Hello CIRES,

As the new school year approaches, we hope your summer break was both relaxing and refreshing! With many schools either back in session or preparing to start, we’re excited to share some of our most popular CLEAN resources to help you start the year confidently. We’re just as excited as you are for the opportunities ahead and look forward to making this school year amazing together!

Back-to-School Focused Lesson Plans

• Climate Literacy Quiz & Energy Literacy Quiz
• Activity: The Stink Test: Validating Resources
• Activity: Wind Map
• Module: Eyes on the Hydrosphere: Tracking Water Resources

Climate Literacy Quiz & Energy Literacy Quiz

Climate Literacy Quiz

This 20-question quiz will test your climate literacy with clear, plain-language explanations behind the answers to each question. Each explanation includes links to references and teaching materials, so you can learn as you go. A Spanish version of the quiz is also available!

Energy Literacy Quiz

Test your energy awareness with this 10-question quiz! Each answer includes links to references and datasets for deeper exploration. A Spanish version of the quiz is also available, and it has been reviewed by expert scientists.

CLEAN Resource Feature: Activity

The Stink Test: Validating Resources

Audience: Middle School, High School, and Lower College Level

This learning activity provides a systematic and objective framework to enable students to develop skills to recognize whether a source of information is scientifically valid or not.

It also addresses NGSS Science and Engineering Practice standards ("engaging in an argument from evidence"; and "obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information").

This learning activity takes one 45 min class period.

CLEAN Resource Feature: Visualization

Wind Map

Audience: Middle and High School

This animated map shows prevailing surface wind direction and strength across the lower 48 states of the US.

In this activity, consider assigning students to certain cities to focus on and identify the wind patterns. This visualization could also be incorporated into a discussion of where wind power might be most effectively implemented in the US.

Module: Eyes on the Hydrosphere: Tracking Water Resources

Module: Eyes on the Hydrosphere: Tracking Water Resources

This module introduces students to the basics of the hydrologic cycle in a way that engages them with both societal challenges related to water and methods for measuring the water system. In the final exercise, students can investigate water resources in a region of interest to them.

This learning activity is a two to three week module and will take a varying amount of class periods.

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