NASA's+Climate+Kids

__Curriculum Review of NASA’s “Climate Kids”: __ Kelley Fischbach, March 4, 2014


 * What organization developed the curriculum module you are evaluating?

 This curriculum module was developed by the Earth Science Communications Team at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory at the California Institute of Technology ([]).


 *  What is the mission of the organization?

 While the mission of “Climate Kids” is not transparent on the website, NASA’s mission is “to reach for new heights and reveal the unknown so that what we do and learn will benefit all humankind” ([|http://www.nasa.gov/about/index.html#.UxN32PldVLM]) and the mission statement of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory is “to work with educators – both classroom teachers and informal educators – to provide tools, resources and ideas for teaching Earth science, space science, mathematics and robotics” ([]).


 *  What is the educational mission and philosophy of the organization?

The educational mission and philosophy of NASA’s Climate Kids is to bring “the exciting science of climate change and sustainability to life” ([]).


 *  What does the curriculum module aim to teach? In other words: what are the learning outcomes supposed to be?

 The curriculum is intended for upper elementary students. It aims to teach how “global change affects our planet over time,” how animals cope with climate change, and how students can help the planet ([]).


 *  Do you think the curriculum is appropriated designed to produce the intended learning outcomes?

 Yes, I strongly believe that this curriculum is expertly designed to produce the intended learning outcomes. There are many videos on the site to introduce students to the different aspects of climate change, and they are complemented with games, hands-on activities, and worksheets.


 *  Does this curriculum teach the kind of literacies the EcoEd Research Group advocates?

 This curriculum covers most of our EcoEd literacy goals. In particular, it does a great job covering “green” careers, and links to interviews with real professionals in the environmental field. The curriculum also demonstrates how there is a global impact on individuals’ actions and empowers students to better understand the causes and effects of climate change and how they can work to reduce their impact on climate change.

 This curriculum is excellent, overall. However, it could incorporate some more material about the health effects of climate change and on governmental regulations that impact climate change.
 *  What could be layered into this curriculum so that it addresses more of the learning outcomes that the EcoEd Group advocates?