Climate Resilience Curricula

With funding from the Environmental Protection Agency, The Washington State Department of Natural Resources' Aquatic Assessment and Monitoring Team (AAMT) developed three curricula (elementary, middle, and high school) that are designed to bridge the goals of bringing local climate science into Washington state classrooms and local internships by highlighting aspects of the Acidification Nearshore Monitoring Network (ANeMoNe, see map below!)  More specifically, the curricula focus on local climate science issues and incorporate elements of scientific monitoring methods and community science to showcase how climate is being addressed in Washington State and how students can get involved in fighting climate change in their own “backyards”.​ Youth learn principles of aquatic ecology, environmental and social impacts driven by climate change, government and social response, and issues of environmental justice.These climate resilience curricula are intended to inspire and engage youth throughout Washington to implement climate change adaptations in their local communities.  

All curricula developed by WADNR Aquatic Assessment and Monitoring Team are accessible through this page.

• NGSS Standards met within all curriculum lessons are listed under each curricula type on this page
• A more detailed curriculm outline is linked through the "blue buttons" under each curricula type
• Basic outlines of each module are provided on this page as reference
• All modules and activities for each curricula type are linked through the "blue buttons" under each section labeled "Access all curricula materials"
  • These "blue button" links will direct you to a folder hosted within WADNR AAMT Box file
  • Within the Box file folder for each curricula, you will find all modules with activities and descriptions included for each
  • Feel free to download each of the files and make edits as you see necessary to fit your classroom or teaching style
• If you have any questions or inquires, please contact Cinde.Donoghue@dnr.wa.gov

4-ESS3-1 Earth and Human Activity – Obtain and combine information to describe that energy and fuels are derived from natural resources and their uses affect the environment 

4-ESS3-2 Earth and Human Activity – Generate and compare multiple solutions to reduce the impacts of natural earth processes on humans 

5-ESS3-1 Earth and Human Activity – Obtain and combine information about ways individual communities use science ideas to protect the Earth’s resources and environment 

ES Module 1- Salmon, Climate Change, and the Skokomish Delta

Lesson 1A: Salmon and the Skokomish River Delta 

Lesson 1B: Human Caused Climate Change 

Lesson 1C: Climate Change and Salmon 

Lesson 1D: Salmon in the Carbon Cycle 

ES Module 2- Salmon and Aquatic Monitoring 

Lesson 2A: Humans Helping Salmon – What can WE do?  

Lesson 2B: Aquatic Monitoring and Salmon 

Lesson 2C: Water Parameters and Biological Data Collection 

Lesson 2D: Community Science 

MS-LS-2- Construct an explanation that predicts patterns of interactions of organisms across multiple ecosystems.

MS-LS2-1- Analyze and interpret data to provide evidence for the effects of resource availability on organisms and populations of organisms in an ecosystem. 

MS-LS2-3- Develop a model to describe the cycling of matter and flow of energy among living and nonliving parts of an ecosystem. 

MS-LS2-4- Construct an argument supported by empirical evidence that changes to physical or biological components of an ecosystem affect populations.  

MS Module 1- Eelgrass Environments and Ecosystem Connections in WA 

Lesson 1A: Eelgrass and Photosynthesis

Lesson 1B: Marine Nearshore and Community Science

Lesson 1C: Species Connections in Eelgrass Communties

MS Module 2- Ocean Acidification  

Lesson 2A: Introduction to Ocean Acidification

Lesson 2B: Acids and Bases

Lesson 2C: Ocean Acidification Impacts

MS Module 3- Community Science and Local Impacts 

Lesson 3A: Cascading Impacts

Lesson 3B: Data Collection and ANeMoNe

Lesson 3C: ANeMoNe and Local Systems

HS-ESS2-2- Analyze geoscience data to make the claim that one change to Earth’s surface can create feedbacks that cause changes to other Earth systems.

HS-ESS2-4- Use a model to describe how variations in the flow of energy into and out of Earth’s systems result in changes in climate.

HS-ESS2-6- Develop a quantitative model to describe the cycling of carbon among the hydrosphere, atmosphere, geosphere, and biosphere.

HS-ESS3-1- Construct an explanation based on evidence for how the availability of natural resources, occurrence of natural hazards, and changes in climate have influenced human activity.

HS-ESS3-3- Create a computational simulation to illustrate the relationships among management of natural resources, the sustainability of human populations, and biodiversity.

HS-ESS3-4- Evaluate or refine a technological solution that reduces impacts of human activities on natural systems.

HS-ESS3-5- Analyze geoscience data and the results from global climate models to make an evidence-based forecast of the current rate of global or regional climate change and associated future impacts to Earth systems.

HS-ESS3-6- Use a computational representation to illustrate the relationships among Earth systems and how those relationships are being modified due to human activity.

HS-LS1-5- Use a model to illustrate how photosynthesis transforms light energy into stored chemical energy.

HS-LS1-7- Use a model to illustrate that cellular respiration is a chemical process whereby the bonds in new compounds are formed resulting in a net transfer of energy.

HS-LS2-2- Use mathematical representations to support and revise explanations based on evidence about factors affecting biodiversity and populations in ecosystems of different scales.

HS-LS2-5- Develop a model to illustrate the role of photosynthesis and cellular respiration in the cycling of carbon among the biosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and geosphere.

HS-LS2-7- Design, evaluate, and refine a solution for reducing the impacts of human activities on the environment and biodiversity.

HS-LS2-8- Evaluate the evidence for the role of group behavior on individual and species’ chances to survive and reproduce.

HS-LS4-6- Create or revise a simulation to test a solution to mitigate adverse impacts of human activity on biodiversity.

HS Module 1- Climate Science

Lesson 1A: Climate, Energy & Weather

Lesson 1B: Drivers and Indicators of Climate Change

Lesson 1C: Washington Communities and Climate Change

HS Module 2- Climate & Aquatic Ecosystems

Lesson 2A: Aquatic Ecosystems

Lesson 2B: Ecology of Ecosystems: The Abiotic Ecosystem

Lesson 2C: Ecology of Ecosystems: The Biotic Ecosystem

Lesson 2D: Ecosystem Services

HS Module 3- Follow the Carbon

Lesson 3A: Global Carbon Cycle and Processes

Lesson 3B: Estuarine Carbon Cycle

HS Module 4- Follow the Oyster

Lesson 4A: The Olympia Oyster

Lesson 4B: Oysters as Larvae

Lesson 4C: Oysters as Juveniles

Lesson 4D: Adult Oysters and Reefs

Lesson 4E: Humans and Oysters

HS Module 5- Systems Resilience

Lesson 5A: Climate Change and Feedback Loops

Lesson 5B: Climate Adaptation and Mitigation Response

This project has been funded wholly or in part by the United States Environmental Protection Agency under assistance agreement PC-01J22301 through the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. The contents of this document do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Environmental Protection Agency or the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, nor does mention of trade names or commercial products constitute endorsement or recommendation for use.​

During the summer of 2022, the Department of Natural Resources' Aquatic Assessment & Monitoring Team (AAMT) and the Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group (HCSEG) partnered to introduce a Climate Resilience Youth Internship Program. This program is intended to expose high school youth to the fundamentals of climate science through hands-on experience with scientific monitoring and field data collection. Through this internship, youth learn how climate effects can be monitored in their local estuary and freshwater streams. They learn principles of environmental science and environmental justice, gain applicable skills, are mentored by scientists and subject matter experts and paid for their work. A task book is provided for documenting skills learned and may be used for building resumes. By encouraging climate literacy and skill development, we hope to continue to equip youth with workforce relevant skills and empower them to engage in climate solution actions in their own communities.

The program was trialed in two separate internships in the summer of 2022- The first was a three week pilot internship composed of eight students ranging in age from 14 to 18 years old who were recruited by the HCSEG through Lower Hood Canal school districts. The second was a five week internship that was conducted within the existing Skokomish Youth Internship Program and included four students aged 13 to 17.