Question of Carbon Curriculum (QOC) and Online Teacher Education Course R&D and Implementation

DESCRIPTION: A collaboration among NASA and Columbia University scientists at Goddard Institute for Space Studies, secondary school teachers, media professionals, and partner education experts with Real World Matters is contributing to the GISS Climate Education Advisory Group to develop a set of online problem-based learning materials, data, tools and videos from top climate scientists to help teach students about climate change and solutions. This interdisciplinary curriculum and role-play is called - Hot: One World, One Climate. It places students at the center of one of critically exploring one of today's biggest challenges - climate change - and one of the biggest opportunities - finding energy solutions to reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide and mitigate the impacts of global climate change. Through a blended learning teacher workshop - Climate Change in the Classroom offered at GISS and online - teachers from states across the country receive professional development on Hot and instructional strategies to use these online materials, diverse media resources and analytical tools for teaching students about global climate change.

OUTCOMES: The Climate Change in the Classroom teacher workshop (online and in-person versions) will train 100 secondary teachers from 8-10 U.S. states in using Hot and provide professional development for teaching students about climate change. Teachers will field-test the Hot lessons and/or simulation with 500-1000 students at their schools in formal and/or informal learning setting. The field test will produce various educational plans and models for teachers to use Hot as an instructional resource for addressing new national science education standards dealing with climate change that can be shared on the web site hosting the Hot curriculum and simulation and CCIC professional development webinars for teachers.