Equity issues abound as the planet warms. One example is differential heating of rural and non-rural areas. Invite students to consider groups of people facing greater risks as the planet warms.
Siberia and melting polar ice caps are central topics in this video. Challenge students to dig deeper into how changes in both of these locations are contributing to climate tipping points.
The video suggests that the color of surfaces impacts absorption of radiation. Ask them to test this out for themselves. This is a quick, low material activity that can be ideal for students who prefer to move and test ideas.
Scientist Notes
Overall, this is a great resource from Crash Course and offers a detailed explanation of what drives temperature differences for a specific location. Towards the end of the video, the narrator says that "Phoenix is the fastest warming city in the United States". While I cannot specifically verify that Phoenix is the fastest, it certainly is one of the fastest warming areas in the United States. Despite that, 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.
HS-ESS2-2 Analyze geoscience data to make the claim that one change to Earth’s surface can create feedbacks that cause changes to other Earth systems.
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.
College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Standards
Dimension 2: Geography
D2.Geo.6.6-8 Explain how the physical and human characteristics of places and regions are connected to human identities and cultures.
D2.Geo.10.6-8 Analyze the ways in which cultural and environmental characteristics vary among various regions of the world.
D2.Geo.4.9-12 Analyze relationships and interactions within and between human and physical systems to explain reciprocal influences that occur among them.
