Climate Shift Index

Data, Graphs, and Maps

Grades6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12Earth and Space Sciences

Scientist Reviewed

Provided by Climate Central

Open Resource

What it is

This interactive resource allows students to explore temperatures, climate shift index data, and temperature anomalies across the United States for yesterday, today, tomorrow, and the following day.
Students will be able to work with climate data for specific areas and learn about how climate change is impacting the world.

Teaching tips

Positives

This interactive map is easy to use and incredibly enlightening.
Because it is so current and meaningful, students will be engaged with the map.

Prerequisites

Students should have a basic understanding of climate change.
There is a link below the map about how Realtime Fingerprints develops tools like climate shift index, which may help students gain a better understanding of the map.

Differentiation & Implementation

This resource would work equally well in a science or social studies class and would be especially meaningful as a cross-curricular tool between the two classes. Students can choose a region of the country to learn about and use this tool to understand the climate and how the climate is changing there.
This resource would be a great tool for students to revisit throughout the year and record data.
Other related resources include the EPA's Environmental Justice Screening and Mapping Tool, Yale's Climate Opinion Map, and NOAA's Data Snapshots Maps.

From the scientist review

The CSI tool calculates temperature anomalies under a changing climate in U.S. cities. The model also has limitations as it doesn't aggregate other climate drivers like wind, precipitation, RH, etc, but it is useful to illustrate temperature shifts and global warming patterns. This resource is recommended for teaching.

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At a glance

Grades: 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
Subjects: Earth and Space Sciences
Other types: Interactive Media
Language: English
Location: North America, North America > United States
Provider: Climate Central
Authors: Climate Central
Published: July 23, 2022
Last updated: July 16, 2026
: Reviewed by our climate scientists How we review

Standards alignment · D2.Geo.2.6-8 + 4 more

Core

College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Standards

D2.Geo.2.6-8Use maps, satellite images, photographs, and other representations to explain relationships between the locations of places and regions, and changes in their environmental characteristics.

Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)

MS-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.
MS-ESS3-5.Ask questions to clarify evidence of the factors that have caused the rise in global temperatures over the past century.
HS-ESS3-5.Analyze geoscience data and the results from global climate models to make an evidence-based forecast of the current rate of global or regional climate change and associated future impacts to Earth systems.
MS-ESS3-D.Human activities, such as the release of greenhouse gases from burning fossil fuels, are major factors in the current rise in Earth’s mean surface temperature (global warming). Reducing the level of climate change and reducing human vulnerability to whatever climate changes do occur depend on the understanding of climate science, engineering capabilities, and other kinds of knowledge, such as understanding of human behavior and on applying that knowledge wisely in decisions and activities. (MS-ESS3-5)

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Teaching tips

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