Does anyone have recommendations for online climate change simulations or games for middle school? Particularly that would work well during these times of remote learning.
Climate Change Educational Simulations Games
The US Forest Service has a map of the eastern US divided into forest ecosystems. You can run several different climate projections to see how forest systems would be more suitable to different climates in the next 100 years: https://www.fs.fed.us/nrs/atlas/. Try the World Climate Simulation too, at https://www.climateinteractive.org/tools/world-climate-simulation/
Check out https://kidsagainstclimatechange.co/start-learning/ . Look at the Games & Activities section, Graphs & Graphics section, as well as the link for a simple computer simulation linking CO2 and heat. There is also an area for kids to rate games, as well as tell other kids what they are learning about climate change. This site is free, has no advertisements, and kids do not have to register to use or comment. I own the site and moderate all comments, and have previewed all of the articles, games, simulations, and videos on the site. You can feel assured that it’s child-friendly and safe for your students. The site is appropriate for children 8-18. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me: kchristieblick@sandiego.edu .
Check out Earth Games' Climate Quest: https://earthgames.org/games/climatequest/
PBS Nova has a really great virtual lab called the Energy Lab. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/labs/about-energy-lab/
"In the Energy Lab, you’ll design a city’s renewable energy system by analyzing the same data as the experts. Just like these energy engineers, you’ll need to weigh the pros and cons of each energy source, assess the availability in that area, and consider the needs of the location."
I use this interactive lab to teach about the amount of energy the growing population will need and what effect that might have on the planet. The lab also emphasizes the effects of burning fossil fuels and the long-term economic and environmental advantages of using renewable energy sources.
Someone just shared this https://libguides.mines.edu/oer/simulationslabs
It's a huge list of online labs for all types of science subjects.
