Positives:
- The basics of climate change and weather, regional trends in the United States, and the difference between global warming and climate change are great for students of any subject.
- The short videos use graphics, data, and visuals to make the material more accessible.
- The quizzes help students to check their understanding and provide real-time feedback when students select the wrong answer.
Additional Prerequisites:
- This course requires users to sign up for the online course provider, Udemy using an email address. If teachers do not want students to sign up for Udemy, they can project the videos for the class and answer the quiz questions as a group.
- The Regional Climate Trends section links to the National Climate Assessment report from 2014. A newer report offering more up-to-date information is available.
- Many of the sections include links to extra resources, which users can access by clicking on the Resources drop-down button next to the video titles in the course content sidebar.
Differentiation:
- This content could be used for adult learners, clubs, parents, or anyone interested in learning the basics about climate change.
- During the Regional Climate Trends section, teachers could break students into regional groups and have them summarize the main effects of climate change for each region. Each group could present the information on their region to the class.
- Students could choose one of the extreme weather toolkit handouts and use the information to make an infographic on extreme weather preparation. The finished infographics could be displayed in the school, or digital copies could be posted online.
- Other resources on this topic include this video on how attribution scientists have found links between climate change and extreme weather, this lesson on local and global extreme weather events, and this TED-Ed video on how extreme weather impacts coastal communities.
