I teach many classes of all levels including biology, chemistry, physical chemistry, and anatomy in an arts focused public high school. Our school, district, and state are making efforts to increase the inclusion of climate education in all schools as a way to educate our students about the facts and implications of climate change. Half of the courses I teach are biological science while the other half are physical science but I believe that this unit can be used as a bridge between both areas.
Students learn best when they can relate the topic at hand to something they are intimately familiar with. The human body is a good model to demonstrate some of the impacts of climate change on the individual. Furthermore, many physical science topics can be addressed by highlighting their link to human health and disease. In a physical science class, the climate change material being presented can bolster any chemistry or earth science curriculum, while impacts on the individual and the local populations can be used to emphasize their importance.