Curriculum
With the recent passage and signing of AB285, the SCCOE continues its commitment to providing resources and support through our current initiatives to our districts and the community. For example, climate science and climate change topics, with an emphasis on Environmental Principles and Concepts (EP&Cs), that are embedded within state-approved curricula and frameworks are a focus on districts with their curriculum implementation and course alignment plans. Other district support includes the development and implementation of sustainability plans that integrate a comprehensive scope and sequence of environmental literacy and climate change education. We are at the forefront of this work through our offerings of Communities of Practice (CoPs) toolkits, websites, grant partnerships, community-based organization partnerships, and a partnership with the Santa Clara County Office of Sustainability, which all support climate education work throughout the county.
We have recently updated this page to provide more resources for teaching about climate change and we will continue to update this site as we find high-quality lessons and resources.
NEW!! AB285 Toolkit:
Below is a wealth of resources to support you with embedding Environmental Literacy into your instruction and daily actions. The resources were intentionally selected to provide you will the knowledge, skills, and tools to plan meaningful instruction and activities for your students.
These toolkits have been developed to support educators and students with various climate and environmental education events that may be helpful in teaching about climate change, Earth Week, sustainability, and other environmental education topics. Also, check out the resources below to find more lessons and guidance on teaching these important topics.
Curriculum that integrates Environmental and Sustainability Education or ESE that includes systems thinking and sustainable lens building, Knowledge to Action Solutionary Project Based Learning (PBL), college & career pathways, and integrated outdoor learning.
Integrating Environmental Literacy can be done along a continuum that ranges from enhancing to empowering (or mild - medium - spicy) - see image below. This continuum has no right or wrong entry point, and it often depends on a number of variables including subject area, school culture, grading policies, instructional materials, etc.
A resource that teachers can use to get started with this continuum is the California Environmental Literacy Initiative (CAELI) County Office of Education (COE) Innovation Hub Teacher Call to Action and Guide.
Climate and energy are complex topics, with rapidly developing science and technology.
These pages offer easy-to-read explanations of science and policy, designed to step students through the key principles of climate and energy. Each page is illustrated with examples to bring these topics alive in your classroom.
A summary of each of the climate and energy literacy principles
Ideas to support learners
Suggested teaching approaches, selected for various grade levels
Relevant resources from the CLEAN collection
Climate Change Education
We increase educator access to quality professional learning opportunities and resources through a community of practice and deep partnerships with national climate change education leaders.
Elementary Lessons/Units
In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the National Marine Sanctuary System, the best of the best educational materials for an elementary school audience have been compiled in collaboration with the National Park Trust. Discover Spectacular with these education and outreach digital materials focused on 10 exciting topics!
