In this video, Jonathan talks about how the long-term drought in California has affected his family in Watsonville.
He and his family work on farms and their livelihoods depend on the ability of those farms to produce crops.
The lesson plan and student worksheet are focused on the effects of climate change on agriculture in the United States and the reciprocal effects of agriculture on climate change.
Teaching Tips
Positives
This is a very personal and relatable narrative about the effects of drought on farming families.
Additional Prerequisites
The video is accessible to the public but teachers must create a free account to access the lesson plan and other materials.
Differentiation
Biology and science classes could use this video as a hook for lessons about the water cycle, photosynthesis, trophic levels, the carbon cycle, or cellular respiration.
The accompanying lesson plan utilizes an inquiry-based framework to explore the effects of changing weather patterns on various crops grown in the United States.
Social studies classes could use this video as an example of the unequal effects of climate change on vulnerable communities.
This resource is suitable and recommended for teaching.
Standards
Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)
ESS3: Earth and Human Activity
MS-ESS3-2 Analyze and interpret data on natural hazards to forecast future catastrophic events and inform the development of technologies to mitigate their effects.
HS-ESS3-6 Use a computational representation to illustrate the relationships among Earth systems and how those relationships are being modified due to human activity.
College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Standards
Dimension 2: Geography
D2.Geo.11.6-8 Explain how the relationship between the environmental characteristics of places and production of goods influences the spatial patterns of world trade.
D2.Geo.12.9-12 Evaluate the consequences of human-made and natural catastrophes on global trade, politics, and human migration.
D2.Geo.9.9-12 Evaluate the influence of long-term climate variability on human migration and settlement patterns, resource use, and land uses at local-to-global scales.
