This Discipline-Specific Sustainability Assignments resource was created to provide quick examples of how sustainability could be integrated into many different types of courses. Each discipline has a few resources linked for more information.
Your existing assignments can likely easily be adjusted by adding sustainability elements to the topic. For inspiration, see the resources under our “What is Sustainability?” section for more information about how sustainability is related to nearly every topic.
To use this file and explore the example assignments, click the arrow next to Discipline/Subject or Assignment header. Search for the topic/type of choice, select all search results, and hit OK. Click on the arrow again and select 'Clear Filter' to search other terms.
Additional Curriculum, Teaching, Programming, and Assessment Resources
| Resource Title | Description |
| A GCSE Proposal Statement on Key Competencies in Sustainability | Guidance on the Accreditation of Sustainability and Sustainability-Related Programs in Higher Education. Global Council for Science and the Environment |
| Sustainability Frameworks | A compendium of sustainability frameworks that can be used in designing class content, brainstorming student activities, shaping campus policy. |
| SISL Website | Sustainability Improves Student Learning (SISL) website with many teaching resources (guidelines for assignments, SLOs, tools to bring sustainability into the classroom). Hosted by Carleton College. |
| The Ponderosa Project: Infusing Sustainability in the Curriculum book chapter | Geoffrey Chase's book chapter from Sustainability on Campus: Stories and Strategies for Change that covers the creation of the Ponderosa Project at Northern Arizona University in the late 1990s into the early 2000s. |
| Key Competencies: Practical Approaches to Teaching Sustainability | This publication is a joint project of the Sustainability Curriculum Consortium (SCC) and the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) and highlights innovative approaches faculty are employing in sustainability education to meet this challenge head on. |
| Basics of Climate Change | The EPA's climate change page. |
| Teaching Sustainability Competencies across the Disciplines A Guide for Instructors | Members of AASHE’s Scaling Up Sustainability Across the Curriculum Community of Practice produced this guide for instructors in our curriculum development workshops and for others who seek to integrate sustainability across the curriculum in higher education. |
| Climate Education in the U.S.: Where It Stands, and Why It Matters | Columbia Climate School's update on the status of climate education. |
| Teaching Climate (NOAA) | Collection of data for teaching about climate change. From NOAA. |
| Toolbox for Teaching Climate and Energy | NOAA's collection of topic ideas related to teaching about climate change. |
| New York State Climate Impacts Assessment: Understanding and Preparing for Our Changing Climate | Perspective of New York State on climate change looking at "how climate change is affecting the communities, ecosystems, infrastructure, and industries of the Empire State." |
| Show Your Stripes | Graphic representations of global temperatures through time. |
| Climate Literacy Resources | Collection of links for resources that support climate literacy. Curated by Strategic Energy Innovations. |
| Climate Change and the US Energy Sector: Regional Vulnerabilities and Resilience Solutions | Information about energy sources and use across the US. |
| Built This Way: Why residential and commercial buildings are key to addressing climate change for New York | Video recording of a webinar about buildings, their energy requirements, and how they can address climate change - specifically looking at NY. |
| Introduction to Energy and Climate Systems Lesson | Instructional notes for a Introduction to Energy Systems and Climate Lesson. Has information about energy sources and use. |
| Climate and Energy Systems Training | Slide deck with notes about energy options and their climate impacts. |
| Decarbonization and Energy Systems course | Notes for a Introducing the Decarbonization Course including information about carbon release from energy systems, and example student activities. |
| Decarbonization - Building Level | Information about the use of energy by buildings. |
| Decarbonization -Community Level | Information about reducing carbon emissions in campuses and communities including student activities. |
| Nursing on the Frontlines of the Climate Crisis: Education for Action | Nursing on the Frontlines of the Climate Crisis Course: Education for Action was developed through a partnership between the Global Consortium on Climate and Health Education (GCCHE); the Global Nurses Working Group (GNWG)/Nursing Climate Resources for Health Education (N-CRHE); the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments (AHNE), the Canadian Association of Nurses for the Environment (CANE), and Climate Action Nurses (CAN) to increase nursing professionals’ knowledge, self-efficacy, and communication skills related to the climate crisis. Although the course is not currently being offered, this website provides information about the course and links to session recordings under "Session Topics" |
| Responding to the Climate Change and Health Crisis: A framework for academic public health | This framework examines climate change and health across four primary domains – Education and Training, Research, Practice, and Policy and Advocacy - to inform the integration of climate and health into academic public health programs. |
| Climate and Health Guidance and Trainings | This suite of materials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers practical trainings in integrating climate and health information to local health decision-making. Also included are spatial story maps that can be integrated into curriculum and foundational readings. |
| Climate for Health Trainings | Climate RX makes available free, self-paced, online training to equip current or future health professionals with the knowledge, hands-on experience, and resources to speak and take action on climate change in communities. Trainings can be individual or as a group. |
| WHO Climate and Health Toolkit | This toolkit from the World Health Organization offers foundational resources for climate and health topics and key publications for learning more. |
| Electrification 101 | An overview of how electrification can reduce emissions, from the feasibility of electrifying different technologies to the policy options for encouraging economy-wide electrification. |
| VIDEO: What is the smart grid? | The basics of the smart grid and how the technology impacts you. |
| VIDEO: What is the duck curve? | A short video with a simple explanation of the the duck curve and how solar can help balance hourly energy loads. |
| The Cost of Climate Pollution | A website that aims to highlight some of the most significant efforts to incorporate the social cost of greenhouse gases (SC-GHG) in policy making across the United States, so that decision makers, advocates, and other stakeholders can better understand this critical tool to advance progress on climate change. The site includes a range of resources and information including a tool to calculate the damages from greenhouse gas emissions. |
| Thinking in Systems: A Primer | Donella Meadows' classic book on systems thinking. Required reading for students embarking on sustainability studies, but also accessible to anyone involved in organizational management as well as interested laypeople. |
| US EIA Energy Explained | This page of the US Energy Information Administration website provides a wide range of information on all things energy. The information and resources linked from this page, including calculators and information on renewable, nonrenewable, and secondary sources of energy, can help guide curriculum planning and/or be a resource for student projects. |
| New York State Climate Impacts Assessment | The New York State Climate Impacts Assessment has a wealth of information on "how climate change is affecting the communities, ecosystems, infrastructure, and industries of the Empire State." The site has information about the assessment, climate and economic projections, fact sheets, a glossary, and figures which can be tied into curriculum or assignments. |
| NYS Climate Change Regulatory Revisions | This page of the NYS DEC provides details on both proposed and adopted regulations around climate change in NYS. Topics include sea-level rise, climate smart communities, different chemicals, and greenhouse gas emissions. |
| 350.org trainings | "350 is a global, people-led movement pushing to end fossil fuels and power up clean, safe and affordable energy for all." This trainings page has a variety of resources that could be integrated into courses, including books and movies. |
| Climate Interactive Simulators | Climate Interactive provide a couple different climate scenario simulators (En-ROADS and C-ROADS) to help build understanding around climate change. |
| Model My Watershed | An interactive map built around watershed data where you can explore various layers, analyze data, and run simulations. |
| National Laboratory of the Rockies | The NLR is the U.S. Department of Energy's primary national laboratory for energy systems. They provide data, maps, models, tools, and software for use in a variety of research areas. They also partner with universities - see their partner with us page for more information. |
| An Instructor’s Guide to Including Traditional Ecological Knowledge in the Undergraduate Biology Classroom | This article can provide guidance in integrating Traditional Ecological Knowledge into the classroom. |
| The Palgrave Handbook of Social Sustainability in Business Education | This book provides a holistic conceptualization of social sustainability, going beyond the topics of diversity, equity, and inclusion, and showcases how the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) emphasizing social sustainability can be integrated into business studies’ curricula in different parts of the world. A unique collection of literature comprising educational principles, content, activities, and cases will guide educators, managers of business study programs, and higher education leaders in developing engaging, high-impact educational experiences that enable students to solve grand societal challenges and grow as ethical, inclusive leaders. |
| NYS Department of Health: Climate Change and Health | NYS Department of Health topics page on climate change and health provides an overview of health impacts of climate change and information about community resilience efforts. |
| American Public Health Association: Climate Change, Health, and Equity | Resources designed to help integrate climate change and health equity into practice at the local level. |
| NYS Department of Environmental Conservation: Air Monitoring Website | Links to air monitoring sites and data across New York State |
| Environmental Public Health Tracking Network | New York's Environmental Public Health Tracking (EPHT) Program focuses on tracking environmental and health patterns and trends. Environmental Public Health Tracking is a national program led by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It is intended to improve access to environmental health information and support research, programs and policies that may help protect our communities. |
| NYC Environment & Health Data Portal | The data portal provides historical and recently updated data on a variety of topics that intersect public health and the environment in New York City |
| NYS Disadvantaged Communities map | As part of the NY Climate Act, the Climate Justice Working Group developed criteria to "identify disadvantaged communities to ensure that frontline and overburdened communities benefit" from the state's work. This criteria was used to create an interactive map. The page also includes the criteria used and fact sheets in multiple languages. |
| United Nations Climate Promise News and Stories | This page of the UN Climate Promise has news stories, blogs, 'explainers', photos, and events on a huge variety of topics related to climate issues. The variety of topics provides options that can be integrated into classes from many disciplines. |
| Drawdown's Neighborhood | Part of Project Drawdown, Neighborhood is a series of short documentaries of climate solutions. Series topics are diverse, making them applicable to a range of disciplines. They are: Women in Climate, Black Climate Heroes, Pride & Problem-Solving, and Creatives and Climate Solutions. |
| Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Removals | This site from the US EPA provides details and data about greenhouse emissions. Links on the page go to global, national, and state data, and more. |
| Agents of Change Essays | Agents of Change is a program through the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University that amplifies "undiscovered voices in environmental health." This page links to essays written by the Fellows around their personal and professional environmental health experiences. Not only acting as examples of scientific writing, these essays can provide students insights into a wide range of topics and voices around sustainability. |
| Biomimicry Institute | The Biomimicry Institute works to find solutions to problems through and with nature. They have a range of research and resources including short courses and a database of biological strategies to "serve as inspiration for human innovation" (click on AskNature). |
| State Climate Policy Maps | This site has information, including a map, about the 24 states (including NY) that have adopted greenhouse gas emissions targets. |
| Climate Change Framework Laws | A database of climate change laws from around the world. |
| Biomimicry Course | This open-source course from Sustainability Leaders Network is an introduction to biomimicry for educators. Parts may also be of use in existing curriculum for students. |
| Climate Policy Resources | This climate resource library is designed for state and local decisionmakers. There is a range of information that students could learn from. |
| New York Climate Change Resources | Climate Change Resources provides news and resources around climate issues for each state. This page is specifically for NY, but other states can easily be navigated to. There are also pages specifically for NYC, Ithaca, Long Island, and Westchester. |
| Climate Opinion Factsheets | This interactive resource from the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication allows users to create state specific factsheets on a variety of climate beliefs, risk perceptions, policy support, behaviors, and responsibility. |
| Climate lecture series | The lecture series from the Center for Climate Action and Sustainability at the Evergreen State College provides a range of example on how instructors can integrate climate topics into their classes. |
| Indigenous Library Knowledge | "Indigenous knowledge offers solutions to some of the world’s most pressing issues, from environmental crises and declining biodiversity, to equity, justice, and holistic health systems." This library from Community Commons links out to various sources and provides focused information on Indigenous knowledge generally, decolonization, and Native Americans and First Nations peoples. |
| Indigenous courses | The Center for World Indigenous Studies provides courses around Indigenous knowledge including Greener Futures and Environmental Justice. |
| Introduction to Biomimicry video | This 35min video from Dr. Jacques Chirazi gives and introduction to biomimicry and the human-nature relationship, including human responsibility to nature. |
| Green Chemistry in Higher Education | From the State of Washington's Department of Ecology, this resource helps "professors and academic departments integrate green chemistry concepts into their curriculum and students understand how green chemistry could apply to their field." |
| The existential toolkit for climate justice educators: How to teach in a burning world | This book features chapters from a range of individuals on integrating emotional wisdom into climate justice education. Certain chapters can be help tie climate justice to classes across the disciplines. ISBN: 9780520397125. Full citation: Atkinson, Jennifer. The existential toolkit for climate justice educators: How to teach in a burning world. Univ of California Press, 2024. |
| Native Land Digital Teacher’s Guide 2025 | This resource helps educators learn more about many things including Indigenous relationships with land and water. |
| Climate Solutions Week - Local Lessons | Short stories and conversations from NPR that focus on a range of climate related solutions. Stories range from 3mins to 25mins. |
| Local Climate Policy Resources | From Run On Climate, this site has resources on a variety of climate related topics. An overview, selected resources, and example policies are linked for each distinct topic. |
| US Climate Resilience Toolkit | Tools and data around a range of climate issues. |
| Communicating Climate Change: A Guide for Educators | An edited book with a broad set of topics designed to "aid educators in formulating program language for their classrooms at all levels." Open Access. Full citation: Armstrong, Anne K., Marianne E. Krasny, and Jonathon P. Schuldt. Communicating climate change: A guide for educators. Comstock Publishing Associates, 2018. |
| Making climate change history : primary sources from global warming's past | "Making Climate Change History is a short, user-friendly collection of primary sources selected from the most important--and often the most overlooked--documents in the scientific and political history of anthropogenic climate change. It provides students, teachers, researchers and interested readers with the raw materials with which to construct a narrative of climate change in the twentieth century. It also provides a framework for developing historians to learn to work with a diverse array of primary sources, including scientific articles." ISBN: 9780295741383 Full citation: Sutter, Paul S. Making climate change history: Documents from global warming's past. Edited by Joshua P. Howe. Seattle, WA: University of Washington Press, 2017. |
| Teaching Climate Change in the Humanities | This book "is divided into four clear sections to help readers integrate climate change into the classes and topics they are already teaching as well as engage with interdisciplinary methods and techniques." Full citation: Siperstein, S., Hall, S., & LeMenager, S. (Eds.). (2016). Teaching Climate Change in the Humanities (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315689135 |
| Reframing the Curriculum: Design for Social Justice and Sustainability | "Reframing the Curriculum is a practical, hands-on guide to weaving the concepts of healthy communities, democratic societies, and social justice into academic disciplines." Full citation: Santone, S. (2018). Reframing the Curriculum: Design for Social Justice and Sustainability (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203728680 |
| InTeGrate | A comprehensive resource hub supporting faculty in integrating sustainability education into their classrooms and campuses. InTeGreate offers access to professional development workshops, webinars, and events focused on integrating sustainability education, as well as standard-aligned curriculum resources such as lesson plans, case studies, and activities covering sustainability topics. |
| USBGC Higher Education Curriculum Toolkit | The toolkit provides higher education faculty curated resources and processes to teach about and engage students in the concepts of sustainability, green building and LEED. The materials are designed to support hands-on learning to address employers’ desire for stronger skills in critical thinking, complex problem solving, written and oral communication, and applied knowledge in real-world settings. |
| The Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness Network (CLEAN) | The Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness Network (CLEAN) Portal is arguably the DEFINITIVE climate and energy education resource. It is led by the science education expertise of the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Science (CIRES) at the University of Colorado Boulder and the Science Education Resource Center (SERC) at Carleton College. CLEAN's primary effort is to steward the collection of climate and energy science educational resources and to support a community of professionals committed to improving climate and energy literacy. |
| Engineering for One Planet Framework | The EOP Framework is a practical, proven tool for integrating sustainability across engineering courses and programs, preparing the next generation to practice engineering that prioritizes people and the planet. |