Using Climate Change to Address the
NGSS in Classroom Teaching: How
TERC can Help
Tamara Shapiro Ledley
TERC and CLEAN
Presentation for the Council of State Science Supervisors
April 8, 2013
 Why use climate change to help
your students reach the bar set
by the Next Generation Science
Standards (NGSS)?
 How can TERC help
How did climate change get
incorporated into the Framework?
 Initial drafts drew heavily on the 4 literacy
documents – climate appears in all of them
 Ocean, Climate, Atmospheric Science, Earth Science
 In Earth Science – Climate is used as the ultimate
example of Earth systems
 During construction – emphasis on what was most
important
 Climate change and anthropogenic forcings on climate
at top of list
 Additional justification from large number of NRC
documents expounding on importance of climate
change
How did climate change get
incorporated into the NGSS?
 In writing the standards large emphasis placed on
 Human-related content
 Incorporating aspects of engineering
 Climate is a great vehicle for both of these
 Once clear that there would be an emphasis on
Earth system science at the high school level
– Climate change perfect capstone topic as it integrates
everything
– In emphasizing an Earth system science approach –
no better choice than climate change
Framework and NGSS
3 Integrated Dimensions
 Science and Engineering Practices
 Crosscutting Concepts
 Core Disciplinary Ideas
– Physical Sciences
– Life Sciences
– Earth & Space Sciences
– Engineering, Technology, and Applications of
Science
Science & Engineering
Practices - S&EP
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Asking questions & defining problems
Developing and using models
Planning and carrying out investigations
Analyzing and interpreting data
Using mathematics and computational thinking
Constructing explanations and designing solutions
Engaging in argument from evidence
Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating
information
Crosscutting Concepts - CC
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Patterns
Cause and effect: Mechanism and explanation
Scale, proportion, and quantity
Systems and system models
Energy and matter: Flows, cycles, and
conservation
 Structure and function
 Stability and Change
Interdisciplinarity & Transferability
 Learning progressions described in Framework –
climate is imbedded from K-12 in all domains of
science – not just specific domains
 S&EP and CC not only cut across all of the Core
Disciplinary Ideas they are also relevant in many
other disciplines – outside the sciences
 The skills students gain by having their curriculum
address the S&EP and CC are transferable to many
other careers
American College & University
Presidents Climate Commitment
http://www.presidentsclimatecommitment.org/
 665 signatories – find out which colleges and
universities in your state have joined http://rs.acupcc.org/
 Preparation of your students to be successful in
college – other students and faculty will be
addressing this issue
 Relevant to students regardless of their
interests and eventual college and professional
careers.
How Can TERC Help?
• Earth Exploration Toolbook
• EarthLabs
• Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness
Network (CLEAN)
http://serc.carleton.edu/eet
• 43 online activities that provide step-by-step
instructions for
– Accessing an online scientific dataset(s)
– Accessing and installing an analysis tool
– Conducting an analysis on some scientific concepts or issue
with that dataset
• Addresses NGSS Science & Engineering Practices and
Crosscutting Concepts
• Won Science Magazine’s Science Prize for Online
Resource in Education (SPORE Award) – Sept 2011
Teachers Guide: http://serc.carleton.edu/earthlabs
Students Portal: http://serc.carleton.edu/eslabs
• Laboratory Modules in Earth science
– Each module has 5-9 labs, ~3 weeks long
– Comprises the laboratory component of a High School capstone
course in Earth and Space science
– Developing a teacher training other teachers modle for
professional development on integrating in the classroom
• Module Topics
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Cryosphere and Climate
Climate and the Carbon Cycle
Weather, Climate and the Biosphere
Earth System Science
- Hurricanes
- Drought
- Corals
- Fisheries
• Addresses NGSS Science and Engineering Practices
and Crosscutting Concepts
National Science Digital Library’s
Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness Network
http://cleanet.org
CLEAN Portal
 CLEAN Collection - Identifying and vetting a
collection of >510 excellent teaching resources on
climate and energy science – Grades 6-16
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Learning Activities
Visualizations
Videos
Short Demonstrations/Experiments
 Teaching Climate and Energy Science Pages
 CLEAN Community
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CLEAN Network (formerly Climate Literacy Network)
Educators & Resource Developers
Partner Networks
http://cleanet.org/
CLEAN Collection
 Resources selected to address
 Climate Literacy: Essential Principles of Climate Science
 Energy Literacy: Essential Principles and Fundamental Concepts for
Energy Education
 Resources reviewed
 Scientific Accuracy
 Pedagogical Effectiveness
 Technical Quality/Ease of Use
 Resources aligned with
 AAAS Project 2061 Benchmarks for Science Literacy
 National Science Education Standards to be replaced with NGSS
 NAAEE Excellence in Environmental Education Guidelines for Learning
http://cleanet.org/clean/educational _resources
CLEAN Teaching Climate &
Energy Science Pages
 Pages are built off of the original climate
literacy and energy literacy frameworks.
 Provide summaries of each principle, possible
challenges for educators, suggested pedagogic
approaches for each grade level
 Points to relevant teaching materials from the
CLEAN collection.
http://cleanet.org/clean/literacy
CLEAN Community
http://cleanet.org/clean/community
• CLEAN Network (formerly Climate Literacy Network)
– Includes individuals that represent a wide range of professionals and
citizens who are stakeholders in improving climate and energy literacy
– Active listserv – climateliteracynetwork@list.terc.edu
– Weekly Teleconferences – Tuesday 1pm ET
• Educators –
– CLEAN Announcements listserv
– Access to CLEAN Network
• Resource Developers
– Information about CLEAN Review Process
– Collection Gap Analysis
– Access to CLEAN Network
• Partners –
– Connection to CLEAN resources through CLEAN Widget, Syndication, and
direct links.
– Access to CLEAN Network
• CLEAN Facebook Page http://www.facebook.org/CLEANET
 CLEAN Portal – http://cleanet.org
 Earth Exploration Toolbook – http://serc.carleton.edu/eet
 EarthLabs –
 Teachers Guide:http://serc.carleton.edu/earthalabs
 Student Portal:http://serc.carleton.edu/eslabs
 Contact: Tamara Ledley
Center for Science Teaching and Learning
TERC, 2067 Massachusetts Ave.
Cambridge, MA 02492
Tamara_Ledley@terc.edu
617-873-9658