This lesson introduces the importance of bees to humans, our food supply, and how children can create a healthy habitat for bees. 

Step 1 - Inquire: Students generate ideas in response to the question "Why are bees important to us?" Then students watch a video of the book Bee and Me by author Alison Jay.

Step 2 - Investigate: Students create captions for the book Bee and Me to demonstrate the importance of bees. 

Step 3 - Inspire: Students develop a plan for how they will help bees in New Jersey.

This lesson introduces students to the benefits of an aquaponics system, especially in areas where clean soil and water are scarce. 

Step 1 - Inquire: Students answer questions about what plants need to grow and make predictions about what an aquaponics system is.

Step 2 - Investigate: Students learn about aquaponics systems by watching videos and having a discussion.

Step 3 - Inspire: Students set up their aquaponics system in the classroom and create journals for recording predictions and observations.

This lesson introduces the idea of soil as an ecosystem and as a carbon sink.

Step 1 - Inquire: Students view a timelapse video that demonstrates the difference between soils with and without invertebrate decomposers.

Step 2 - Investigate: Students learn about the concept of soil as a carbon sink and examine soil samples to learn how to define soil.

Step 3 - Inspire: Students draw and record their findings, demonstrating understanding of soil as an ecosystem and create a model of their soil artistically using found materials in the classroom.

This lesson introduces the effects of climate change on the life cycle of the monarch butterfly in North America.

Step 1 - Inquire: Students learn the Butterfly Rhyme and act it out with visuals.

Step 2 - Investigate: Students play a card game to learn about the life cycle of the monarch butterfly and the effects of climate change on this insect.

In this lesson, students learn how climate change affects the habitat of monarch butterflies.

Step 1 - Inquire: Students view and discuss artwork that depicts habitats.

Step 2 - Investigate: Students learn about the elements of a habitat and how climate change affects the monarch butterfly’s habitat.

In this lesson, students explore clean energy resources.

Step 1 - Inquire: Students play the National Environmental Education Foundation’s Generations Game to explore natural resources. 

Step 2 - Investigate: Students read Sven's Search for Clean Energy, a picture book about the adventures of Sven and Earthly as they learn about fossil fuels and clean energy.

Step 3 - Inspire: Students connect renewable and nonrenewable energy resources to modes of transportation and create a deck of cards to illustrate what they learned about clean energy.

In this lesson, students explore maps and school transportation around the world.

Step 1 - Inquire: Students read an article and view pictures that show unique ways children travel to school.

Step 2 - Investigate: Students play a MapGo Matching Game to review countries around the world and modes of transportation.

In this lesson, students explore the engineering design process, transportation types, and energy use.

Step 1 - Inquire: Students play the digital game Ari's Wonderful Ideas.

Step 2 - Investigate: Students explore the steps of the engineering design process.

Step 3 - Inspire: Students use the engineering design process to design and build a transportation vehicle.

In this lesson, students explore the intersection of music and climate change and create their own original rap songs.

Step 1 - Inquire: Students share fun facts about hip-hop, learn about hip-hop as a cultural and social movement, and view examples of hip-hop intersecting with environmental concepts.

Step 2 - Investigate: Students research a climate change topic and create a class rubric for evaluating student-created raps.

Step 3 - Inspire: Students create and share an original rap about a climate change topic as a means to express their feelings and emotions through music.

• ClimateScience's Earthly Books (virtual books)
• Earth's Energy Resources Series (virtual books)
• What's Up in the Atmosphere, Exploring Colors in the Sky (PDF)