TCI Free Lesson - Climate Change and Communities

FREE LESSON

Earth Day Climate Change and Communities - 30 min

NOMADIC PROCEDURES | PHENOMENA | IMAGE ANALYSIS | HANDOUTS

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C L A S S R O O M

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Earth Day Climate Change and Communities Lesson Overview

For Earth Day, have your students explore the effects of climate change on communities. Students examine graphs and data on extreme weather. They use the data to develop a plan for addressing climate change.

Teacher Prep

• Prepare copies of the handout. You may wish to make enough for groups of three, or one-third of the class.

• Make copies of Handout: Answer Key. When students have completed their tasks, give them a copy of the key.

Procedures

1. Observe a phenomenon. Project this GIF and discuss the phenomenon. Ask: What do you notice about the ice cap in the GIF? How does the ice cap change from 1980 to 2010? Why do you think this change is happening? What questions do you have about this phenomenon?

Since 1979, the average yearly minimum size of the ice cap at the North Pole has decreased by about 40 percent.

2. Examine an example of technology used to address climate change. Project this image. Ask: • What climate change effect is shown here? (coral bleaching) • Why might this effect be important to humans? (Healthy coral reefs provide habitat for many species of fish. Humans depend on fish for food. Healthy coral reefs provide structures that shelter islands from violent waves.)

• What technologies are being used in the picture to monitor the coral? (scuba equipment and cameras) 3. Analyze data on extreme weather. Divide students into groups of three. Ask groups to complete the tasks in the handout and develop strategies to address climate change.

4. Wrap up. Hold a class discussion: • How might climate change affect communities in the United States?

• What parts of the United States might see the most intense effects of climate change?

• What are some ways that people could plan for climate change?

EXPLORE MORE: This lesson is an excerpt from Bring Science Alive! Weather and Climate, Lesson 13, Climate Today and Tomorrow. Full support, including a ready to teach slideshow, is available online at www.teachtci.com. © Teachers’ Curriculum Institute

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H A N D O U T

Extreme Weather Instructions Talk with your colleagues at this station.

1. Discuss these questions using the information provided. Then, record your responses as a group. a. According to the drought map, which parts of the country may see more wildfires in the future?

b. According to the graph, what is the average number of billion-dollar disasters in the United States per year?

c. How is the frequency of billion-dollar disaster events changing since 2008?

d. What does the increase in the frequency of billion-dollar disasters suggest about the frequency of extreme weather events?

2. When you have finished writing answers, get the answer key from your teacher.

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© Teachers’ Curriculum Institute

H A N D O U T

Extreme Weather Climate change can affect weather patterns, making events like droughts or violent storms more likely. These extreme weather events can influence the risk of wildfires, flooding from hurricanes, and the size of tornado- and hail-producing thunderstorms.

Events like these can lead to enormous damage, so scientists track the frequency of events that cause destruction in the range of billions of dollars. Scientists also monitor the areas of the country experiencing drought and unusually wet conditions.

© Teachers’ Curriculum Institute

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H A N D O U T

Extreme Weather This map shows places experiencing droughts in the United States.

This graph shows the numbers of extreme weather events per year that exceeds $1 billion in damages. The gray lines in the chart shows the frequency of events from years between 1980-2017 other than the lines indicated with color.

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© Teachers’ Curriculum Institute

A N S W E R

K E Y

Answer Key Discuss the answers with your colleagues. Compare these answers with yours. Discuss any answers that may be different. a. Areas in the West such as California, Nevada, Utah, and parts of Colorado are experiencing severe droughts. Also areas of the Southeast, such as Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina are experiencing severe drought as well. Severe droughts could make wildfires more likely. b. 6 c. The frequency is increasing. d. Extreme weather events are becoming more frequent.

Answer Key Discuss the answers with your colleagues. Compare these answers with yours. Discuss any answers that may be different. a. Areas in the West such as California, Nevada, Utah, and parts of Colorado are experiencing severe droughts. Also areas of the Southeast, such as Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina are experiencing severe drought as well. Severe droughts could make wildfires more likely. b. 6 c. The frequency is increasing. d. Extreme weather events are becoming more frequent.

© Teachers’ Curriculum Institute

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