Climate change refers to long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns. These shifts may be natural, but since the 1800s, human activities have been the main driver of climate change, primarily due to the burning of fossil fuels (like coal, oil, and gas) which produces heat-trapping gasses. (United Nations Definition)
IEEE is committed to being a part of a larger global solution for climate change in alignment with many of the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals, such as clean water and sanitation, affordable and clean energy, climate action, and life below water.
IEEE recognizes this global crisis and is committed to helping combat and mitigate the effects of climate change through pragmatic and accessible technical solutions and providing engineers and technologists with a neutral space for discussion and action. You can learn more about IEEE’s dedication to help fight climate change here.
TryEngineering is dedicated to empowering educators to foster the next generation of technology innovators and engineers through STEM education. The following is a comprehensive list of resources offered through TryEngineering with themes in climate change such as pollution reduction, renewable sources of energy, and ecology.
Lessons
IEEE Try Engineering’s database of lesson plans helps educators teach engineering concepts to students, aged 4 to 18. All lesson plans are peer reviewed by teachers. The following lessons have themes that can help students understand how engineering can make a difference in various areas of climate change.
- A Century of Plastics
- Classroom Paper Recycling
- Here Comes the Sun
- Irrigation Ideas
- Measuring the Wind
- Oil Spill Solutions
- Pipeline Challenge
- Planting with Precision
- Pollution Patrol
- Recycling Sorter
- Salamander Crossing
- Solar Power
- Solar Structures
- Working with Watermills
- Working with Wind Energy
Volunteer Portal Programs
The IEEE Volunteer STEM Portal serves as a resource for all things related to pre-university STEM programs and activities. The following programs provided by IEEE Volunteers are designed around themes of climate change while helping to make a difference in the lives of pre-university students, teachers, and communities.
- Fertigation SULAM Program for Special Education Students
- Harvesting Ocean Thermal Energy & Build Your Own Seawater Fuel Cell
- IEEE Ecuador STEM Camps
- IEEE Epoxy Solar Camp
- Short Video on Pollution with School Students
- STEM Workshop and Community Engagement in Kampung Bali Village, Tronoh, Perak Malaysia
- Sustainable Technology and Renewable Energy for Adaptive Management of Disasters (STREAM-D)
TryEngineering Tuesday Student Guides
TryEngineering Tuesday is a monthly blog & webinar series featuring an IEEE technical society with related activities for pre-university students. The following editions have themes related to climate change.
Articles
The following TryEngineering Articles feature various themes related to climate change while offering engineering solutions, inspiring stories, or ways to celebrate.
- Four High School Students Win ‘Throwing Solar Shade’ Contest
- Free Software Helps Students Understand the Molecules Behind Climate Change
- Girls Build Renewable Devices to Help Their Communities in Africa
- Here’s How to Reduce Pollution
- It’s America Recycles Day
- It’s National Environmental Education Week!
- It’s Time to Celebrate Earth Science Week!
- It’s Time to Celebrate World Environment Day!
- It’s Time to Celebrate World Water Day!
- It’s Time to Mobilize for Earth Day!
- It’s Time to Save our Ecosystems!
- Join World Oceans Day
- Let’s Celebrate Water!
- Pollution Prevention Week 2023
- The Time is Now to Save Our Planet: Earth Day 2023 (How Engineering Can Make a Difference)
- Uniting for a Cleaner Tomorrow: World Clean Up Day 2023
- Want to Clean Up Our Planet? Take the Plastic-Free July Challenge!
- What is the Right Way to Recycle?
- What Would a Day be Like Without Water?
- World Environment Day 2023
- World Ocean Day 2023
Fields/Career
TryEngineering provides career pathways to help prospective students understand various fields of engineering. The following pathways have information and resources that can help students get started in an engineering career that can help be a part of change for our planet.
- Environmental Engineering
- Ocean Engineering
- Power and Nuclear Engineering
- Want to be an Environmental Engineer?
Links to Games
TryEngineering provides links to STEM-themed games and activities for pre-university students. The following games provide opportunities for students to explore themes related to climate change.
- Crystal Cave
- Disaster Detector
- Don’t Flood the Fidgits
- Fidgit Power (Wind Turbines)
- Sortify: Natural Resources
- Sustainable Shaun
Additionally, the following TryEngineering Lesson Plans can be considered as extension activities to help students make connections between engineering and climate change. Students will be challenged to think critically and extend the foundations of the lesson in a deeper way that can help them understand just how important many aspects of engineering can be in an effort to be a part of a bigger solution for our planet.
- 3D Printing by Hand (reduces carbon emission)
- LEDs and Resistors (LEDs and energy saving)
- Make a Lightbulb with Batteries (energy saving)
- Making Sense of Sensors (climate action uses humidity sensor)
- Shake it up with Seismographs! (measures waves resulting from natural disasters)
- Shipping for Survival (packaging and environment-friendly materials)
- Temperature Tactics (weather monitoring and forecasting)