En-ROADS Climate Solutions Lab

9th-12th Grades

• The climate solutions simulator is an elaborate tool that might seem overwhelming at first. This activity walks students through the principal parts of the simulator so students can make the most of the rich data and understand the complexities of the results.
• Teachers can review Climate Interactive’s User Guide to become familiar with the simulator and any updates to the program before working with students to complete the activity:
• Students work individually or in pairs to follow the steps in this Student Document.
• Teachers guide students through each step using the visual aids in this slideshow and the information in the speaker notes.
• The goal of this activity is for students to learn to manipulate the “sliders” on the simulator and understand how to find and use the data provided in the different graphs. Once they feel confident using the simulator, students make predictions about the impact of actions, then test and reflect on the results.
• Teachers can provide students with this resource to understand the equity impacts of climate change and climate change solutions.
• This activity can be used after a science or social studies lesson on a climate impact, such as ocean acidification or climate migration, in order to find solutions that would have the greatest positive impact on these challenges.

This resource is featured in the SubjectToClimate science lesson

En-ROADS Climate Change Solutions. Visit SubjectToClimate.org for more

FREE teaching resources.

• Students experiencing climate anxiety may find that the practical, real-world solutions in this activity inspire hope. Students can use the SEL reflection questions on the Student Document as journaling prompts to help them process their feelings.
• This activity can be used in a World Languages class or bilingual school since the climate simulator can be changed to multiple languages.
• Students can brainstorm climate priorities as a class, then the teacher can ask students to find the action that has the most positive impact on this priority. Examples of priorities include air pollution, biodiversity loss, and heat waves.
• As a class, students can discuss which solutions they think would be the easiest to implement, and which would be the most difficult. Students can also reflect on the climate solutions that would be the most and least equitable, and why.
• In pairs, students can become “experts” on one of the sliders in the climate solutions simulator. Each of the sliders corresponds to a sector, action, or policy that impacts climate change. Students can research their slider topic and make a poster explaining the benefits and drawbacks of the climate solution represented by their slider. Students can share their findings in a gallery walk.
• Students can use the reflection questions at the end of the activity to write a one-page description of their experience using the computer simulator.
• Teachers who would like their students to create a complete climate solutions scenario to equitably address climate change should consider teaching the lesson linked below.

Introduction to En-ROADS

En-ROADS Video (2.26 min)

What is the purpose of the En-ROADS Simulator?

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Where does the data used by the simulator come from?

It’s your turn!

Follow along on your Student Document

Step One: The Climate Solutions

This resource provides an explanation of the climate solution represented by each slider on the control panel of the simulator.

Read each explanation out loud and discuss any questions in your group.

Bring any questions that can’t be answered back to the class.

Step Two: Exploring the En-ROADS Control Panel

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Open the simulator and follow the prompts on your Student Document

to explore the three main displays on the En-ROADS Control Panel.

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Step Three: How to find more data

Change the default graphs by clicking directly on the title of the graph.

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The CO₂ Emissions and Removal Graph

To reduce global temperatures, should the red line on this graph go up or down? Why?

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Should the blue line go up or down? Why?

The Impacts Menu

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The Impacts Menu

Scroll through the various Impacts and select a few graphs that interest you.

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Remember, after you select the graph from the Impacts Menu, you can read a description of each graph by clicking on the arrow to the left of its title.

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Jot down one interesting thing you learned on your Student Document.

Step Four: Putting it all together

Predict and Check:

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• Choose one slider/climate solution.
• Predict what impact moving that slider will have on the three displays on the control panel.
• Predict what impact moving that slider will have on one of the graphs from the Impacts Menu.
• Check your predictions by moving the slider and interpreting the graphs.
• Practice moving a few more sliders, then write your answers to the questions on the Reflect section of your Student Document.

Reflect

• Which slider that you selected had the greatest impact?

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• Which sliders had a more immediate impact?

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• Did the slider actions match your predicted results?

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• What are you curious about?

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• How did it feel to watch the impact of the sliders on the graphs?

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• Are you excited about any of the solutions? Which of the solutions do you think offers the best hope?

Share your journey with us!

@subjecttoclimate

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