Extreme Temperatures
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Provided by: Ten Strands|Published on: July 7, 2025
Lesson PlansScientist 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 Seeds to Solutions Unit from Ten Strands and the San Mateo County Office of Education, students will learn about the increased occurrence of heat waves in California and make a plan to stay safe.
- Students will examine data reflecting temperature changes in California over time, explore climate change and its causes, evaluate the health impacts of extreme heat, develop a heat safety plan for their school, analyze how materials and shade structures impact heat, and create a community action plan for staying safe in the heat.
Subjects: Science, Social Studies
Authors: Seeds to Solutions, Ten Strands
Region: California
Languages: English
Teaching Materials
Positives
- Students have many opportunities throughout this unit to have ownership over their learning and make decisions about the direction it will take.
- This unit pays special attention to the emotional needs of and experiential differences between students.
Prerequisites
- Students may need the term heat wave defined before beginning Lesson 1.
- Many of the action projects in Lesson 7 will require advanced preparation.
Differentiation & Implementation
- In Lesson 3, students are introduced to the Climate Emotions Wheel. For additional translations of this tool and for other related resources, teachers can visit this link.
- During reading time, teachers can make connections to this topic using this e-book.
- Many of the materials in Lessons 3 and 4, such as the checklist and guide to staying cool in California, can be used in students' action projects as reference materials.
- Students can practice informational or persuasive writing by creating pieces about their action project to inform stakeholders and invite volunteers and supporters.
This resource from Ten Strands provides 7 lesson plans that will have students exploring the impacts of extreme heat in California. The lesson plans provide hands-on activities, building models, and creating action plans. The lessons are based on strong scientific foundations, although some data may not include the most recent climate updates. This resource would be a great addition to a classroom discussion about weather and how we can respond to climate change.
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About the Partner Provider
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Ten Strands
Ten Strands is a California–based nonprofit established in 2012. Their mission is to strengthen the partnerships, strategies, and systems that advance environmental literacy, ensuring all California TK–12 students thrive in sustainable, resilient schools and engage in meaningful environmental learning experiences, both in and beyond the classroom. They operate with a small, diverse, and nimble staff and strategic partners throughout the state. Ten Strands utilizes the largest and most diverse institution in California—the public school system—to impact 58 county offices of education, more than 1,000 school districts, approximately 10,000 individual schools, over 300,000 teachers, and 5.8 million children.
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 →
