How the Climate Crisis Is Impacting Mongolia
Articles/Websites
Grades7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12Earth and Space Sciences, Geography
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Provided by The Climate Reality Project
What it is
- This article from The Climate Reality Project describes how climate change affects Mongolia’s people and ecosystems, including harsher winters and summer heat, desertification, water scarcity, and pressures on pastoral livelihoods and biodiversity.
- Students will understand cause-and-effect links between climate hazards and human systems.
Teaching tips
Positives
- The piece clearly connects climate hazards to social and economic impacts, supporting cross-curricular discussions in geography, civics, and environmental science.
- The article offers timely examples that invite evidence-based arguments about policy choices and community adaptations.
Prerequisites
- Students should understand basic climate drivers and how to read expository texts.
- Teachers should preview terms such as desertification, resilience, and adaptation.
- Teachers may want to print the article for use offline.
Differentiation & Implementation
- Small groups can create a two-column table of hazards and responses, then propose one local action that parallels the strategies discussed.
- For extension, compare impacts in Mongolia with another region and evaluate which adaptation strategies transfer well and why. Students may want to compare the impacts in Mongolia with those in the United States, such as in Wisconsin.
- Teachers can make many connections to the Sustainable Development Goals. After reviewing the goals, students can note how climate change and its impacts are related to the goals, citing evidence from the article. If students are unfamiliar with the SDGs, teachers can use this guide to find relevant resources.
From the scientist review
This resource details the various impacts of climate change on Mongolia. The common misconception that climate change is a one-dimensional phenomenon leading solely to increased temperatures is addressed. Winter storms and heat waves, as well as floods and droughts, are all clearly linked to a climate in Mongolia that is changing more rapidly than the global rate. This resource is recommended for teaching.
Ready to use it?
Hosted on climaterealityproject.org
Want this to fit your class?
Add your location for local examples, questions, and action ideas.
