Our Curriculum

Designed by one of our high school science depts., this flexible tool was designed first to communicate basic climate science taught in high school. 3 broad areas: 1. What is climate science & what should every student know? 2. Climate effects – what is climate change doing right now? 3. What can we do? What does effective action look like & where is it happening?

This flexible 6-part unit explores current climate impacts, future trajectories for climate change, the relative costs of action vs. inaction. Incl. 5-part jigsaw: natural disasters, ag, health care, real estate, climate migration; intro to RCPs; cost of inaction; social cost of carbon.

Renewable energy is already cost-effective in many parts of the world, and battery storage is key to making renewables reliable at any time of day. Students will practice graphing skills with real-world data to make predictions. They will explore the origins, inner-workings and cost of solar, wind, and storage as well as electricity pricing.

Renewable energy made up 92% of new electrical generation capacity worldwide in 2024. (Yale 360). Four interconnected lessons share a unit slide deck, and teach the science of electricity alongside historic realities. In doing so, students will realize that choices made in the early 1900s are still very much alive and with us today. Feat: basics of the grid, your electric bill, externalities, energy economics.

Like the others, costs for wind power have fallen enormously – in this case, there’s a simple and interesting factor involved that fits perfectly with teaching either graphing or geometric area. Namely, taller wind turbines can access stronger wind, and most importantly, much more of it. The formula A= pi(R^2) is the key.

These lessons address “Westward Expansion” & environmental justice (EJ). The EJ portion of the lesson can be situated at any point in a Hist/SS curriculum. The lessons ask students to think about the “Land Back” movement in the context of EJ & climate change. The lessons are assessed by two Socratic Seminars: the history in ‘the West’ and current issues.

Explore the UN Sustainable Development Goals through inquiry & reflection to define 21st-century global citizenship. Analyzing connections between SDGs & local issues, plan actions to promote sustainability and equity, & use UN resources for research & classroom activities. Ideal for integration into world-language courses.

Students research climate & sustainability terms of their choice, translate formal definitions into student-friendly language, & create a visual presentation. They explain social, environmental, & economic impacts, cite sources, & share via brief peer-reviewed presentations.