This short video clearly explains how global warming is causing sea levels to increase in two ways. The increased global temperature causes water to expand, and it causes ice sheets to melt.
Rising sea levels will cause increased flooding and impact people who live at high tide levels the most. Rising seawater will flow into freshwater sources leading to serious consequences, like less available drinking water.
Teaching Tips
Positives
This video uses animation, which makes the information easy to understand and engaging.
This resource is clear about the impacts of climate change and also explains some possible solutions that are available.
Additional Prerequisites
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Students should know what the properties of water are in its liquid and solid state.
Students should know how a mercury thermometer works, as well as the definition of groundwater.
Differentiation
In a science or chemistry class, this video could be integrated when talking about the properties of water and how they differ from most other types of matter due to hydrogen bonds.
This video could be a nice addition to a social studies or government class because rising sea levels impact infrastructure, farming, and drinking water.
This resource explains some of the impacts we are facing as a result of increasing sea levels. It also mentions how some communities are adapting to sea level rise while others are trying to mitigate it. This resource is recommended for teaching.
Standards
English Language Arts
Speaking & Listening (K-12)
7.SL.2 Analyze the main ideas and supporting details presented in diverse media and formats and explain how the ideas clarify a topic, text, or issue under study.
Science
ESS2: Earth's Systems
HS.ESS2.2 Analyze geoscience data to make the claim that one change to Earth’s surface can create feedbacks that cause changes to other Earth systems.
ESS3: Earth and Human Activity
6.ESS3.5 Ask clarifying questions based on evidence about the factors that have caused climate change over the past century.
8.ESS3.4 Construct an argument supported by evidence for how increases in human population and per-capita consumption of natural resources impact Earth’s systems.
