STEM

CLIMATE CHANGE FOR TEACHERS & STUDENTS

Course No. ED456K, ED556K

This course meets OSPI’s STEM requirements

Climate change poses the single largest, global threat to life on Earth, and yet the United States and our schools lag far behind the international community in educating and acting responsibly to mitigate the causes and effects of a warming planet. This online course for grades K - 12 teachers uses excellent platforms developed by NASA and the EPA to educate about the science of climate change in kid-friendly, interdisciplinary ways. Youthful graphics, games, lesson samples that cut across science, social studies and math, virtual expeditions to places where climate change is visible, CO2 footprint calculators and more make this a rich learning environment from which grades K - 12  teachers will develop their own units and themes—whether that’s oceans, birds, butterflies, fish, trees, fresh water supplies.  Many of your common science units can be modified with a climate change perspective (ie ocean life, plants and animals). There are no written texts for this course.  All reading is online.

We advise you to review and download the course syllabus before registering. Syllabus
  • A reliable knowledge of the science behind climate change and the important role played by CO2 and other greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
  • Knowledge of and the ability to describe the many impacts of climate change and the cycles involved, such as warming oceans, more intense storms, shifting habitat, growing range of invasive species, ocean acidification, loss of coral, stress to trees and plants and wildlife and more.
  • A deeper appreciation for how significant a global threat climate change poses.
  • A working knowledge of the NASA and EPA web sites and how to use the tools they offer in bringing the message of climate change to their K-5 students.
  • A range of options to mitigate the effects of climate change as well as adaptive strategies for a warming planet.

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