheet is alarming not just to the scientists on the station but to all of us. At what rate is this crack growing and how large will this iceberg be when it breaks off? 6.G.A, 7.G.A, 7.G.B, HSG/GPE.B.7, HSA/CED.A.2, HSG/SRT.A.1 HSN/Q.A.1
Giant Iceberg drifts past Newfoundland - Use some of the data that was supplied and your estimation skills to gauge the volume of this iceberg. 5.MD.5, 6.G.2, 6.RP.3, 7.G.1, 7.G.5, HSG.MG.A.1, MP5
McDonald's moves toward Antibiotic-free chicken - What will the effects be on costs at the restaurant, costs in the supermarket and the cost and changes required of farm production? Does this seem like a good move? Why? 4.MD.3, 5.NBT.5, 5.NBT.7, 6.RP.1, 6.RP.2, 6.RP.3, HSG.MG.A.2, HSG.MG.A.3, MP6
Giant Iceberg breaks off of sheet in Antarctica - The crack in Antarctica's Larson C ice shelf has been growing for years. Has the speed of the rift's growth stayed about the same? increased? decreased? Do the math and discuss the implications. MP1, MP2, 6.RP.A, 7.RP.A, 8.F, HSF
What's my angle?
- We've used a little Solar geometry to analyze and estimate the proper angle for the tilt of my Solar panels. Should I tilt the panels on my roof to more accurately aim towards the Sun? If so, at what angle should I use? Should I be able to adjust the panels to better receive low winter Sun and high summer Sun? How do I figure all of this out? 7.G.B, 8.EE.B, HSG.CO, HSG.SRT, HS.TF, HS.C, MP2
Recycling Mardi Gras beads - Mardi Gras is a last hoorah and is celebrated throughout the world with feasting, partying, and general indulgence. In New Orleans revelers throw and collect purple, green, and gold beads. Students get a chance to examine the monetary and environmental cost of this bead exuberance with our unit pricing and recycling activity. 5.NF, 6.RP, 6.EE, 7.RP
Weather Extremes
- When we published this activity in 2015, there had been torrential rains to Texas after years of severe draught. February was the coldest month ever in much of the midwest and Northeast US. Pakistan and India experienced extreme and deadly heat waves.
Use the open number line and our lists of temperature extremes to make signed number operations and absolute value sensible. Students compare record high and low temps (integers) and use absolute value in order to always find the positive difference. Subtraction of negatives becomes obvious in this lesson. 6.NS.5, 6.NS.6, 6.NS.7, 7.NS.1, 7.SP.3, 7.SP.5
Which car should I buy - Electric or Hybrid? - Students create equations for finding the break-even points of these vehicles by mileage and years of ownership. They then work with systems of equations to find the number of years or number of miles where the cost of these cars are the same. 6.SP, 6.RP, 7.RP, 7.SP, 8.SP, 8.EE.C, HSA, HSS.B, HSN