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Teaching about Climate Change with Project Based Learning

Teaching about Climate Change with Project Based Learning

The project to end all projects

One way to think about the climate crisis is as the project to end all projects—a massive, collaborative, interdisciplinary endeavor with an authentic, incredibly high-stakes outcome: the future of our planet.

This project requires every single person on Earth to deepen our knowledge and build our skills, and demands that we work together in unprecedented ways.

How can we as educators support the student movement?

We often talk about Project Based Learning as a pedagogy that equips students for the future. However, our youth are fighting right now to ensure that they have a future. Through movements like Sunrise and the Youth Climate Strikes, young people around the world recognize the urgency of the crisis we’re in, and are leading the charge to transform our economic, social, and political systems in time to save the planet.

So how can we help our students adapt to the realities of an already changing climate while also empowering them to stop climate change from getting worse? One way to take action within our own spheres of influence is to design projects that teach core content and skills in the context of authentic climate action.

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Here are 6 project ideas about our changing climate...

Student recycling a bottle

Shrinking Our Footprints

How can we use data to reduce our families’ impact on the environment?

face of a panda bear

Species Survival

How can we protect an endangered species in our area?

People around car on in a flood disaster

Ready for Anything

How can we keep our communities safe in the face of natural hazards?

Adults protesting

Waiting on the World to Change

How can we make change happen in our community?

Person pouring water out of a bottle wearing a rubber glove

There’s What in My Water?!

How safe is my [water, air, soil, food]?

People in protest with signs, one reads 'jobs not jail'

Broken Laws

How can we change the law to make our society better for everyone?

Looking for more inspiration?

Check out our latest blog posts about the climate crisis – including some real-life projects in action...