Guidance in Teaching About Climate and Energy

Climate and energy are complex topics, with rapidly developing science and technology.

These pages offer easy-to-read explanations of science and policy, designed to step students through the key principles of climate and energy. Each page is illustrated with examples to bring these topics alive in your classroom.

  • A summary of each of the climate and energy science principles
  • Ideas to support learners
  • Suggested teaching approaches, selected for various grade levels
  • Relevant resources from the CLEAN collection

Teaching Climate

Walk students through key components of the climate system: the Sun, the atmosphere, life on Earth, human impacts, how scientists study climate, and actions humans can take.

Teaching Climate in Spanish / La Enseñanza de la Ciencia Del Clima

Teaching Energy

Trace the story of energy in our lives, beginning with the physics of energy and how energy flows throughout the earth system. Explore energy's influence on human society, sources of energy, the ways we use energy, how we make decisions about energy, and the impacts of energy use.

Teaching Energy in Spanish / Enseñar temas sobre energía

Guidance in Elementary Teaching About Climate and Energy

These teaching guidance pages offer easy-to-read explanations of issues teachers may encounter or ideas they should consider when designing and implementing elementary climate and energy teaching curriculum.

Culturally Relevant Climate Teaching

This climate course from the Living Landscapes project is a NASA-funded set of climate-science educational resources designed to integrate traditional knowledge (Native science) about the climate with current climate science research. Follow the climate literacy principles (similar to the information in the CLEAN "Teaching Climate" section), framed within traditional ways of knowing.

Check out the Educator Toolbox to find more teaching resources

Explore tools for teaching about climate and energy science, including pedagogical approaches, activities, and instructional ideas:

  • Creating Your Own Climate and Energy Units
  • Earth Systems Investigations
  • NCA Teaching Resources
  • Newsletters
  • Webinars
  • Workshops

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