Data Exploration: Direct Impacts of Climate Change
Articles/Websites
Grades9, 10, 11, 12Physics, Geography
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Provided by OER Project
What it is
- In this article from OER, students will read about sea level rise as an example of a direct impact of climate change.
- Students will explore how human activity has caused a rise in temperatures, how that rise has led to land and sea ice melting, and the relationship between these impacts and sea level rise.
Teaching tips
Positives
- This resource walks students through the process of looking at different data and seeing their connections.
- The resource also does an excellent job of explaining that seemingly small and insignificant changes can compound over time and lead to big impacts.
Prerequisites
- Some students, especially those who live in coastal areas, may become anxious when talking about sea -evel rise. Teachers should prepare for this and provide students with a safe space and strategies to process big feelings.
- Students should understand thermal expansion.
Differentiation & Implementation
- After reading about sea-level rise, students can learn about the other direct impacts of climate change, such as drought, floods, extreme weather, and forest fires.
- Teachers can assign a coastal city to one student or a pair of students and have them use the linked tools, such as the Sea Level Rise Viewer to determine challenges that city will face, depending on the sea-level rise scenario.
- Students can extend their study of sea-level rise with the Sea Level Rise Student Lab, which contains videos, interactives, and articles to explore the topic.
From the scientist review
This is an excellent primer on sea level change as a result of global warming. All sources cited are credible, relevant, and functional. This resource is recommended for teaching.
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