TOP PICKS | 19 TOOLS
Climate Change Resources for Students and Teachers
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California Academy of Sciences
Expert research and diverse, rich lessons inspire future scientists
Bottom line: A perfect companion to (or substitute for) the Academy, this site delivers highly interactive resources and research with a lot of depth.
Grades: K–12
Price: Free, Paid Some of the educational kits and virtual programs have a cost for classrooms.
Journey North
Long-standing citizen science site continues to inspire learners
Bottom line: Extensive resources can help kids collect, share, and analyze evidence about seasonal change.
Grades: 1–8
Price: Free
Earth Rangers
Kid conservationist's paradise with great images, vids, animals galore
Bottom line: Great ecology lesson plans and videos are rich with engrossing animal goodies, but the accompanying games don't teach much science.
Grades: 2–8
Price: Free
National Geographic Education
Top geography resource site provides global exploration opportunities
Bottom line: This is a must-bookmark site for classrooms across the curriculum hunting for inspiring geography-based resources.
Grades: Pre-K–12
Price: Free
Climate Kids
Kid-friendly, expert site explores key climate issues
Bottom line: A great launching point for engaging in accurate and timely climate change information.
Grades: 3–6
Price: Free
Google Earth VR
Explore the world with an incredible new perspective and sense of scale
Bottom line: An amazing experience that brings the world to life, despite the heavy investment in VR required.
Grades: 3–12
Price: Free Requires a virtual reality headset.
Tuva Labs
Large collection of curated data sets brings statistics to life
Bottom line: An easy to use interface provides students, and teachers, with access to lots of data and lots of things to do with it
Grades: 4–12
Price: Free, Paid Tuva Basic is free, with access to 15 datasets and five dataset uploads with basic student accounts. Tuva Premium is $400 per teacher per year or $4,000 per school per year (custom rates available) and provides access to the entire content library.
ARKive
Captivating catalog of biodiversity with great classroom resources
Bottom line: Powerful images and videos capture kids' attention and make them want to learn more.
Grades: 6–10
Price: Free
JASON
Excellent immersion in science community; digital tools could do more
Bottom line: Despite a few shortcomings, it's a gem among science sites because of the way it brings professional science into classrooms.
Grades: 6–10
Price: Paid Prices range up to $12,000 for a school of 1500. Printed textbooks, science kits, and teacher training are also available for purchase.
BiomeViewer
World habitat app full of intriguing visual comparisons, useful data
Bottom line: This biome reference app helps students get local when understanding their planet Earth.
Grades: 6–12
Price: Free
Earth-Now
Enticing display of climate data updated regularly
Bottom line: There's a lot of potential in this visually stimulating resource tool, but teachers will need to do some serious legwork to make the data meaningful.
Grades: 6–12
Price: Free
EarthViewer
Earth's deep geologic history and real science data at your fingertips
Bottom line: An unbeatable Earth Science app for its data, scope, and potential for learning.
Grades: 6–12
Price: Free
Enercities
Environmentally-minded city sim models sustainable building
Bottom line: It carves out a useful niche in a popular genre, showing how city planning, technological development, economics, and quality of life intersect with sustainability.
Grades: 6–12
Price: Free
KQED Education
Great news and classroom resources support both teachers and students
Bottom line: With some organizational adjustments, the site could be an exceptional place for both kids and teachers to find educational inspiration.
Grades: 6–12
Price: Free
NASA Global Climate Change - Vital Signs of the Planet
Tons of climate change info from expert sources in one easy place
Bottom line: This is a one-stop shop for climate change info, from basic intro content to practical guides and raw data; good for middle schoolers and up.
Grades: 6–12
Price: Free Free
NOVA Labs
Online science, mastered: exceptional content within meaningful tasks
Bottom line: Serious, sophisticated science engagement -- but be prepared to take some prep time to connect these labs with your classroom.
Grades: 6–12
Price: Free
BioInteractive
High-quality multimedia brings biological research to life
Bottom line: Superb multimedia tools and lesson plans help kids explore biology through real-world examples.
Grades: 9–12
Price: Free
Global Oneness Project
Dynamic multimedia resources explore life experiences around the world
Bottom line: Unique approach to incorporating global issues into the curriculum; monthly stories capture interdisciplinary topics.
Grades: 9–12
Price: Free, Paid Lesson plans and stories are free. Individual films, screening packages, and educational film toolkits are available to purchase.
Fate of the World: Tipping Point
Complex global-influence game in which players’ choices rule the world
Bottom line: Complex multi-issue game succeeds in teaching world politics and global development while building perspective and decision-making skills.
Grades: 10–12
Price: $18.99
