This unit, designed to span three weeks of instruction in AP Environmental Science, is a comprehensive overview of climate change, its impacts, and potential solutions. It covers the basics of climate change, including what it is, why it is happening, and how we know it is happening. Students learn about the multi-scale impacts of climate change, learning first about an overview of global scale impacts, then zooming into national and regional level impacts, and spending significant time learning about the local impacts on the state of Delaware. Students also learn about mitigation strategies for avoiding the worst impacts of climate change and adaptation strategies for preparing for those impacts we cannot avoid. Classroom activities include an analysis of historical temperature and precipitation data for the state of Delaware, mapping the impacts of climate change, and reading text excerpts from personal and fictional accounts of climate change and its impacts. This unit satisfies AP-ES standards STB-4.E, STB-4.F, and AP-ES STB-1.

(Developed for AP Environmental Science, grades 11-12, and Environmental Science Issues, grades 10-11; recommended for Environmental Science Issues, grades 10-11, and Integrated Earth Science, grades 11-12)