State of Change - November 2023
Provided by: PBS|Published on: May 16, 2025
Grades: 6-AP
Type: Videos
Subjects: Social Studies, Earth and Space Sciences
Authors: PBS
Region: Illinois
Languages: English
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 →
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 →
Synopsis
- This video from State of Change, an Illinois Public Media, dives into the chaos and major implications that global warming is causing in Illinois and across the United States.
- The Illinois news special brings light to the fact that global warming does not look the same for every community.
Teaching Materials
Positives
- Medical field professionals discuss the implications global warming has on the health of people living across Illinois.
- Important history pertinent to climate change is depicted through photographs and gives Illinois students a sense of how different their communities have become over the last 100 years.
- Different ways to combat climate change and federal grants available to help offset the cost are discussed in the video.
Prerequisites
- Closed captioning for the video is available in English, so either teachers or students can enable it if needed.
- A transcript of the video is available and can be downloaded as a PDF.
- In order to view independently, students need access to a device with internet capabilities and audio capabilities.
- Students should have a general idea of the challenges facing different socio-economic groups of people.
- Students should be familiar with reading a map and understanding what communities are along Lake Michigan.
Differentiation & Implementation
- Students can research Illinois heat indices for the community they live in over a set period of time and graph their findings. They can use the data to analyze the current trend and project what next year's heat index record may be.
- Students can research urban heat islands and see what other cities experience the same phenomenon that Chicago does in the summer.
- Teachers can create an exit ticket to check for students' understanding of the implications that climate change has on all aspects of life.
This (~30-minute) video from Illinois PBS provides an overview of climate change's local manifestations and systemic inequalities, blending personal testimony with scientific evidence. The data presented is broadly valid and aligned with mainstream climate science and public health research. This resource would be a great addition to a classroom discussion on climate change.
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
Learn about our review process →
