What We Learned from Integrating Computer Science into Climate Education

A reflection on the CS for Climate Action program and what it means for the future of science instruction by Dr. Alec Barron.

When we set out to integrate computer science into climate-based science instruction, we knew the potential was there. What we didn't fully anticipate was just how transformative the experience would be—for teachers and students alike. Over the past two years, the CS Integration program brought together educators from San Diego and the Central Valley to explore how micro:bit physical computing devices could help students investigate local environmental phenomena while building computational thinking skills. Thanks to a one-time funding investment from the state of California to the California Subject Matter Project Integrated Computer Science Project,  this program served 22 educators and engaged over 2,000 students.

Now, as we look back on this work, we want to share what we learned and invite more educators into this community.

Breaking Down Barriers to Coding

One of the clearest findings from our work was this: teachers don't need extensive coding backgrounds to integrate computer science into their classrooms. In fact, many of the teachers who participated in this program had never written a line of code before.

Hannah Nakamoto, a high school physics and chemistry teacher at Kearny High School in San Diego, described her initial resistance—and what changed her mind:

"The biggest learning experience for me was that it was possible to integrate coding into my classroom without having to take a million classes and feel very overwhelmed. I've been quite resistant to integrating any sort of coding at all until I was introduced to the micro:bits. The interface was so easy to use, the block coding was really simple, and the teacher videos already integrated into the website were really helpful. It just opened up this new world for me."

Rachel Davey, a middle school science teacher in San Diego, echoed this sentiment and highlighted what it means for spreading this work to other educators:

"The biggest learning experience would be how accessible micro:bits are and that through collaboration with other teachers in our district, other teachers can pick this up and use micro:bits too. It fuels student curiosity and is a really interesting way to have hands-on learning and data interpretation for our students."

The micro:bit platform—with its visual, color-coded block programming interface and built-in tutorial videos—made coding accessible in ways that surprised even the most hesitant participants. Katherine Gutierrez, a sixth grade dual immersion teacher in Turlock, emphasized how that visual design supported diverse learners:

"The cool thing about micro:bits and the program is that they have color-coordinated blocks that allow you to make that connection with which features you want. It's accessible regardless of prior coding knowledge."

What made the difference? The micro:bit platform met teachers where they were. Block coding provided an intuitive entry point, while the option to progress to JavaScript offered pathways for those ready to go deeper. Kim Klinko, a seventh and eighth grade science teacher in Lakeside, noted that some of her students made that leap:

"Some students felt confident enough to attempt JavaScript and were very proud of their accomplishments. These students ended up teaching their classmates, who were also interested in trying Java."

Students as Scientists and Problem-Solvers

The real magic happened when students took these tools outside the classroom. In middle school classrooms, students programmed micro:bits to measure temperature across their campuses, discovering that shaded areas could be significantly cooler than blacktop. They tested soil moisture, explored how different materials absorb heat, and used their data to propose real solutions—like planting shade trees or redesigning outdoor spaces.  By exploring these phenomena outside their classroom, students proposed greening strategies.

Rachel Davey described the shift she observed in how students understood what it means to do science:

"Their biggest aha is that they can code a device to be a tool for their research and how tools could help get to their hypothesis. With these tools that collect data in a very efficient way compared to hand collection, they can analyze their data and come to conclusions. And this is only one facet of what the micro:bit does—there's so much more to explore. It sparked curiosity and this understanding that they all can access computer science."

Kim Klinko described what happened when her environmental science students realized they could apply coding skills to real-world investigations:

"A lot of my students had done robotics or other coding classes. When I brought micro:bits into environmental science, they were like, 'Wait, what?' Their worlds were combining. For some kids, this was totally new. And then for some, seeing it used for a practical reason—to make a thermometer, to measure humidity—they were just excited because they were the experts."

At the high school level, physics students attached micro:bits to water rockets, using the built-in accelerometer to collect real-time data on acceleration during launch. Yenny Sanchez, a physics teacher at Hoover High School in San Diego, described how this transformed a classic lab:

"I was really happy to see how excited the students were to combine the hands-on activities with the technology. They were curious about that little device connected to the rocket and seeing how it could collect information. When I talked to them about the accelerometer, they thought it was going to be something super big—like a phone or something. Being able to connect not just the equations and the math part and the hands-on but also the technology makes everything bigger in my class."

What teachers noticed most was the shift in student ownership. Katherine Gutierrez observed this with her sixth graders:

"My students were super excited to go outside and start collecting data. They showed it to other staff on campus—'What are you guys doing?' 'Oh, we're coding and collecting data.' It's not something our school has seen yet. They were excited to share with other adults and peers walking by."

Access for All Learners

Several teachers emphasized how micro:bits opened doors for students who might otherwise struggle with text-heavy or language-dependent instruction. Rachel Davey, whose classroom serves many emerging bilingual learners, described how the platform's design supported access:

"A lot of my students are emerging bilingual learners. If content is just solely based on language and there's no translation, it can be difficult. The integration of the videos and the pictures and the step-by-step processes really helped all my students access this material. Because we used MakeCode, it's a lot of block coding, so it was very easy for all students depending on whatever knowledge they have of computer science."

Katherine Gutierrez connected this to a broader message she shares with her students:

"My students are emerging bilingual learners. I remind them that they are bilingual learners too—in coding. That's also opening more doors and opportunities for them, and it's exciting."

The Power of Peer Learning

Something unexpected emerged in nearly every classroom: students became teachers for each other. Those who had prior coding experience from robotics or gaming stepped up to help classmates who were brand new to programming. At the same time, students who might have struggled in traditional academic settings often brought persistence and creative problem-solving that benefited the whole class.

Hannah Nakamoto saw this dynamic play out in her mixed-level physics class:

"It's a nice leveling of the playing field. Honor students can teach the regular students some coding, but the regular students get to teach the honor students grit and resilience and the importance of just trying things again. The block coding is nice because everything is color-coded, so that offers access for students who may not speak the language or who have never seen coding before."

Kim Klinko encouraged teachers to lean into this peer expertise:

"Really lean into the kids who do know how to code—give them that power. Maybe partner them up strategically in a group with kids that do know and don't know, and just allow that process to happen. Allow the discomfort for some kids, because that's how they get there—getting it wrong 15 times before they get it right. And then they feel like they really accomplished something."

She described what those breakthrough moments looked like:

"You could see it in their eyes. It was audible. You could hear it. Students who had never coded before struggled, and then someone would step in and say, 'You're almost there. You just have to move this one little thing.' And then they're like, 'Oh!' It was awesome."

Sparking Interest in STEM Careers

While explicit career conversations weren't always part of the curriculum, teachers noticed that students began making connections between their micro:bit work and what real scientists do. Rachel Davey described how she framed this for her students:

"A lot of our students really enjoyed the aspect of taking the micro:bit outside and collecting field data. We explained that some biologists get to do this—they go out and collect field data, analyze it, clean it—and it's all a process that continues. They really enjoyed that. For students that already had interest in computer science, this reinforced it. And for students that hadn't had exposure, their curiosity started to flourish."

Hannah Nakamoto observed a similar awakening, particularly when students explored tutorials beyond data collection:

"When we did the security tutorial that's embedded in the micro:bit system, I think they got excited and realized it's not just video games with coding. There are other things I could pursue that have to do with coding where I don't just have to be a gamer. I can be creative or I can work in homeland security. It was eye-opening for some of my students."

Building Capacity for the Future

Perhaps the most encouraging finding was teachers' growing confidence in integrating CS across their curriculum. Hannah Nakamoto now sees micro:bits as a gateway to broader technology integration:

"The micro:bit was the perfect stepping stone to using everything else I wanted to access. It's a great entryway into using everything else I wanted to use for PBL, for physics, for chemistry."

Yenny Sanchez, who had never used any sensor technology in her physics classroom before this program, is already planning expansions:

"I would love to see small lesson examples of how to use the sensors that are included in the micro:bit. Not adding more expensive things to buy, but just with the basic micro:bit—what mini lessons can we add throughout the curriculum? If you have a temperature sensor, what labs do you already do where you use a thermometer? How can you use that sensor in your lab?"

Rachel Davey is thinking even bigger—imagining how micro:bits could support student-designed systems:

"For my science classes, we focus a lot on plants. Maybe we could try creating greenhouses that have automatic sprinkler systems and bringing seeds to germination through micro:bit coding so students can make sure their seeds are taken care of over weekends and breaks."

What's Next: Continuing This Work

The curriculum resources developed through CS Integration effort are now available for any educator to use. You can find lesson sequences, micro:bit coding guides, and unit plans on our Integrating Computer Science page. These include:

• Cooler Communities – Students collect temperature data and propose solutions to reduce urban heat on their campuses (grades 5-7 and high school adaptations)

• Pollinator Action – Students investigate environmental conditions for pollinator habitats and advocate for native plant gardens

• Rocket Acceleration – Physics students use micro:bit accelerometers to study forces during water rocket launches

• Conductivity Explorations – Students code micro:bits to investigate which materials conduct electricity

Each resource includes teacher guides, student materials, and coding tutorials designed to be accessible for teachers at any experience level.

Join Us at the Climate Champions Design Summit

If you're interested in learning how to bring this work into your own classroom, we invite you to join us at our next Climate Champions Design Summit. The summit brings together educators from across California to explore climate-based phenomena, design instructional units aligned with the Understanding Global Change framework, and learn from researchers at the SoCal Heat Hub at Scripps Institution of Oceanography.

Whether you've never touched a coding platform or you're looking for new ways to connect CS to your existing curriculum, the summit provides hands-on learning, ready-to-use resources, and a community of educators who will support you as you implement this work with your students.

Final Thoughts

What we've seen over the past two years has reinforced something we've always believed: when students are given authentic problems to solve and the tools to investigate them, they rise to the challenge. Computer science isn't just for future programmers—it's a way of thinking that helps students understand and improve the world around them.

Kim Klinko captured it best:

"This is the future. We have to—they need this. As a scientist, you have to have a lot of different tools in your tool belt, and computer science is one of them. It has to be in this day and age. It's part of all science."

We hope you'll join us in continuing this work.

Want to learn more?

• Explore our curriculum resources for micro:bit integration and associated blog posts

• Join our next Climate Champions Design Summit

The CS for Climate Action program was funded by the California Subject Matter Project (CSMP) Integrated Computer Science Project and developed in partnership with UC Berkeley's Understanding Global Change and FieldScope projects, the Stanislaus County Office of Education, and the SoCal Heat Hub at Scripps Institution of Oceanography.