Integrating STEM Approaches into Climate Change Education: A Co-designing Model for Learning SSI

This design report describes the iterative development of a STEM camp on the Urban Heat Island (UHI) phenomenon. Using Design-Based Research (DBR), we integrated STEM learning with the Enacting Climate Change Education (ECCE) framework and implemented the lessons on the CWISE e-learning platform. Camp activities combined authentic climate data analysis, LEGO-based urban design modeling, and a simulated public hearing to connect UHI science with socio-scientific deliberation and student agency. Evidence comes from post-implementation reflections by teacher co-designers (open-ended responses and Likert-scale ratings), which highlighted strengths and practical constraints. Key refinements for future iterations include running the camp in warmer seasons to strengthen experiential engagement, making the nature of science more explicit, improving coherence between online tasks and hands-on activities, and providing cross-disciplinary resources to reduce teachers’ preparation burden.