This informational text introduces students to solar energy's role in warming the Earth's land and water and to the fact that dark-colored surfaces absorb more of the Sun's energy than do light-colored ones. Students also read about how the decline in Arctic sea ice is changing Earth's energy balance. This version is a full-color PDF that can be printed, cut and folded to form a book. Each book contains color photographs and illustrations. The text is written at a grade four through grade five reading level.

This informational text introduces students to solar energy's role in warming the Earth's land and water and to the fact that dark-colored surfaces absorb more of the Sun's energy than do light-colored ones. Students also read about how the decline in Arctic sea ice is changing Earth's energy balance. This is a PDF containing the informational text and a glossary. The text is written at a grade four through grade five reading level.

Find factsheets and other information on clean water, commercial logging, urban sprawl, wildlands, and other environmental priorities, as well as review the environmental records of politicians, get involved, and much more.

This lesson has activities where students will learn about buoyancy and explore how hot water rises and cold water sinks. As an extension and real-life application, students will see that glacial run-off is occurring at a rapid pace and the cold glacial water could potentially change ocean currents thus influencing global climates.

This video segment adapted from NOVA/FRONTLINE looks at American energy consumption and the resulting production of greenhouse gases. [4:59]

This article describes the work of Dr. Jason Box, a researcher studying summer melt ponds on Greenland's ice sheets and the response of glaciers to try to explain the changes in climate that are being observed in the polar regions.

This article describes the energy that radiates from the sun, the concept of albedo, Earth's radiation budget, and the effect of decreasing albedo on Earth's climate.

This short video explains how warmer temperatures in the Arctic are transforming the ecosystem and affecting the Athabaskan people, threatening their way of life. [2:59]

This article provides elementary school teachers with background knowledge about science concepts needed to understand the first of seven essential principles of climate literacy--the sun is the primary source of energy for our climate system. Graphs, diagrams, and oneline resources provide more background for the teacher. The article appears in a free online magazine that focuses on the seven essential princples of the climate sciences.

This book explores six strategies for eliminating the gap between consumption and renewable production.

As the Earth's surface temperature gradually rises, it has become vital for us to predict the rate of this increase with as much precision as possible. In order to do that, scientists need to understand more about aerosols and clouds. Jasper Kirkby details an experiment at CERN that aims to do just that. [6:40]

M Jackson explores the ancient methods of growing glaciers and how they can be used to combat climate change.

In this video, James Balog describes how evidence for glaciers receding due to climate change can be seen through time-lapse photography. [19:20] Includes a brief quiz and a list of additional resources to explore.

As globalization and technological advances bring us hurtling towards a new integrated future, Ian Goldin warns that not all people may benefit equally. But, he says, if we can recognize this danger, we might yet realize the possibility of improved life for everyone. Ian Goldin is director of the 21st Century School at Oxford. Through the school's program of research, collaboration and education, he's powering new, cross-disciplinary thinking about global problems from the near and far future. [7:06]

Video talks about the carbon cycle and uses a computer as a metaphor to show how the cycle can be disrupted by climate change. [3:55] Includes a short quiz and a list of additional resources to explore.

This regular column, called Take Action, in the magazine Beyond Weather and the Water Cycle suggests actions K-5 teachers can take to incorporate the guiding principle for informed climate decisions in the classroom. The principle, which appears in the document Climate Literacy, states that humans can take actions to reduce climate change and its impacts.

The Take Action column in the free, online magazine Beyond Weather and the Water Cycle suggests actions young people (K-grade 5) can take to reduce the impacts of climate change. The magazine examines the recognized essential principles of climate literacy and the climate sciences as well as the guiding principle for informed climate decisions.

The Take Action column provides resources that help teachers engage students in activities that connect their science learning to their lives. In this article, students are introduced to household appliances and devices, called energy vampires, that continue to draw electrical current even when turned off. The article offers a few simple activities that students can take to reduce the impact of energy vampires. The Take Action column regularly appears in the free, online magazine Beyond Weather and the Water Cycle, which focuses on the essential principles of climate literacy.

This video segment from FRONTLINE/NOVA: "What's Up with the Weather?" depicts research efforts to record Earth's past and present temperatures shifts. [4:39]

Students use spreadsheets to analyze the reasons why New Orleans has subsided in the past 250 years.