In this activity, students will decode information about the effects of climate change on watersheds from the EPA and NOAA websites.
This resource includes a lesson plan, a student handout, a student worksheet, and a PowerPoint presentation.
Teaching Tips
Positives
The lesson plan offers a variety of questions for different academic subjects.
This lesson can be presented in a classroom or virtual setting.
Additional Prerequisites
Teachers must create a free account to access the materials.
Teachers may want to go over this handout on analyzing media messages before students complete the worksheet.
The lesson plan refers to a "constructivist media decoding process;" thesematerialswill help teachers to understand the goals and design of the lesson.
Differentiation
Students could respond to questions individually or in small groups before discussing the questions as a class.
The reading for this activity is a bit dense, so a structured reading process may help some students.
Other resources on this topic include this video about the impact of human activity on the water cycle, these lessons on investigating local watersheds, and this interactive map that shows how raindrops travel through waterways.
Scientist Notes
There is no contradiction in the model used in explaining the impact of climate change on watersheds and on the hydrological cycle. This resource is recommended for teaching.
Standards
Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)
ESS2: Earth's Systems
MS-ESS2-1 Develop a model to describe the cycling of Earth's materials and the flow of energy that drives this process.
MS-ESS2-4 Develop a model to describe the cycling of water through Earth's systems driven by energy from the sun and the force of gravity.
MS-ESS2-5 Collect data to provide evidence for how the motions and complex interactions of air masses results in changes in weather conditions.
College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Standards
Dimension 2: Geography
D2.Geo.9.6-8 Evaluate the influences of long-term human-induced environmental change on spatial patterns of conflict and cooperation.
Common Core English Language Arts Standards (CCSS.ELA)
Reading: History/Social Studies (6-12)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including vocabulary specific to domains related to history/social studies.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.7 Integrate visual information (e.g., in charts, graphs, photographs, videos, or maps) with other information in print and digital texts.
