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Lesson Plans & Activities

Peer-reviewed, classroom-ready NGSS-aligned lesson plans, activities, data puzzles, virtual field trips, and design challenges covering environmental hazards, climate change, mental health, Earth systems, community resilience, and more.  

Lesson Plans & Activities

Three children sitting on a wooden log meditating with a green forest in the background
Mindfulness Practices & Guided Meditation

This activity is one of seven activities in the Climate Mental Health Support Activities.

 In this lesson, students will participate in some practices designed to help them start to pay attention to their breathing and pay attention to the present moment. These practices can help students practice self-care and emotional regulation. When used regularly, mindfulness can help students build emotional regulation skills and build a community of compassion and respect.
Lesson
Elementary School
Middle School
High School
University/College
CLEAN logo, Logo with the words "CLIMATE MENTAL HEALTH" in an arch. "CLIMATE" is in blue, "MENTAL" in red, and "HEALTH" in green. In the center, a person sits on top of a globe holding a green sign with a red heart. On the left, another person holds a protest sign that reads "There is no planet B." On the right, a person sits cross-legged reading a book. Another small figure holds a megaphone
a photo of a man riding a bicycle on the road with green trees in the background
Connecting with Special Places in Nature

This activity is one of seven activities in the Climate Mental Health Support Activities.

 In this lesson, students will take time to connect to a place that is special to them.
Lesson
Elementary School
Middle School
High School
University/College
Out-of-school/Non-formal
CLEAN logo, Logo with the words "CLIMATE MENTAL HEALTH" in an arch. "CLIMATE" is in blue, "MENTAL" in red, and "HEALTH" in green. In the center, a person sits on top of a globe holding a green sign with a red heart. On the left, another person holds a protest sign that reads "There is no planet B." On the right, a person sits cross-legged reading a book. Another small figure holds a megaphone
Two girls standing side by side holding a sign that reads "The seas are rising but so are we!"
Visioning Possibility

This activity is a standalone exercise that is part of one of seven activities from the Climate Mental Health Support Activities. 

 In this lesson, students will find inspiration from innovative solutions, envisioning a hopeful future and their role in it.
Lesson
Elementary School
Middle School
High School
University/College
Out-of-school/Non-formal
CLEAN logo, Logo with the words "CLIMATE MENTAL HEALTH" in an arch. "CLIMATE" is in blue, "MENTAL" in red, and "HEALTH" in green. In the center, a person sits on top of a globe holding a green sign with a red heart. On the left, another person holds a protest sign that reads "There is no planet B." On the right, a person sits cross-legged reading a book. Another small figure holds a megaphone
Ground of people gardening
Climate Solutions

This activity is a standalone exercise that is part of one of seven activities from the Climate Mental Health Support Activities. 

 In this lesson, students will participate in a short scavenger hunt to familiarize themselves with climate change mitigation strategies and solutions for decreasing heat-trapping emissions.
Lesson
Elementary School
Middle School
High School
University/College
Out-of-school/Non-formal
CLEAN logo, Logo with the words "CLIMATE MENTAL HEALTH" in an arch. "CLIMATE" is in blue, "MENTAL" in red, and "HEALTH" in green. In the center, a person sits on top of a globe holding a green sign with a red heart. On the left, another person holds a protest sign that reads "There is no planet B." On the right, a person sits cross-legged reading a book. Another small figure holds a megaphone
Talk About Climate Change Today Graphic from CLEAN Resource "Have the Talk: Climate Conversations"
Nature Appreciation

This activity is one of seven activities in the Climate Mental Health Support Activities.

 In this lesson, students will play, explore, appreciate, and practice perspective-taking in nature. All of these actions help positively connect youth to nature, and instill an ethic of care for the environment.
Lesson
Elementary School
Middle School
High School
University/College
Out-of-school/Non-formal
CLEAN logo, Logo with the words "CLIMATE MENTAL HEALTH" in an arch. "CLIMATE" is in blue, "MENTAL" in red, and "HEALTH" in green. In the center, a person sits on top of a globe holding a green sign with a red heart. On the left, another person holds a protest sign that reads "There is no planet B." On the right, a person sits cross-legged reading a book. Another small figure holds a megaphone
climate emotions wheel
The Emotions Wheel

This activity is a stand-alone exercise part of seven activities from the Climate Mental Health Support Activities. 

 Emotion wheels have been a visual tool used by psychologists for decades to help people better understand and interpret their feelings. This activity is for people of all ages and can be done with family members, in a classroom, with friends, work colleagues, etc.
Lesson
Elementary School
Middle School
High School
University/College
Out-of-school/Non-formal
CLEAN logo, Logo with the words "CLIMATE MENTAL HEALTH" in an arch. "CLIMATE" is in blue, "MENTAL" in red, and "HEALTH" in green. In the center, a person sits on top of a globe holding a green sign with a red heart. On the left, another person holds a protest sign that reads "There is no planet B." On the right, a person sits cross-legged reading a book. Another small figure holds a megaphone
Cartoon graphic of a camera with the text "Stop Motion Animation Workshop"
Stop Motion Animation

Learn how to create a short (<1 minute) stop-motion animation of a story!

 This short sequence of tutorials is designed to be completed in two sessions. Each part is about 1.5 – 2 hours long. You may want to leave time between sessions for students to make their pieces. Depending on how intricate their story is, they may need more time for cutting out shapes, making “characters,” etc.
Lesson
STEAM Activity
Action Project
Elementary School
Middle School
High School
University/College
Out-of-school/Non-formal
We are Water with birds and a sun: connecting communities
Compass
Creating a Compass from a Magnet

Project EXTREMES lessons were intended to stand alone, but this lesson can be included in a unit on the Earth’s interior.

 In this lesson, students create a compass and apply their reasoning about magnetism to how compasses work to help us navigate around the globe while utilizing the Earth’s magnetic field. 
Lesson
STEAM Activity
Elementary School
Middle School
Extremes
Dark cloud at top of image raining down onto shadowed lands with yellow sunlit sky in the middle
Precipitation Patterns Around the Globe

Project EXTREMES lessons were written to be stand alone lessons but can be incorporated into a larger unit.

 Students apply their knowledge of the water cycle to investigate how annual precipitation patterns are related to geography and biology. 
Lesson
Elementary School
Middle School
Extremes
Soil erosion shows roots of trees by side of road, trees are gray and so is the ground
Soil Percolation: Where Does the Rain Go?

Project EXTREMES lessons were written to be stand alone lessons but can be incorporated into a larger unit.

 This lesson activity has students conduct an experiment that reinforces one component of the water cycle.
Lesson
STEAM Activity
Elementary School
Extremes
Illustration of two people high-fiving in a work environment

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