Sea Level Rise and Climate Change
Lesson Plans
Grades9, 10, 11, 12Earth and Space Sciences
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Provided by MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative
What it is
- This lesson from MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative discusses greenhouse gases, melting land ice, the thermal expansion of water, current infrastructure for storm surges, and how sea level rise is impacting coastal communities.
- It includes a student handout, podcast, educator guide, maps, activities, discussion questions, and a discussion of solutions.
- The lesson also references Hurricane Katrina.
Teaching tips
Positives
- Students will investigate solutions for sea level rise and learn about "sunny day" flooding.
- The educator's guide contains multiple activities that could be spread out over a week.
Prerequisites
- The podcast episode is the second in a two-part series on the topic of sea level rise.
- Teachers may wish to break the podcast episode up into the following sections:
- (0:00-5:45) The first section details the current effects of sea level rise on coastal regions.
- (5:46-7:09) The second section explains flooding mitigation efforts around the world.
- (7:10-11:31 ) The third section explains future prospects for coastal regions and islands.
Differentiation & Implementation
- English and writing classes can write "choose your own adventure" short stories that show what will happen to coastal communities if people take action to stop greenhouse gas emissions and what will happen if they do not.
- History classes can discuss why, throughout history, humans have built settlements in coastal regions.
- Other resources on this topic include this article about solutions for protecting coastal communities and this PBS video on human displacement due to climate change.
From the scientist review
The resource spotlights the devastating impact of coastal flooding and other extreme weather events on the American people. It recommends ways to prevent further economic loss and climate-related risk on Americans. This resource is recommended for teaching.
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