Climate Action: Policy
Lesson Plans
Grades9, 10, 11, 12Civics
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Provided by OER Project
What it is
- In this module from OER Project: Climate, students will understand how governments can use policy to support technologies and practices that can reduce climate change.
- Students will research climate policies, evaluate policies based on scalability, cost, impact, and feasibility, and write letters to policymakers to advocate for climate policy.
Teaching tips
Positives
- The inclusion of a writing rubric for the policy letter activity is helpful for both students and teachers!
- The policy research project allows students to focus on a policy that interests or resonates with them.
Prerequisites
- Students should have a general idea of how the government functions, especially the implementation of governmental policy.
- Students should understand climate change and its causes.
Differentiation & Implementation
- English language arts teachers can use this module to introduce or expand on a letter-writing or persuasive writing unit.
- Civics classes can trace the life of a policy, tracking how it goes from being proposed to being implemented.
- Teachers may want to pair students up for the research portion of this module. Teachers may also want to walk students through using the included databases to find relevant information.
- To connect this module to the Sustainable Development Goals, teachers can have students identify which goals are supported by the climate policies they study. Teachers can encourage students to find more than one connection. If students are unfamiliar with the SDGs, teachers can use this curriculum guide to find resources to introduce them.
From the scientist review
This resource presents a nuanced view of how government policy can be an effective tool to address climate change. Numerous external sources are linked, from governments, news, and the IEA. Vocabulary is clearly defined, and the focus is on impactful interventions and new technology. This resource is recommended for teaching.
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