Skip to main content
Climate
Search

Main navigation

  • Climate 101
    • What We Know
    • What Can Be Done
    • Climate Primer
  • Explore
    • Explainers
    • Ask MIT Climate
    • Podcast
    • For Educators
  • MIT Action
    • News
    • Events
    • Resources
  • Search
MIT

Main navigation

  • Climate 101
    • What We Know
    • What Can Be Done
    • Climate Primer
  • Explore
    • Explainers
    • Ask MIT Climate
    • Podcast
    • For Educators
  • MIT Action
    • News
    • Events
    • Resources
  • Search
Educator GuideSeptember 8, 2022

Travel and Climate Change Educator Guide

Inside a train station, with red train cars visible on either side of a central platform.

This Guide for Educators was developed by the MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative as an extension of our TILclimate (Today I Learned: Climate) podcast, to make it easier for you to teach climate change, earth science, and energy topics in the classroom. It is an extension of the TILclimate episode "TIL about everyday travel."

Browse all TILclimate guides for educators.

Description

The future of transportation includes multiple modes and ways of thinking about how we get around. Students learn about Complete Streets, tackle urban street design, and design their own transit system for an imaginary city.

SWBAT:
  • Describe different modes of transportation
  • Understand that there are design solutions to make streets safer and more accessible.
  • Explain a case study related to transportation and mobility.
Skills:
  • Reading case studies
  • Interpreting design suggestions
  • Communication
Standards:
  • HS-ETS1-3 Evaluate a solution to a complex real-world problem based on prioritized criteria and trade-offs that account for a range of constraints

  • HS-ETS1-2 Design a solution to a complex real-world problem by breaking it down into smaller, more manageable problems.

  • WHST.9-12.1 Write arguments focused on discipline-specific content

  • SL.11-12.5 Make strategic use of digital media in presentations to enhance understanding of findings, reasoning, and evidence and to add interest.

Disciplinary core ideas:
  • ESS2.D Weather and Climate

  • ESS3.A Natural Resources

  • ESS3.C Human Impacts on Earth Systems

  • ETS1.C Optimizing the Design Solution

     

What is included in this Educator Guide
  1. How to use TILclimate Educator Guides (Download)
     
  2. Full Educator Guide (Download)
    • Includes both Teacher and Student pages
       
  3. Teacher pages (Download)
    • Includes materials, discussion questions, background resources, and adaptation suggestions for science, social science, and ELA teachers
       
  4. Student pages (Download)
    • Case Studies: Mobility and Transport 
    • Design Challenge: Complete Streets
    • Design Challenge: Transit System 
    • Glossary: Transit Modes
Listen to the episode

 

Browse all TILclimate guides for educators

 

by TILclimate Podcast
Topics
Adaptation
Cities & Planning
Transportation
Cars
Public Transportation
Student Skills
Group Project or Jigsaw
Communication
Read & Discuss
Map Reading
Modeling
Case Studies
Design Challenge

Related Educator Guides

America's Big Year of Climate Action Educator Guide

Three major federal bills were signed into law in 2021 and 2022, which together make up the largest investment in addressing climate change in US history. Students explore the differences and interactions of the three laws, investigate local impacts, and design their own climate-related bill.
Get the Guide

Carbon Offsets and Climate Change Educator Guide

Countries, companies and even individuals can pay for carbon offsets to reach “carbon neutral” or “net zero” targets. Students investigate carbon dioxide distribution, what carbon offsets are, the history of the Kyoto Protocol, and how forest health interacts with carbon offset claims.
Get the Guide

Electric Vehicles and Climate Change Educator Guide

Electric vehicles (EVs) hold great promise for a lower-emissions future – but just how much promise? Students investigate the emissions associated with EV use in different parts of the US. Then, they learn about the air pollution impacts of gas and diesel vehicles and design a communication project to reduce exposure at school.
Get the Guide

Adaptation and Climate Change Costs Educator Guide

As discussed in the podcast episode, financial investments are needed to both slow down climate change and prepare for climate impacts. Students investigate projects and data to learn about the opportunities of multisolving to make smart decisions for our future.
Get the Guide

MIT Climate News in Your Inbox

 
 

MIT Groups Log In

Log In

Footer

  • About
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility
  • Contact
MIT Climate Project
MIT
Communicator Award Winner
Communicator Award Winner