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How Ecosystems Protect Us from Droughts, Heatwaves, and Floods

Provided by: The Kid Should See This |Published on: February 17, 2023

Articles/Websites

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Synopsis

These three brief videos introduce the importance of natural ecosystems to protect us from the effects of climate change, conserve water resources, and reduce our emissions.
The videos and article explain the effectiveness of different climate solutions like greening urban areas, protecting mangrove forests, and reducing deforestation.

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Subjects: Biology, Engineering

Authors: The Kid Should See This

Region: Global

Languages: English

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Teaching Materials

Positives

The graphics in the videos make concepts like sea level rise and urban planning easy to understand.
The videos highlight the importance of protecting nature and help introduce students to some of the impacts of climate change.

Additional Prerequisites

Before watching the videos, students should be familiar with the causes of climate change.
Students should understand terms like groundwater, drought, urban, and fossil fuels.
The videos can be viewed in any order and the smaller videos can be viewed in full-screen mode.

Differentiation

Students may find it easier to visualize the solutions if they are also given examples of where extreme weather events or sea level rise have taken place.
Older students can expand on the solutions presented in one of the videos and research areas where the solutions have made a difference.
Social studies students can focus on the impacts of deforestation and water scarcity to rural and Indigenous communities that rely on rainwater to grow or harvest their food.
Have students research other ideas they have for adding nature to urban areas, protecting nature in coastal areas or in the oceans, and protecting trees in their communities or nearby forests. They can work in groups and then present their ideas for enacting their nature-based climate solutions.

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About the Partner Provider

The Kid Should See This

The Kid Should See This is a Webby award-winning collection of over 7,000 kid-friendly videos, curated for teachers and parents who want to share smarter, more meaningful media in the classroom and at home. Selections are grown-up-friendly, too. And thanks to TKSST members, it’s free and ad-free for everyone. Start conversations, spark questions, and inspire offline exploration for all ages.

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All resources can be used for your educational purposes with proper attribution to the content provider.