Climate Change in the American Mind: Spring 2025
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Provided by: Yale Program on Climate Change Communication|Published on: September 12, 2025
Scientific ReportsScientist Reviewed
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Scientist Reviewed This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Synopsis
- In this report from Yale Program on Climate Change Communication, students will analyze the results of a survey conducted to understand how adults think and feel about climate change and its impacts.
- Students will view graphs, data tables, and summaries to understand the opinions of the 1,040 survey participants living in the United States about the beliefs, perceived risks of, and personal responses to climate change.
Subjects: Geography
Authors: Anthony Leiserowitz, Edward Maibach, Seth Rosenthal, John Kotcher, Emily Goddard, Jennifer Carman, Marija Verner, Teresa Myers, Joshua Ettinger, Julia Fine, Emily Richards, Matthew Goldberg and Jennifer Marlon
Region: United States
Languages: English
Teaching Materials
Positives
- By having the data visualizations, a written summary of the conclusions, and the data tables, students can have a better, more complete understanding of the survey results.
- Though the text as a whole is quite long, the written portions are easy for students to understand and are organized in easily digestible parts.
Prerequisites
- Students should understand climate change, what causes it, and how it impacts the Earth’s systems.
Differentiation & Implementation
- Classes with limited time can read the executive summary of the study’s findings.
- Teachers can highlight the part of the report that focuses on the feelings Americans have about climate change. Teachers can ask students to identify their own emotions about climate change, using this resource to identify and process their emotions.
- Teachers can display a selection of the report's graphs and charts around the room. Students can visit these in stations, writing down what they notice and questions they have.
- To make geographical connections, teachers can have students consider how a person’s location can influence their answers to these questions. Teachers can highlight the portion of Americans who have considered relocating to avoid climate change impacts as an example.
- This resource can be connected to Sustainable Development Goal 13, Climate Action.
This survey details Americans’ opinions on climate change and shows how they have changed since 2008. The survey is rigorously designed with a large, nationally representative sample. All results are presented in clear figures, and complete methods and data tables are available in the appendix. This resource is recommended for teaching.
Teaching Tips
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About the Partner Provider
Yale Program on Climate Change Communication
The Yale Program on Climate Change Communication conducts scientific research on public opinion and behavior. They also engage the public in climate change science and solutions, in partnerships with governments, media, companies, and civil society.
Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
Learn about our review process →
