How Ecosystems Protect Us from Droughts, Heatwaves, and Floods
Provided by: The Kid Should See This|Published on: February 17, 2023|Last updated: September 26, 2026
Grades: 6, 7, 8
Type: Articles/Websites
Subjects: Biology, Engineering
Authors: The Kid Should See This
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
- These three brief videos introduce the importance of natural ecosystems to protect us from the effects of climate change, conserve water resources, and reduce our emissions.
- The videos and article explain the effectiveness of different climate solutions like greening urban areas, protecting mangrove forests, and reducing deforestation.
Teaching Materials
Positives
- The graphics in the videos make concepts like sea level rise and urban planning easy to understand.
- The videos highlight the importance of protecting nature and help introduce students to some of the impacts of climate change.
Additional Prerequisites
- Before watching the videos, students should be familiar with the causes of climate change.
- Students should understand terms like groundwater, drought, urban, and fossil fuels.
- The videos can be viewed in any order and the smaller videos can be viewed in full-screen mode.
Differentiation
- Students may find it easier to visualize the solutions if they are also given examples of where extreme weather events or sea level rise have taken place.
- Older students can expand on the solutions presented in one of the videos and research areas where the solutions have made a difference.
- Social studies students can focus on the impacts of deforestation and water scarcity to rural and Indigenous communities that rely on rainwater to grow or harvest their food.
- Have students research other ideas they have for adding nature to urban areas, protecting nature in coastal areas or in the oceans, and protecting trees in their communities or nearby forests. They can work in groups and then present their ideas for enacting their nature-based climate solutions.
This website provides a brief synopsis of a brief ~1 minute video that discusses the use of natural solutions to protect against drought. This would be a great addition to a classroom discussing sustainability and different ways to reduce emissions that contribute to 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.
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