Introduction
Imagine waking up to find that your favorite local park is permanently flooded, or that your community is experiencing record-breaking heatwaves that force everyone indoors for weeks. Climate change isn’t just happening to polar bears in the Arctic—it is changing the neighborhoods we live in right now.
But here is the good news: global change starts with local action. You aren't just a bystander in this story; you are an environmental consultant. Your community needs a practical, realistic action plan to fight back against climate change, and it is up to your team to design it. Are you ready to make a difference?
Task
Your mission is to work in a team of four to investigate how climate change is affecting your local region and design a Community Climate Action Plan.
Together, you will create a digital presentation (using Google Slides or Canva) and a 1-page "Community Action Infographic" that outlines:
The top environmental threat facing your specific region.
Two realistic, science-backed solutions that regular citizens or your local government can implement right away.
Your team will pitch this plan to a mock "City Council" (your classmates) at the end of this unit.
Process
To complete this task, your team will divide into four specialized roles. Follow these steps:
Step 1: Choose Your Roles
The Climate Scientist: Researches the data. What are the temperature and weather trends in your area?
The Urban Planner: Investigates infrastructure. How do roads, parks, and buildings impact things like heat islands or flooding?
The Economic Advisor: Looks at the cost and resources. What do these solutions cost, and how do they benefit local businesses and citizens?
The Community Organizer: Focuses on the people. How can regular citizens, schools, and neighborhoods get involved?
Step 2: Conduct Your Research
Use the curated internet resources below to gather your data. Do not just look up facts—look for things your community can actually change.
For the Scientist: NASA Global Climate Change & NOAA Climate.gov
For the Planner & Organizer: EPA: What You Can Do About Climate Change
For Local Data: The Climate Explorer Tool (Use this to search for climate projections in your specific county/city)
Step 3: Collaborate and Design
Bring your findings together. Use a shared Google Doc to combine your roles into one unified plan. Design your slides and infographic using free tools like Canva or Google Slides.
Evaluation
Your project will be graded out of 16 total points using the following rubric:
|
Criteria |
Beginning (1 pt) |
Developing (2 pts) |
Proficient (3 pts) |
Exemplary (4 pts) |
|
Research & Data |
Little to no accurate scientific data used. |
Some data used, but not connected to the local community. |
Good use of local climate data and facts. |
Exceptionally detailed data tailored perfectly to the local community. |
|
Action Plan Realism |
Solutions are unrealistic or missing entirely. |
Solutions are generic (e.g., "stop pollution") without clear steps. |
Solutions are practical and realistic for a community to implement. |
Highly innovative, budget-conscious, and deeply realistic action steps. |
|
Presentation & Visuals |
Slides are messy, unorganized, or hard to read. |
Presentation is clear but relies heavily on text walls. |
Visually appealing layout with a clear balance of text and images. |
Professional-grade design, highly engaging, and seamless teamwork. |
|
Collaboration |
One or two people did all the work. |
Group members communicated but roles were unbalanced. |
Every student fulfilled their assigned role successfully. |
Flawless team synergy; roles supported and elevated one another. |
Conclusion
As successfully transitioned from students to community leaders. By completing this WebQuest, you didn't just learn about the greenhouse effect from a textbook you applied real-world data to protect the places and people you care about.
Credits
Built using open-source educational resources from NASA, NOAA, and the EPA.
Teacher Page
Learners: Designed for 8th-10th grade Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) regarding Earth and Human Activity (MS-ESS3-5).
Teacher Note: This WebQuest takes approximately 3–4 class periods to complete. You can modify the "Local Data" resource link if you want students to focus on a pre-selected city rather than their hometown.