Sea Change: How Melting Ice Is Disrupting the World's Oceans
Provided by: National Public Radio|Published on: January 30, 2024
Grades: 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
Type: Articles/Websites
Subjects: Earth and Space Sciences, Geography
Authors: Lauren Sommer, Ryan Kellman
Region: North America, Polar Regions
Languages: English
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
- This interactive news article tells the story of endangered right whales and their prolonged migration journey to find food as climate change causes shifts in Atlantic Ocean currents.
- This interactive media features videos of whales and melting Greenland ice as the viewer scrolls down the webpage and encounters additional text.
- The article describes how Greenland's melting ice sheet could be a driver of changing Atlantic Ocean currents, as fresh, cold meltwater is slowing the conveyor belt current, driving polar saltwater down towards North America.
Teaching Materials
Positives
- The scrolling format of this article with quotes, videos, and images is unique and an effective way to tell an ecological story with many interconnected parts.
- The images and videos of the Greenland ice sheet and whales are beautiful and captivating, inspiring awe in the viewer.
- The interactive article shows a video of scientists using fluorescent dye to track how Greenland's ice melt is moving below the ice sheet's surface and into the ocean, demonstrating scientific methods for investigating a phenomenon.
- The diagrams and data relating to changing and warming ocean currents provide excellent visuals and evidence for understanding the consequences of a warming and changing ocean.
Additional Prerequisites
- Learners should be familiar with ocean currents and the difference between global freshwater and saltwater sources.
- It may benefit learners to understand the causes behind glacial melting and ocean warming.
Differentiation
- Before viewing the resource, ask students how the shifting range of the right whale's plankton food source might affect the whales and prompt them to consider human water use if they don't do so independently.
- Consider having students work in pairs to read the story first and jot down their thoughts and questions about the environmental phenomena.
- Create a graphic organizer to help students record the science behind the ecological issue of right whales and consider including a global map to help them diagram information about the changing ocean currents and shifting organism ranges.
- To conclude a lesson using this resource, ask students to describe how they think the unique format of the story impacted their interest and prompt them to consider how they could use this type of storytelling for topics they care about.
- As an extension, have students complete the ice melt quiz linked at the bottom of the story to dive deeper into the causes and effects of global ice melt.
This resource from National Public Radio follows the plight of right whales in the North Atlantic as a changing climate melts the Greenland ice sheet, forcing them to move farther north in search of food. This story is packed with videos that show the whales, their habitat, and how melting ice in Greenland impacts the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), a current crucial to heat circulation around the planet. The resource also features current ocean maps from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute and sea surface temperature data from NOAA. At the bottom of the page, the resource includes an excellent interactive ice melt quiz, allowing students to learn more about how ice melting in one place can have huge impacts across the globe. This resource is well-sourced and recommended for teaching.
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
Scientist Reviewed
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