Activity
1. Begin the lesson by asking students what they know
about climate change; create a “T” chart
on the board to record students’ input:
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What do you
know about climate change? |
What do you
want to learn? |
2.
Hand out the article, “Warming to Cause Catastrophic
Rise in Sea Level?” from
the website: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/04/0420_040420_earthday_2.html plus
a desk map of the world.
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Have students illustrate the effects of global warming on their maps as they
read the article.
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Ask students to write a one-page story that describes a hypothetical situation
about the impact of global warming on either a human or animal inhabitant.
3. Lead the students in a discussion that clarifies
the distinction between climate change and
global warming. The background information
includes
information on
this distinction.
4. Discuss with the class the following questions:
i. What is climate change? What is global warming in relation to climate
change?
ii. Within the scientific community there is little debate that the
global climate has seen a significant warming during the recent past
and there
is a large body
of evidence to support this contention and human action is indicated
as a significant factor in this warming. However, there is a volatile
debate in the media and
politics as to whether this warming is a result of human activity.
Why is this subject so controversial? Is this a topic that you, the
public,
should be interested
in? What is your opinion on on climate change?
Ask student volunteers to read their hypothetical situations out loud
to the class. Closure
Have the class discuss the following at the conclusion of
the panel’s discussion:
1. How might scarcity of safe water lead to conflict? Give
examples.
2. Why is arsenic contamination a global issue?
3. How might water quality impact the economy of a society?
4. Do you agree with the final decision of the student panel?
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Embedded
Assessment
Student
understanding of climate change and its potential impact
on our physical environment, as well as their ability
to identify regions of the world that would encounter
the most significant effects of a global warming. will
be assessed by their stories and physical maps.
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