This is an interactive film and animated story that addresses the existential threat that the Marshall Islands face due to climate change, as told by three children.
Students will get a present, past, and future perspective, as well as view maps of the Marshall Islands, read text, and listen to the music and sounds that accompany the segments.
Teaching Tips
Positives
This resource is emotionally moving, with compelling footage of children discussing their homes, schools, and the challenges they face due to climate change.
This video is self-paced and allows time to process the content.
Additional Prerequisites
This resource requires active participation, including scrolling through parts of the experience when ready.
This interactive film includes video segments, animations, and text segments.
The content may be emotional for students, especially the last segment.
Each segment could take an entire class period to complete.
Differentiation
After this activity, have students discuss ways that climate change impacts other species and the people who are least responsible for it. Have them write a reflection paper or journal about this.
In order for students to learn more about the mangrove restoration referenced in this resource, have them listen to this podcast examining why mangroves are disappearing or watch this video which highlights an approach to restoring mangrove forests.
Social studies classes could do a deeper dive into the United Nations climate change agreements, the Paris Agreements in particular, and the impact that these agreements are having on the Marshall Islands.
Consider providing students with note-taking guides and then allowing them to work through this interactive experience with a partner in order to encourage dialogue, provide support to all learners, and allow for self-paced reflection.
Scientist Notes
This resource highlights the impact of climate change and imperialism on the native people of the Marshall Islands. The islands (according to archeologists) were discovered over 2,000 years ago and will likely be submerged by rising sea levels and extreme weather events. The people are suffering the impacts. This calls for urgent intervention by world leaders to save the islands, their people, and their cultural heritage from disappearing. This resource is recommended for teaching.
Standards
College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Standards
Dimension 2: Geography
D2.Geo.1.6-8 Construct maps to represent and explain the spatial patterns of cultural and environmental characteristics.
D2.Geo.9.6-8 Evaluate the influences of long-term human-induced environmental change on spatial patterns of conflict and cooperation.
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.
Dimension 4: Taking Informed Action
D4.6.9-12 Use disciplinary and interdisciplinary lenses to understand the characteristics and causes of local, regional, and global problems; instances of such problems in multiple contexts; and challenges and opportunities faced by those trying to address these problems over time and place.
Common Core English Language Arts Standards (CCSS.ELA)
Reading: Informational Text (K-12)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.7.1 Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.11-12.7 Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in different media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively) as well as in words in order to address a question or solve a problem.
Speaking & Listening (K-12)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.3 Evaluate a speaker's point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric, identifying any fallacious reasoning or exaggerated or distorted evidence.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.5 Make strategic use of digital media (e.g., textual, graphical, audio, visual, and interactive elements) in presentations to enhance understanding of findings, reasoning, and evidence and to add interest.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.11-12.3 Evaluate a speaker's point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric, assessing the stance, premises, links among ideas, word choice, points of emphasis, and tone used.
Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)
ESS3: Earth and Human Activity
HS-ESS3-1 Construct an explanation based on evidence for how the availability of natural resources, occurrence of natural hazards, and changes in climate have influenced human activity.
HS-ESS3-5 Analyze geoscience data and the results from global climate models to make an evidence-based forecast of the current rate of global or regional climate change and associated future impacts to Earth systems.
