Youth Climate Story: Arctic Warming and Coastal Erosion in Alaska
Provided by: ACE|Published on: April 27, 2021|Last updated: September 26, 2026
Grades: 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
Type: Videos
Subjects: Earth and Space Sciences, Geography
Authors: ACE
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Synopsis
- This resource from ACE includes a video, lesson plan, experiment, and student worksheet on arctic warming and the effects of melting ice.
- In the video, Nelson, a teenager who lives in Kipnuk, Alaska, describes how melting permafrost and coastal erosion pose a risk to his village.
- The experiment will show students why melting land ice causes sea level rise, while melting sea ice does not.
Teaching Materials
Positives
- The student worksheet contains a number of critical thinking questions that will help students to connect the experiment with climate change in the real world.
- Clicking on the text "Lesson Plan: Is Ice, Ice Baby?" allows the teacher access the lesson plan and student worksheet as a Google Doc or a PDF.
Prerequisites
- The video does not explain what permafrost is or why it is melting. This resource provides background material on permafrost.
- Teachers must create a free account to see the lesson plan but the video is available without signing in.
Differentiation & Implementation
- Social studies classes can use the video to discuss the impact of global warming on Nelson's village. Students can learn more about this topic with this SubjectToClimate lesson on climate change and indigenous communities.
- Geography classes can locate Kipnuk on a map and discuss how the natural features of the land are connected to the community's culture. Students could write a short paragraph on how erosion will impact the community's culture.
- Other resources on this topic include this graph on Arctic and Antarctic ice and this video on how climate change has impacted the lives of the Iñupiaq people in Barrow, Alaska.
There is no contradiction in the resource and it is recommended for teaching.
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
Learn about our review process →
