National Security and Climate Change
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Provided by: MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative|Published on: April 27, 2021
Lesson PlansScientist Reviewed
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Scientist Reviewed 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
- In this lesson, students will learn about the many ways climate change affects national security, interpret maps, explore case studies all over the United States, and investigate adaptation solutions identified by the IPCC.
- The lesson mentions California, Honduras, Guatemala, New Orleans, Norfolk, Virginia, and El Salvador.
Subjects: Earth and Space Sciences, Civics, Geography
Authors: MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative
Region: Africa, Asia, Europe, Middle East, North America, Polar Regions, South and Central America, USA - Northeast, USA - West, USA - South, United States, Oceania, Caribbean, California, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Virginia
Languages: English
Teaching Materials
Positives
- The podcast describes the negative impacts of climate change on communities and entire countries, highlighting the importance of planning for policy-makers.
- The IPCC file includes region-specific risks and solutions for communities all over the world.
Additional Prerequisites
- The NOAA maps no longer have "sliders" available, so you will need to have students open different maps for various times to compare them.
- You will need sets of dice for each group of students to play the game.
Differentiation
- Social studies or civics classes could conduct a Model UN-style simulation and use the mass movement game provided to examine how governments implement climate change-related policies.
- Science classes could analyze data on the precipitation and drought maps and propose solutions that protect people, wildlife, and our environment.
- Other resources on this topic include this online tool for analyzing the impacts of flooding and this article about climate migrants.
Scientist Notes
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
About the Partner Provider
MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative
Founded in 2014, the Environmental Solutions Initiative (ESI) is MIT’s institute-wide effort to mobilize the substantial scientific, engineering, policy, and design capacity of the MIT community to contribute to addressing climate change and other environmental challenges of global import. ESI pursues multidisciplinary research, education, events, and partnerships to help move society toward an environmentally and socially sustainable future. Based in Cambridge, Massachusetts on MIT’s main campus, ESI is powered by a lean staff working closely with students and faculty across the full spectrum of disciplines. Led by architecture professor John E. Fernandez, a leading scholar in the emerging field of urban metabolism, ESI is advised by students, faculty, alumni, and thought leaders from many sectors of society.
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.
Learn about our review process →
