New Jersey Department of Education

Climate Change Education by Grade Band

With the adoption of the 2020 New Jersey Student Learning Standards (NJSLS), New Jersey became the first state in the nation to include climate change across content areas. These standards are designed to prepare students to understand how and why climate change happens, the impact it has on our local and global communities and to act in informed and sustainable ways.

Districts are encouraged to utilize the NJSLS to develop interdisciplinary units focused on climate change that include authentic learning experiences, integrate a range of perspectives and are action oriented. While the 2016 NJSLS-English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics do not have specific climate change standards, districts may want to consider how they can design interdisciplinary climate change units that incorporate relevant ELA and mathematics standards. Likewise, it may be helpful to review the 2020 NJSLS documents to identify other relevant standards that might be incorporated as well as to understand the role of core ideas, performance expectations and practices in curriculum development and lesson planning

Click on the desired grade band below to see the 2020 NJSLS that specifically reference climate change as well as those that might be incorporated in an interdisciplinary climate change unit. Within each grade band, the 2020 NJSLS appear in order of their standard number:

  1. Visual and Performing Arts
  2. Comprehensive Health and Physical Education
  3. Science
  4. Social Studies
  5. World Languages
  6. Computer Science & Design Thinking
  7. Career Readiness, Life Literacies and Key Skills

Page Last Updated: 01/02/2024

Back
to top