Climate Catalysts: Nanoscience Solutions for a Sustainable Future

Climate Catalysts: Nanoscience Solutions for a Sustainable Future is an innovative educational toolkit designed to introduce secondary science educators to the transformative world of nanoscience and nanotechnology. This resource offers a series of dynamic and engaging lessons for both middle and high school students, providing a hands-on approach to exploring how nanoscale technologies can help address environmental challenges.

  • Part of the inaugural National Nanotechnology Challenge, Nano4EARTH brings together the nanotechnology community to drive innovative solutions for climate change. Learn more at www.nano.gov.

  • Created by experienced educators, including members of the ECCLPs Teacher Workgroup, these resources make nanoscience approachable for teachers and students, supporting exploration of its role in addressing climate challenges

  • Our lesson plans use an NGSS-based approach to foster inquiry, critical thinking, and hands-on learning, helping educators build dynamic classrooms that prepare students for the future.

Explore the Toolkit

This toolkit includes four middle school and four high school lesson plans covering Coatings, Lubricants, Membranes & Interface Tech, Batteries & Energy Storage, Greenhouse Gas Capture, Storage & Use, and Catalysts.

High School Lesson Plans

  • Nano to the Rescue: Friction, Energy, and Efficiency

    Students explore friction, energy loss, and climate solutions through tribology, lubricants, and hydrophobic surfaces. They research and present on superlubricity or superhydrophobicity.

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  • Powering the Future: Nanoscience, Batteries, and Resilience

    Students discover how nanoscience can enhance battery technology and support environmental justice. They build and test batteries, analyze data, and investigate nano-based innovations. The unit wraps up with a focus on how battery advances can help mitigate climate change.

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  • Flat Soda, Full Planet: How CO₂ Escapes and What We Can Do

    Students learn about carbon dioxide and its role in climate change, beginning with the phenomenon of flat soda. Through hands-on experiments, filter design, and stakeholder analysis, they investigate how nano materials can help capture CO₂ and examine real-world carbon capture solutions.

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  • Unpacking Plastics: Investigating Waste and Engineering Solutions

    Students unpack the environmental impact of plastic waste, focusing on micro- and nano-plastics in oceans. They explore breakthroughs in chemistry, specifically metal catalysts used to break down plastics, and engage in an Engineering Design Challenge to design systems maximizing surface area.

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Middle School Lesson Plans

  • Nano to the Rescue: Friction, Energy, and Efficiency

    Students delve into the science of friction and its role in energy efficiency and climate solutions. They explore how technology and nature intersect and create their own solutions to a friction-related challenge.

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  • Battery Breakthroughs: Powering the Future with Nanotech

    Students uncover the science behind batteries and why they lose power over time. They examine how nanotechnology can improve battery efficiency and lifespan. Using this knowledge, students design solutions to enhance energy storage and address climate-related challenges.

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  • Flat Soda, Full Planet: How CO₂ Escapes and What We Can Do

    Students understand the effects of excess carbon in the atmosphere and explore methods for capturing and storing it. They learn about the greenhouse effect, investigate biomimicry solutions, and research various techniques for carbon capture.

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  • Breaking Down Plastics with Science

    Students investigate the lifecycle of single-use plastics, from classroom waste to molecular structure. They explore plastic types, natural alternatives, and innovative nanocatalysts that break down plastic more efficiently, while learning about circular design and minimizing environmental impact.

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Empowering the next generation of changemakers through nanoscience-driven environmental innovation.

Climate Catalysts: Nanoscience Solutions for a Sustainable Future

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Climate Catalysts: Nanoscience Solutions for a Sustainable Future •