This list of carefully selected books for grades K-5 highlights nonfiction about climate proxies, those preserved physical characteristics, such as fossils, that scientists use to reconstruct past climates. Also highlighted are a few books that provide information about two past climatic events -- the last ice age and the Dust Bowl. In each issue of the free, online magazine Beyond Weather and the Water Cycle, the virtual bookshelf recommends books that accurately portray the theme drawn from the principles of climate sciences.

This article discusses the role of effort and praise in student motivation and achievement.

This issue of the free online magazine, Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears, explores the Sun's role in warming Earth, the albedo (reflectivity) of Earth's diverse surfaces, and how the decline of Arctic sea ice is affecting Earth's energy balance. Science lessons introduce the concepts of solar energy, reflection, and absorption to elementary students. The issue also includes an overview of the natural resources and energy sources found in the polar regions as well as lessons that allow students to develop the concepts of natural resources, energy sources, and energy efficiency.

This article assembles free resources from the Energy and the Polar Environment issue of the Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears cyberzine into a unit outline based on the 5E learning cycle framework. Outlines are provided for Grades K-2 and 3-5.

This article highlights children's literature about light, heat, and energy sources for use in the elementary classroom.

We are obligated to provide enrichment opportunities and to appropriately challenge and engage these students. How do we find and monitor science enrichment activities for those students simultaneous to providing additional intervention and assistance to students who have yet to master the current concepts?

This article provide a list of learning objectives and excerpts from the K-8 content standards of the National Science Education Standards that are associated with Principle 1 of the Seven Essential Principles of the Climate Sciences. Also provided are explanations of some common misconceptions on light, heat, and the seasons, plustools for formative assessment and ideas for teaching these scientific concepts. The article appears in the free, online magazine Beyond Weather and the Water Cycle, which focuses on one of the Seven Essential Principles in each issue.

This article aligns the concepts of Essential Principle 2 of the Climate Sciences to the K-5 content standards of the National Science Education Standards. The author also identifies common misconceptions about heat and the greenhouse gases effect and offers resources for assessing students' understanding of interactions among components of the Earth system. This article continues the examination of the climate sciences and climate literacy on which the online magazine Beyond Weather and the Water Cycle is structured.

In this article, the author identifies science content standards for grades K-5 from the national standards that are aligned with the third essential principle of the climate sciences--life on Earth depends on, is shaped by, and affects climate. In addition she reviews misconceptions commonly held by children about adaptations and natural selection. The free, online magazine Beyond Weather and the Water Cycle is structured around the seven essential principles of the climate sciences and explores a different principle each issue.

Each issue of the free, online magazine Beyond Weather and the Water Cycle explores an essential principle of climate science and climate literacy with background information, lessons, activities, original stories, and more for the K-5 classroom. This article shows the alignment of these materials with the content standards of the National Science Education Standards.

This article explores the alignment of the sixth essential principle of the climate sciences to national science education standards and its connections to the K-5 curriculum. The article also identifies some common misconceptions young students have about weather and climate. The free online magazine Beyond Weather and the Water Cycle focuses on the topics that are appropriate for young learners and introduce them to climate literacy concepts.

This article identifies age-appropriate national science education content standards and curriculum connections for introducing complex concepts contained in Principle 7 of the Essential Principles of Climate Sciences. The principle describes consequences of climate changes on Earth systems and human lives. The content standards will help teachers determine appropriate topics for their students. A number of resources from the online magazine Beyond Weather and the Water Cycle are highlighted for their connection to the science curriculum in the early grades. In addition, the article identifies common misconceptions about weather and the water cycle often held by students.

This article provides an overview of orienteering and geocaching as well as suggestions for incorporating these activities into elementary classrooms

This article discusses the many lichens found in the Arctic and Antarctica and their unique characteristics.

This activity is designed to be used with the Feature Story, A Whale of an Ocean, and students in grades 2-3. After reading the text, students work in pairs to match questions and answers posted around the classroom. The PDF document includes questions and answers, directions, and an answer key.

This activity is designed to be used with the Feature Story, A Whale of an Ocean, and students in grades 4-5. After reading the text, students work in pairs to match questions and answers posted around the classroom. The PDF document includes questions and answers, directions, and an answer key.

This informational text discusses the unique property of ice - that it floats in liquid water. The text is written at a grade two through three This version is a full-color PDF that can be printed, cut and folded to form a book. Each book contains color photographs and illustrations.

This informational text discusses the unique property of ice - that it floats in liquid water. Students focus on real-world examples and how ice is necessary for life in the polar regions. The text is written at a grade two through grade three reading level. This is a PDF containing the informational text and a glossary.

This informational text discusses the unique property of ice - that it floats in liquid water. Students focus on real-world examples and how ice is necessary for life in the polar regions. The text is written at a kindergarten through grade one reading level. This version is a full-color PDF that can be printed, cut and folded to form a book. Each book contains color photographs and illustrations.

This informational text discusses the unique property of ice - that it floats in liquid water. Students focus on real-world examples and how ice is necessary for life in the polar regions. The text is written at a kindergarten through grade one reading level. This is a PDF containing the informational text and a glossary.