When New Jersey became the first state in the nation to require all its public schools to adopt climate change education into its curriculum, the MEC had already incorporated this topic into our program offerings.
For more information or to schedule a program, please call 201-390-5583.
Wind & Water: Building For The Elements (Grades 2-3)
In this elementary STEM program, young engineers will be exposed to the forces of nature resulting from weather. Hands-on models will be used to demonstrate how wind and water can impact human structures and change the land. Students will then investigate ways to resist weather effects. Using natural materials and testing criteria, can students build a wind-resistant tower AND float their boats? A fun, open-ended exploration!
NGSS: 2-ESS2-1; K-2-ETS1-1
In TOO Deep (Grades: 3-5)
Beyond simply recognizing the reality of climate change, In Too Deep helps students identify ways this reality might affect them, their families, and the communities they live in. After using historic weather data to identify several climate types, students will investigate how potential changes in future weather resulting from climate change will impact locations differently based on local topography.
NGSS & NJSLA-S: 3-ESS2-1, 3-ESS2-2, 3-ESS3-1
Sustainable Design (Grades 4-6)
This program addresses the concepts of sustainable materials and water conservation, and why they’re important in our communities. Students will also investigate alternative energy and renewable resources by touring our LEED certified science building. The students will then be challenged to demonstrate their knowledge by selecting materials and constructing a 3-D model of their own “green” home.
NGSS & NJSLA-S: 3-5-ETS1-1, 3-5-ETS1-2, 3-5-ETS1-3, 5-ESS3-1
Climate Change Conundrum (Grades 6-8)
After reviewing the evidence of climate change distilled from the National Climate Assessment, students will consider their own contribution to global warming by conducting a brief carbon footprint survey. This, along with a simple climate-modeling tool, will transition to a debate-style discussion of potential solutions to climate change with concerns of various interest groups being considered.
NGSS & NJSLA-S: MS-ESS3-5, MD-ESS3.D
Eco-Engineers (Grades 7-8)
This program on sustainable building challenges middle school students to contend with some of the complex questions that confront (and confound!) real-world professionals. Which building materials are best for the environment? Can we afford these materials based on our budget? Utilizing resources and our LEED platinum certified building as an example, students will answer these questions and more while designing a model home, the culminating project for the program.
NGSS & NJSLA-S: MS-ESS3-3, MS-ETS1-2, MS-ETS1-4
POWER TRIP: Exploring Renewable Energy (Grades: 9-12)
Take a real-world look at sustainability in the human environment using our science building as a working model of green design principles. Hands-on activities will have students gathering data to analyze the factors that affect photovoltaic performance. Students will also experiment with wind turbine models in a challenge to engineer the best blades.
NGSS & NJSLA-S: HS-PS3-3
Estimating Local Carbon Capture (Grades: 9-12)
Students will appreciate the potential role of trees in atmospheric CO2 capture and perform an outdoor field survey of trees. With three pieces of information, students will calculate estimated carbon capture in local specimens. Conditions permitting, we may also hike additional park trails or discuss other carbon capture strategies. OPTIONAL: To expedite field data collection, we can provide background info in advance and recommend smartphone apps for download prior to the session.
NGSS & NJSLA-S: HS-ESS3-4 ; HS-ETS1-1 ; HS-ETS1-3