Teaching Climate Change To High School Students

Teaching Climate Change To High School Students

Explore this Guide

Teaching Climate Change To High School Students

Welcome to our Teaching Climate Change guide for high school teachers and students. In this guide, you will find a variety of climate change resources, including high-quality lesson plans, interactive games, vetted videos, and engaging reading resources for high school climate literacy. From learning about the basics of climate science to exploring mitigation strategies and sustainability, this guide is tailored to making global warming education accessible to every classroom.ย 

Lesson Plans

Whether you're starting with climate science basics or you looking to teach through interactive group projects, you can build background knowledge, enhance community building, and encourage youth climate action with these interactive climate change lesson plans.

Science Lesson: En-ROADS Climate Change Solutions

Science Lesson: En-ROADS Climate Change Solutions

In this lesson, students explore the effectiveness, co-benefits, and equity of climate solutions and create a climate action simulation to limit global warming to 1.5ยฐC using Climate Interactiveโ€™s En-ROADS simulator.

More Lesson Plans

Introduction to Earth's Climate
Comprehension Lesson: Listening Skills
Computer Science Lesson: Gaming and Climate Change

Games & Activities

These engaging hands-on games and activities give students a way to learn about climate change through exploration and fun.

The Climate Game

The Climate Game

In this game, students will examine solutions to the climate crisis, enact global policies based on environmental benefit and political capital, and attempt to keep global warming below the Paris Agreement benchmark.

The Climate Game

More Games & Activities

Climate Change: Have an Effect with 1,000 Small Actions
Carbon Crush
Climate Action Toolkits

Videos & Books

These climate-themed videos and reading resources allow young people to explore climate change topics on their own or can be used as part of a bigger lesson or project on the effects of climate change and human activities.

Extreme Weather and the Climate Crisis: What You Need to Know

Extreme Weather and the Climate Crisis: What You Need to Know

This e-book explains the relationship between emissions, global warming, climate change, and extreme weather events such as hurricanes, floods, drought, wildfires, extreme heat, and extreme cold.

Extreme Weather and the Climate Crisis: What You Need to Know

More Videos & Books Resources

NASA's Earth Minute: Usual Suspects
Youth Perspectives on Climate Change
CFR Education: What Is Climate Change?

Professional Development

Need a little extra guidance when tackling environmental teaching topics? Check out SubjectToClimate's Professional Development courses that have everything you need to know and are completely free. From a basic understanding of climate to writing detailed climate change lesson plans, these courses will help you bring climate science into every classroom. For more professional learning opportunities, check out our Professional Development page on SubjectToClimate.org.

Climate Change Explained
Climate Change Teaching Tips
Developing Climate Change Lessons

Teacher Guides

Regardless of the subject you teach, it's possible to incorporate climate change education into any curriculum! Explore our other guides for Math and ELA, packed with plenty of math and English resources that include climate change activities, lessons, and more!

Free ELA Lesson Plans for Grades 9-12

Free ELA Lesson Plans for Grades 9-12

Our high school English Language Arts guide features engaging activities, literature, and interactive tools aimed at refining literacy skills and promoting environmental awareness.ย 

Free Math Resources for Teachers 9-12

Free Math Resources for Teachers 9-12

Check out our high school Math guide featuring a wide array of educational resources from problem-solving STEM activities to free climate change impact lessons.

Next Steps

This collection of resources encourages high school educators to implement global warming education into daily lessons through a variety of media. With an emphasis on understanding and navigating the global and cultural impacts of climate change, this guide will encourage learners and teachers alike to deepen their climate knowledge. Explore our website for additional climate change resources, whether you're looking for in-depth materials or introductory content.

๐Ÿ“š ELA 9-12

๐Ÿงฎ Math 9-12

๐Ÿ“– Back to School 9-12

๐ŸŒŽ Earth Day 9-12


All resources can be used for your educational purposes with proper attribution to the content provider.