Resources for Educators
Teaching Climate Change and Cultural Sensitivity
The following resources and materials are intended to aid educators in creating an approachable way to teach the issues of climate change and cultural sensitivity.
Students today face a future that is influenced by global temperature rise and sea-level rise. As time progresses, students will have no choice but live with the effects of climate change while preparing to create solutions for these issues. It is increasingly important to incorporate climate change into K-12 curriculums. However, climate change is a topic that can be overwhelming and confusing to learn and teach.
Climate change exacerbates many struggles already experiences by indigenous people, like loss of land. In Maine, middens are being eroded due to rising tides, taking artifacts and cultural information away with each wave. Middens represent thousands of years of Maine’s cultural history and the coastal heritage of the Wabanaki people.
Below, educators will find links directed to the Maine Tribal websites, resources on Wabanaki history, and educational materials for climate change instruction.
For information on the Wabanaki tribes of Maine, please visit the tribal websites linked above.
Cultural Sensitivity Resources
The Abbe Museum Educator Hub offers resources, programs, and lesson plans on Wabanaki history. This site offers both in-person lessons for a charge, as well as lesson plans that educators may pursue on their own.
National Museum of the American Indian
The National Museum of the American Indian at the Smithsonian provides resources for teaching Native American history outside the context of violence and war through the Native Knowledge360° program. This program aims to challenge common conceptions about Native American history.
Video Resources
Before the Flood — an award-winning documentary film that follows actor and United Nation Messenger of Peace Leonardo DiCaprio across five continents as he examines the effects of climate change. This film is best suited for high school students.
This video from the Island Institute, a Maine based organization that focuses on addressing the needs of Maine’s coastal and island communities, illustrates the effects and possibilities of sea level rise with humor and animation. This video is appropriate for middle school and high school level students.
Climate Resources
ClimateKids from NASA features lessons geared towards elementary school students. Activities, videos, and games are available to tackle the issue of climate change in a way that is accessible for young students.
NASA Jet Propulsion Lab – Sea Level Rise
NASA’s Jep Propulsion Lab offers a lesson plan suited for students in grades 5-12. This lesson consists of a worksheet, educational videos, and graph analysis to aid students in understanding how global temperature rise affects global sea level.
Climate Change in the US Northeast Region – NOAA
This site offers background information specifically on the repercussions of climate change and sea-level rise in the Northeast region of the United States.
Worksheets and Activities
This worksheet is best suited for students in grades 1-5. This worksheet allows for open-ended responses and self-reflection on student’s individual cultures.
This worksheet is best suited for students in grades 4-8. This worksheet consists of a word search and a vocabulary list to teach on climate change, cultural sensitivity, and Maine’s middens.