Students begin by figuring out that heat waves and periods of extreme heat are occurring more frequently in California. They investigate what extreme heat is, leaving them wondering how extreme heat affects people, communities, and the environment. Through further exploration, they learn that certain groups, like older adults and people without air conditioning, are more vulnerable to extreme heat. Students also explore ways to stay cool, like fans, protective clothing, and hydration.
Students then investigate actions individuals and communities can take to prepare for and stay safe from extreme heat. Students explore solutions communities are already enacting. This includes setting up cooling centers, issuing heat warnings, and providing shade and water for outdoor workers. The unit culminates with students developing an action plan to help their community prepare for extreme heat and help create a cooler environment.
“From my students: ‘Thank you for teaching us this lesson because if you didn’t it would be bad for our environment.’ ‘This was awesome! Can you do more? Thank you!’ ‘Thank you for helping us in taking care of the environment.'”
“Students were curious and continue to be curious. They are more aware of their surroundings than before and continue to point out observations daily.”
“This did a great job of piquing students’ interest and sparking opposing points of view, which created lively discussions on the topic.”
“My students often refer to the experience and knowledge gained. I plan to use Seeds to Solutions lessons in the future.”
“What I find interesting is that students are discussing the material outside of class time. I heard students discussing the ideas before class in the hallways and even during lunch periods.”
“I love how the data was more interactive and chunked into smaller pieces. I also like how there was a way to bring all the knowledge and wondering back to come up with a conclusion to the problem.”
“Students really wanted to share their food traditions and look into how climate change might affect their food traditions.”
“Students really enjoyed the hands-on activity. They were very interested to learn about the different pollutants that they’ve never heard of. It also developed their curiosity about air quality and pollution. It was an eye-opener for some that they are able to see what is mostly ‘unseen’ by everyone.”
“Every lesson was so thoroughly designed, the case study design book was beautifully organized, and it helped to give my class a real-life understanding of how college/graduate-level academic research works. Being able to connect their research back to environmental issues they actually experience was simply icing on the cake. Well done!”
“When you’re out in the workforce, you’re trying to solve problems that don’t have a clear, immediate answer. So doing stuff like this helps give students practice.”
“The kids become more engaged because now they are actually actively doing things. They’re really having to look for themselves. It’s not given to them on a platter, but all the resources are right there.”
“They’ve never thought about stuff like this before, and now they’re sharing it. One girl said this was the only class that she went home and talked to her parents about.”
Douglas Watkins, 3D Science Instruction
Meagan Nelson-Palamara, Curriculum Developer
Angelle Lailhengue, Curriculum Developer
Anita Palmer, GIS Etc
Roger Palmer, GIS Etc
Roni Jones, Ten Strands
Matt Ellinger, Designer
Stacey Lane, Illustrator
Kim Parfitt, Science Educator
Community Resources for Science
Oakland Teachers Advancing Climate Action
Vivienne Adams, Vaughn Next Century Learning
Janet Balenoff, West Contra Costa USD
Chanel Dawson, Los Angeles USD
Cory Day, Laguna Beach USD
Alaka Devi, Fremont USD
Cherene Fillingim-Selk, Berkeley USD
Fenna Gatty, Livermore USD
Maria Gomez, Los Angeles USD
Natalie Gutierrez, Lincoln USD
Misa Horita, Lincoln USD
Cait Jenkins, Berkeley USD
Kristyn Jones, West Contra Costa USD
Lyndon Pepito, Los Angeles USD
Kameryn Sanchez, Oakland USD
Amy Tenaza, Lincoln USD
Karen Yu, Vaughn Next Century Learning
You’ll get news on Seeds to Solutions and environmental literacy from Ten Strands
© 2025 San Mateo County Office of Education and Ten Strands | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy
