This video examines a period of global cooling that took place on Earth from the 13th to the 19th century.
It emphasizes the impacts that this change in climate had on societies including famine, war, exploration, political upheaval, and technological innovations.
Teaching Tips
Positives
This video provides connections between interdisciplinary topics while emphasizing that all of these history-shaping events had direct ties to the climate.
It presents a clear picture of people shaping their environment while their environment is shaping them.
Additional Prerequisites
Providing students with information on the transition from Ming to Qing dynasties in China, the low-lying geography of the Netherlands, or the North American settlements of the Vikings would help to deepen understandings.
Differentiation
Recent research into the causes of The Little Ice Age have given scientists more insight. Have your students dig into this topic and draw parallels to what our climate data is showing today.
Climate change preceding political upheaval happens in current times. Invite students to look at the climatic conditions in Syria and the surrounding region prior to the 2011 uprising that sparked a civil war.
Success or failure of those who lived during this era often came down to innovation. Ask students to utilize data related to climate policy, investigate sustainable industrial products, or examine new approaches that may provide a pathway forward to enacting climate solutions.
Scientist Notes
The Little Ice Age is a well documented climate shift starting in the 13th century and lasting for about 500 years. The impacts of this shift are well documented in the peer reviewed literature, as are the lines of evidence of its existence. This resource is recommended for teaching.
Standards
Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)
LS2: Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics
MS-LS2-4 Construct an argument supported by empirical evidence that changes to physical or biological components of an ecosystem affect populations.
HS-LS2-6 Evaluate the claims, evidence, and reasoning that the complex interactions in ecosystems maintain relatively consistent numbers and types of organisms in stable conditions, but changing conditions may result in a new ecosystem.
LS4: Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity
HS-LS4-5 Evaluate the evidence supporting claims that changes in environmental conditions may result in: (1) increases in the number of individuals of some species, (2) the emergence of new species over time, and (3) the extinction of other species.
Common Core English Language Arts Standards (CCSS.ELA)
Speaking & Listening (K-12)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.11-12.3 Evaluate a speaker's point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric, assessing the stance, premises, links among ideas, word choice, points of emphasis, and tone used.
