RISE Guidebook:
Getting Started
Table of Contents
What's in this page?
Hi Eco-Leaders, welcome to your Guidebook!
Congratulations on doing your part to help solve the climate crisis! We are thrilled to have you join us for our RISE Climate Solutions Campaign! During the campaign, you or your team will work closely with a Grades of Green Advisor to develop and implement an environmental project to address a climate crisis problem in your community. It may sound unbelievable that your campaign will help solve the climate crisis, but we’re here to tell you that you can make a BIG difference!
The most exciting part about the Climate Solution Campaign, other than ensuring a greener world? You have the chance to win up to $1,000 in Eco-Grants! Be sure to read all the information below to learn what it takes to win.
What’s the Guidebook?
This website! This is your online resource to guide you through the Campaign and it’s where you’ll answer questions to tell us all about your project!
The Campaign Path: Your Step-by-Step Guide
Who's Who
Eco-Leader/
Student-Leader
That's you!
Team Facilitator
An adult volunteer who serves as a contact for a student team such as a teacher or parent.
Grades of Green Advisor
A Grades of Green staff member who provides expert and specialized advice to your team on planning and executing your project.
They’re here to help you win!
Getting to Know You and Your Team
Let’s get started!
You can work on your own or with a team. If you want to start a team or want more members for your team, check out these helpful worksheets: Recruiting a Team and Picking Leadership Roles.
Once your team is set, the following two forms must be completed before you can start changing your community for the greener!
- Each student member of the team will need to have a parent or guardian complete the Consent & Permission Form to participate in Grades of Green’s Climate Campaign.
- Each team must complete the “About Our Team” Form as a team (only one submission per team)! Your Team Facilitator can help you complete this form.
How it Works and What You’ll Do
It’s simple! You’ll go through the webpages of the Guidebook to learn about the climate crisis and how to take action. As you progress, the Guidebook will help you plan out your project. Your Advisor will help you along the way as you put your plan into action! The Guidebook will ask you questions about what you learned and about how your project is going. Remember: this is a contest! By participating and filling out those questions, you’ll earn points. At the end of the campaign, our judges will use your answers and your points to determine who wins our Eco-Grants!
Click here to see how the points are scored!
Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)
Grades of Green RISE Climate Solution Campaign aligns with Science and Engineering Practices (SEPs) within the Performance Expectations of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) for all grade levels.
Phase 1 - Learn
- Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCI’s)
- Earth & Space Science (ESS)
- Life Science (LS)
- Engineering, Technology, & Applications of Science (ETS)
- Performance Expectations (PE #’s)
- ESS2(C): The Role of Water in Earth’s Surface Processes
- ESS2(D): Weather and Climate
- ESS3(A): Natural Resources
- ESS3(C): Human Impacts on Earth Systems
- ESS3(D): Global Climate Change
- LS1(C): Organization for Matter and Energy Flow in Organisms
- LS2(A): Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems
- LS2(C): Ecosystem Dynamics, Functioning, and Resilience
- LS4(D): Biodiversity and Humans
- ETS1(B): Developing Possible Solutions
- Science and Engineering Practices (SEP’s)
- SEP1: Asking Questions & Defining Problems
- SEP6: Constructing Explanations & Designing Solutions
- SEP7: Engaging in Argument from Evidence
- SEP8: Obtaining, Evaluating, & Communicating Information
- Cross Cutting Concepts (CCC’s)
- CCC1: Patterns
- CCC2: Cause & Effect
- CCC3: Scale, Proportion, & Quantity
- CCC7: Stability & Change
Phase 2 - Plan
- Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCI’s)
- Earth & Space Science (ESS)
- Life Science (LS)
- Engineering, Technology, & Applications of Science (ETS)
- Performance Expectations (PE #’s)
- ESS3(A): Natural Resources
- ESS3(C): Human Impacts on Earth Systems
- ESS3(D): Global Climate Change
- LS2(A): Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems
- LS2(C): Ecosystem Dynamics, Functioning, and Resilience
- ETS1(B): Developing Possible Solutions
- ETS1(C): Optimizing the Design Solution
- Science and Engineering Practices (SEP’s)
- SEP2: Developing & Using Models
- SEP6: Constructing Explanations & Designing Solutions
- SEP7: Engaging in Argument from Evidence
- SEP8: Obtaining, Evaluating, & Communicating Information
- Cross Cutting Concepts (CCC’s)
- CCC3: Scale, Proportion, & Quantity
Phase 3 - Take Action
- Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCI’s)
- Earth & Space Science (ESS)
- Engineering, Technology, & Applications of Science (ETS)
- Performance Expectations (PE #’s)
- ESS3(C): Human Impacts on Earth Systems
- ESS3(D): Global Climate Change
- ETS1(B): Developing Possible Solutions
- ETS1(C): Optimizing the Design Solution
- Science and Engineering Practices (SEP’s)
- SEP2: Developing & Using Models
- SEP3: Planning & Carrying Out Investigations
- SEP4: Analyzing & Interpreting Data
- SEP5: Using Mathematics & Computational Thinking
- SEP8: Obtaining, Evaluating, & Communicating Information
- Cross Cutting Concepts (CCC’s)
- CCC2: Cause & Effect
- CCC3: Scale, Proportion, & Quantity
- CCC7: Stability & Change
Phase 4 - Celebrate Your Success!
- Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCI’s)
- Earth & Space Science (ESS)
- Performance Expectations (PE #’s)
- ESS3(C): Human Impacts on Earth Systems
- ESS3(D): Global Climate Change
- Science and Engineering Practices (SEP’s)
- SEP1: Asking Questions & Defining Problems
- SEP4: Analyzing & Interpreting Data
- SEP6: Constructing Explanations & Designing Solutions
- SEP7: Engaging in Argument from Evidence
- SEP8: Obtaining, Evaluating, & Communicating Information
- Cross Cutting Concepts (CCC’s)
- CCC1: Patterns
- CCC2: Cause & Effect
- CCC3: Scale, Proportion, & Quantity
- CCC7: Stability & Change
The Phases and Their Check Lists
The campaign is broken out into four Phases and each has a Checklist to keep you on track. Below, we’ve organized each Phase’s Checklist so you can click and see what to expect. The tasks with a ✅ are required and will earn points. The optional tasks will make your project better and can earn you bonus points, so make sure to complete as many as possible!
Get Ready
- ✅ Each team member’s parent or guardian fills out the Consent & Permission Form.
- Team Planning
- Form a team or chose to work alone. You can use the Recruiting a Team worksheet to help build your team.
- Schedule a meeting day, time, and location (virtual is fine).
- Set team communication method and how you’ll communicate with your Advisor.
- Brainstorm Leadership Roles.
- ✅ Submit About Our Team Form – one submission per team.
- Meet with Advisor and set your campaign meetings and timeline.
- ✅ Attend “Welcome Webinar” on October 1st or watch a video recording. Live attendance is encouraged.
Phase 1 - Learn
- Watch the Climate Crisis Recap video (Earn a Bonus Point)
- ✅ Learn about the climate crisis through the 5 topics!
- Waste, Food, Plants & Animals, Water, and Energy & Transportation.
- ✅ Decide which topic to focus on for your project! Complete the “Phase 1.1 Form Questions.”
- ✅ Learn about Environmental Justice. Complete the “Phase 1.2 Form Questions.”
- ✅ Pick Your Project and Set Your Goal! Complete the “Phase 1.3 Form Questions” and complete the Phase 1 Form.
- Check in with your Advisor.
Phase 2 - Plan
- ✅ Pick your Campaign Type and Target Audiences! Complete the “Phase 2.1 Form Questions.”
- ✅ Develop Key Messages for your Campaign! Complete the “Phase 2.2 Form Questions.”
- ✅ Spread the Word! Complete the “Phase 2.3 Form Questions.”
- ✅ Create your Task List! Complete the “Phase 2.3 Form Questions” and submit your Phase 2 Form.
- Check in with your Advisor.
Phase 3 - Take Action
- ✅ Participate in Mid-Campaign webinar.
- ✅ Implement your task list including your communication strategies.
- ✅ Document your work using the resources in Phase 3.1.
- ✅ Measure Your Impact! Complete the “Phase 3.2 Form Questions” and submit the Phase 3 Form.
- Check-in with Advisor.
Phase 4 - Celebrate Your Success!
- ✅ Submit a project summary and all materials you have created for your outreach in your “Phase 4 Question worksheet.”
- ✅ Complete and submit the Phase 4 Form.
- Check in with Advisor.
Before starting Phase 1, please ensure that every student’s parent or guardian fills out the Consent & Permission Form. Once you’ve formed a team, also make sure that your team submits one About Our Team Form.
