Although global climate change can be challenging to grasp as a seemingly abstract concept, connecting it to concrete impacts that are recognizable within a familiar region can be an effective approach for understanding and learning. The Third National Climate Assessment offers a wealth of accessible information about climate effects, risks, and response strategies at the regional scale. Capitalizing on this, NOAA, the NCAnet Education Affinity Group, and members of the Climate Literacy and Enery Awareness Network (CLEAN) have published a series of guides to help educators teach climate using the regional information in the Third NCA.

The tailored guides unpack key messages for each of the ten U.S. regions covered in the report (including coasts and oceans), allowing educators to home in on the impacts of climate change where they and their students live. Each key message is supported by guiding questions, graphics from the report, lesson plans, videos, and related web-based resources. The guides also demonstrate how the Third NCA can be applied to the integration of Next Generation Science Standards in science education, with an accompanying overview and specific examples that can be applied at the middle school and high school levels.