Interdisciplinary Instruction for Climate Education (Grades 6-8)
July 8, 2025, 6 – 8 p.m., Zoom
Grade 6-8 educators are invited to learn about incorporating climate change standards into lessons. Participants will learn interdisciplinary planning strategies and pedagogical approaches for integrating climate change education at the middle school level. Participants are encouraged to bring their own lesson plans for the workshop portion of the session. These plans will be examined collaboratively and updated to better infuse climate change standards.
Native Plants for Climate Resilience
July 2, 2025, 6 – 7 p.m., Zoom
Climate Change and other aspects of extreme weather motivated by global heating will cause ecological instability. Human agriculture, planting, and landscaping practices can be further destabilizing, or by working with nature’s strengths, humans can plant for greater stability. Native plants, having evolved in a location and in ecological relationships with other native creatures, can stabilize ecosystems, slow the decline of animal populations, and potentially improve water quality and buffer flooding. In this session, we will review basic climate change and the major environmental assaults on plants and animals caused by climate change. We will study selected New Jersey plants and insects as examples of ecosystem components that average NJ residents can observe and impact in their home or town. We will review some common invasive plants, and participants will have a chance to use what they learned in an exercise to “fix Dr. Duckett’s yard.” Some concepts will be appropriate for teachers of all grades. This session will be presented by Catherine Duckett, Ph.D.
Coaching & Collaboration
June 27, 2025, 11 a.m. – 12 p.m., Zoom
Please join us online for some professional networking. We will provide a brief review of climate change education, a question and answer period, and time to work together in a supportive environment. Teachers may bring lesson plans they need help with. Administrators may bring questions they have about implementation in their schools. We are happy to address any needs brought to this session and provide space for collaboration among schools and districts.
Transforming Relationships for Global Sustainability
June 23, 2025, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m., Zoom
This professional development session will explore issues in sustainability through the lens of transforming relationships between humans and the environment. Practical ideas for sustainability initiatives in schools will be discussed. Workshop time will be provided for participants to plan for sustainability initiatives in their own schools with the support of session facilitators and in collaboration with other participants.
Interdisciplinary Instruction for Climate Education (Grades 9-12)
June 17, 2025, 6 – 8 p.m., Zoom
Grade 9-12 educators are invited to learn about incorporating climate change standards into lessons. Participants will learn interdisciplinary planning strategies and pedagogical approaches for integrating climate change education at the secondary level. Participants are encouraged to bring their own lesson plans for the workshop portion of the session. These plans will be examined collaboratively and updated to better infuse climate change standards.
Introduction to Climate Change
June 12, 2025, 6–7 p.m., Zoom
This is a basic introduction to climate change for any educators wanting to improve their background knowledge. The session will present climate change as simple, serious, and solvable. The science behind the greenhouse effect, some of the more profound and serious climate impacts, and the most important climate solutions will be presented. Participants will have opportunities to ask questions, and some tools for teaching basic greenhouse effect will be discussed. This session may be of particular interest to teachers of subjects other than sciences.