TRENTON, NJ – When New Jersey teachers aren’t telling children about topics like sexual positions, and alternative lifestyles they’re now asked to teach students about climate change.
In 2020, Governor Phil Murphy made New Jersey the first state to mandate climate change education in public schools. Now, the administration is providing teachers with politically in-line climate change curriculum guides to make sure the message is being delivered to children across the state.
In a landmark move, New Jersey became the first U.S. state in 2020 to weave climate change education into K-12 curriculum across various subjects. This decision acknowledges the urgency of climate literacy, especially as the state faces increasing challenges such as frequent precipitation and damaging floods.
According to the Department of Education, understanding that today’s students are tomorrow’s leaders in combating climate issues, New Jersey aims to equip them with a comprehensive and accurate understanding of their environmental surroundings. The initiative emphasizes the importance of climate literacy, given the accelerated rate at which the planet is experiencing climate changes, ranging from intense heat waves to rising sea levels.
To support educators in this effort, the state has released the “Summary of Climate Change in New Jersey for Teachers.” This document is an educational resource that synthesizes information from the state’s Scientific Report on Climate Change. It serves as a guide for teachers to better understand climate science and to seamlessly integrate it into their lesson plans.
Course guidelines range from helping students calculate the rising temperature of the earth and calculating carbon footprints in mathematics lessons to art classes that ask students to paint pictures depicting the negative effects of climate change.
In literature classes, students are asked to write about the worst impacts of climate change on their local community, evaluate personal choices that affect climate change and to brainstorm ideas to help stop climate change.
Health classes will focus on helping students cope with climate anxiety and air quality justice.