Unit Objectives
Ecology and Climate Change

Students explore vocabulary and activities about the interrelation of Ecology, Climate Change, and STEM disciplines.

Peer Editing

Students practice reading and critiquing other students' essays for organization, support, citation, grammar, and vocabulary. 

Note-taking and Organization

In this unit, students practice note-taking strategies for reading long texts or listening to lectures and practice organizing this information into tables or charts. 

Math Vocabulary

Lessons teach trigonometry and calculus vocabulary, from s, and students practice these words in exercises.

Reflection Writing

In many exercises throughout the unit, students practice articulating personal responses to what they've learned. Students craft responses in forms such as short answer, sentence, and paragraph. 

Unit Introduction Reading Listening
9-1 The Ecology of Climate Change

Students watch read and then watch a video introducing climate change and then discuss key concepts regarding the topic.

9-2 Climate Change 101 with Bill Nye

Students watch a lecture by famous science educator Bill Nye to learn more about climate change and are introduced to some ways to help address the problem. Students practice note-taking and expanding upon ideas.

9-3 13 Misconceptions about Climate Change

Students watch a video and conduct further research on misconceptions about climate change. Students present their findings to the class. 

9-1 Climate Change

Students practice reading a text interspersed with charts and graphs. Students complete vocabulary, prediction, skimming and comprehension exercises. 

9-2 The Paris Agreement and 1.5°C

Students read a brief description of the Paris Agreement and then an article on the effects of a 1.5°C increase in global temperature. Students answer True / False and critical thinking questions. 

9-3 Carbon Negative

In this lesson, students learn about the country of Bhutan, which has committed to being carbon negative. Students complete a variety of vocabulary and reading comprehension exercises.

9-1 Climate Change

In this vocabulary-focused lesson, student listen to a lecture on climate change and complete a variety of vocabulary, note-taking and organization exercises.

9-2 Ocean Acidification

Students practice organizing notes into categories while watching a TedTalk on the increasing acidity levels in the world's oceans.

9-3 Costa Rica: Building a Society Without Fossil Fuels

Students learn vocabulary and listen to a lecture about Costa Rica's commitment to eliminating fossil fuels. Afterwards, students answer comprehension questions.

Media & Tech Math Use of English
9-1 The Doomsday Seed Vault

In this lesson, students watch a video about the Svalbard Global Seed Vault. Students practice listening for numbers and then listening for details and main ideas. 

9-2 Big Data Climate Challenge

Students read about an innovative approach to combatting climate change using crowdsourcing and data analysis. Students watch a video and explore a webpage to answer questions. 

9-3 360° Video - Underwater National Park

Students watch a National Geographic 360° Video taken underwater at Buck Island Reef and read an article about the problems reefs are facing and write reflections on what they have learned and experienced.

9-4 Gross National Happiness

After completing Reading 9-3, students read more about Bhutan's prime minister and Gross National Happiness. Students watch the video transcribed in Reading 9-3 and answer discussion questions.

 
9-1 Trigonometry & Calculus: Trig Functions and Limits

A lesson and exercises introducing key vocabulary used in trigonometry and calculus, focusing on sine, cosine, tangent, and limits. 

9-2 Differential and Integral Calculus

Students learn and practice vocabulary and pronunciation for words related to differential calculus, like derivatives and integrals.

9-3 Math Review: Real World Practice

Students watch a presentation about how calculus can be used in ecology. In the exercises, students practice listening for specific words as well as general comprehension and critical thinking questions. 

 

9-1 Careers in Ecology

In this lesson, there are links to descriptions of five popular careers related to ecology. Students research to write compare/contrast paragraphs.

9-2 Colony Collapse Disorder

In this lesson, students are introduced to the topic of colony collapse disorder, a problem affecting the world bee population. Students engage in research to further their knowledge of the topic.

9-3 Presentation

Students research how their specific interest in STEM relates to Ecology and Climate Change and create a 9-10 minute presentation.

Writing
9-1 Academic Writing Skills - Peer Editing

Students select their weakest essay from throughout the course and complete a peer editing exercise with a partner.

9-2 Subject|Verb Agreement

This lesson reviews common problems with agreement, including collective nouns and indefinite pronouns. In the exercises, students practice finding mistakes and choosing correct verb forms. 

9-3 Essay: Ecology & Climate Change

Students right a research essay on nuclear energy, including at least four references. This lesson also focuses on formatting final essays correctly. 

keyboard_arrow_up