NJ AITC Lessons
Climate Change
New Jersey is the only state in the country to institute climate change education standards for every grade level. To aid teachers in meeting these climate change standards, New Jersey Agriculture in the Classroom has created a special unit of lessons on New Jersey Farming and Climate Change.
Global warming is impacting New Jersey agriculture, which is the state's third largest industry. Temperatures in the Garden State have increased 4°F since the year 1900, twice the rate of the worldwide temperature increase of 2°F. This warming has increased the intensity of storms causing flooding and also has increased periods of drought. Early spring weather is particularly volatile, with temperatures rising and falling dramatically.
NJAITC's climate change unit walks students through the reasons for climate change and the specific impacts on New Jersey crops. It shows students actions New Jersey farmers are taking to adapt to the warming climate and suggests actions students and their schoos and families can take to slow global warming.
Each lesson is linked to the New Jersey Climate Change Education Learning Standards for kindergarten through fifth grad, and can be modified for older and younger students. If you have questions about these lessons, please contact: njagliteracy@gmail.com.
Click on the lesson title to download the lesson.
The Greenhouse Effect
This easy experiment shows students how heat becomes trapped by gases in the atmosphere causing temperatures to warm on Earth.
Ice Melt and Rising Sea Levels Experiment
This simple experiment shows students how melting glaciers and ice sheets on land causes the level of the sea to rise.
Warmer Water and Rising Sea Levels Experiment
This simple experiment shows students how an increase in the temperature of the ocean can cause the level of the ocean to rise.
Climate Change and Plants
This lesson shows students the impact of weather extremes on plants.
New Jersey Farming and Climate Change
Students learn how New Jersey farmers are adapting to the changing climate brought about by global warming.
What Can You Do About Climate Change?
Students learn some actions they can take at home or school to combat global warming.