Students analyze climate data, greenhouse gases, and real-world claims using evidence-based reasoning.
This digital science lesson introduces students to the carbon–oxygen cycle and connects it directly to human impact and climate change. Students build understanding through interactive notes, data analysis, and evidence-based evaluation of climate claims.
Rather than treating climate change as a list of facts, this lesson emphasizes how changes to the carbon–oxygen cycle affect Earth systems and how scientific evidence is used to evaluate real-world statements.
Students begin by constructing interactive notes on the carbon–oxygen cycle by placing missing components into visual models. This establishes a foundation for understanding how carbon and oxygen move through living and nonliving systems.
Students then:
• examine how burning fossil fuels alters the carbon–oxygen cycle
• watch a short video distinguishing weather from climate
• explore greenhouse gases using a linked scientific resource
• analyze a set of climate-related claims
• evaluate each claim using evidence
• justify decisions using structured reasoning
Students use a linked NASA climate resource to support or refute claims, strengthening their ability to work with scientific information.
Optional higher-level resources are included for teachers who want to increase rigor or differentiate instruction.
• Carbon–oxygen cycle
• Photosynthesis and respiration
• Fossil fuels and carbon release
• Greenhouse gases
• Weather vs. climate
• Evaluating scientific claims
• Evidence-based reasoning
• Connects ecology to real-world issues
• Builds climate literacy without oversimplifying
• Integrates data, reading, and reasoning
• Encourages scientific argumentation
• Differentiation options included
• Works for guided instruction or independent learning
• Minimal prep required
This resource is a digital interactive lesson (Google Slides compatible) with built-in student tasks.
Includes:
✔ Student lesson slides
✔ Teacher key
✔ Exit ticket
✔ Differentiated resource links
• Middle school science
• High school biology or Earth science
• Ecology or biogeochemical cycles units
• Climate change instruction
• CER practice
• Interdisciplinary science/ELA lessons
Daily slide + literacy - based exit ticket included with purchase
MS-ESS3-5: Ask questions to clarify evidence of the factors that have caused the rise in global temperatures over the past century.
MS-ESS3-3: Apply scientific principles to design a method for monitoring and minimizing human impact on the environment.
MS-ESS3-4: Construct an argument supported by evidence for how increases in human population and per-capita consumption of natural resources impact Earth’s systems.
Science & Engineering Practices: Analyzing and interpreting data; Engaging in argument from evidence.
Crosscutting Concepts: Cause and effect; Stability and change.
HS-ESS3-5: Analyze geoscience data and the results from global climate models to make an evidence-based forecast of the current rate of global or regional climate change and associated future impacts to Earth’s systems.
HS-ESS3-6: Use a computational representation to illustrate the relationships among Earth systems and how human activity is significantly altering those systems.
HS-ESS3-1: Construct an explanation based on evidence for how the availability of natural resources, natural hazards, and changes in climate have influenced human activity.
Science & Engineering Practices: Analyzing data; Constructing explanations; Using computational thinking.
Crosscutting Concepts: Stability and change; Systems and system models.
Common Core Alignment
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.6-8.1 / RST.9-10.1: Cite specific evidence to support analysis of scientific data or text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.6-8.7 / RST.9-10.7: Integrate data from graphs, models, and text (connection: temperature change data or CO₂ trends).
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.1 / WHST.9-10.1: Write arguments supported by evidence about human impact on climate.
Students analyze climate data, greenhouse gases, and real-world claims using evidence-based reasoning.
This digital science lesson introduces students to the carbon–oxygen cycle and connects it directly to human impact and climate change. Students build understanding through interactive notes, data analysis, and evidence-based evaluation of climate claims.
Rather than treating climate change as a list of facts, this lesson emphasizes how changes to the carbon–oxygen cycle affect Earth systems and how scientific evidence is used to evaluate real-world statements.
Students begin by constructing interactive notes on the carbon–oxygen cycle by placing missing components into visual models. This establishes a foundation for understanding how carbon and oxygen move through living and nonliving systems.
Students then:
• examine how burning fossil fuels alters the carbon–oxygen cycle
• watch a short video distinguishing weather from climate
• explore greenhouse gases using a linked scientific resource
• analyze a set of climate-related claims
• evaluate each claim using evidence
• justify decisions using structured reasoning
Students use a linked NASA climate resource to support or refute claims, strengthening their ability to work with scientific information.
Optional higher-level resources are included for teachers who want to increase rigor or differentiate instruction.
• Carbon–oxygen cycle
• Photosynthesis and respiration
• Fossil fuels and carbon release
• Greenhouse gases
• Weather vs. climate
• Evaluating scientific claims
• Evidence-based reasoning
• Connects ecology to real-world issues
• Builds climate literacy without oversimplifying
• Integrates data, reading, and reasoning
• Encourages scientific argumentation
• Differentiation options included
• Works for guided instruction or independent learning
• Minimal prep required
This resource is a digital interactive lesson (Google Slides compatible) with built-in student tasks.
Includes:
✔ Student lesson slides
✔ Teacher key
✔ Exit ticket
✔ Differentiated resource links
• Middle school science
• High school biology or Earth science
• Ecology or biogeochemical cycles units
• Climate change instruction
• CER practice
• Interdisciplinary science/ELA lessons
Daily slide + literacy - based exit ticket included with purchase
MS-ESS3-5: Ask questions to clarify evidence of the factors that have caused the rise in global temperatures over the past century.
MS-ESS3-3: Apply scientific principles to design a method for monitoring and minimizing human impact on the environment.
MS-ESS3-4: Construct an argument supported by evidence for how increases in human population and per-capita consumption of natural resources impact Earth’s systems.
Science & Engineering Practices: Analyzing and interpreting data; Engaging in argument from evidence.
Crosscutting Concepts: Cause and effect; Stability and change.
HS-ESS3-5: Analyze geoscience data and the results from global climate models to make an evidence-based forecast of the current rate of global or regional climate change and associated future impacts to Earth’s systems.
HS-ESS3-6: Use a computational representation to illustrate the relationships among Earth systems and how human activity is significantly altering those systems.
HS-ESS3-1: Construct an explanation based on evidence for how the availability of natural resources, natural hazards, and changes in climate have influenced human activity.
Science & Engineering Practices: Analyzing data; Constructing explanations; Using computational thinking.
Crosscutting Concepts: Stability and change; Systems and system models.
Common Core Alignment
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.6-8.1 / RST.9-10.1: Cite specific evidence to support analysis of scientific data or text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.6-8.7 / RST.9-10.7: Integrate data from graphs, models, and text (connection: temperature change data or CO₂ trends).
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.1 / WHST.9-10.1: Write arguments supported by evidence about human impact on climate.
