A Global Issue: The Impacts of Climate Change

The Kings Centre for Visualization in Science

This is lesson five of a 9-lesson module. Activity explores the effects of climate change on different parts of the Earth system and on human well-being: polar regions, coral reefs, disease vectors, extreme weather, and biodiversity.

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Notes from our reviewers

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Activity could easily be a great example of a "flipped" classroom experience in which students complete this at home in preparation for a hands-on demonstration or investigation the next day in class in which they are putting their understanding to the test. Activity covers a lot of different concepts. Educator may want to take some extra time to focus on the key ideas, so students are not overwhelmed with information in a short amount of time. Activity is part of what is essentially an online textbook. Perhaps best used in conjunction with the other 8 lessons.
Activity covers a number of scientific topics, from how climate change will increase extreme weather, to how climate change could alter the functioning of coral reefs. Climate modeling tools and visualization tools both are embedded within this lesson to enhance the user's experience and bring real data into the activity. Comments from expert scientist: The scientific strength in explaining what models are is low. The explanations of a scientific model and a climate model are vague and unclear. The website however did a fairly good job explaining the IPCC scenarios and storylines. The information is accurate, but they need to explain how these scenarios are related to the climate models.
Five key ideas are listed across the top menu bar for lesson five in this series. Embedded within each key idea are links for supporting materials, such as models and visualizations to engage students throughout the lesson and help them understand concepts. Interactive design allows students to manage at their own pace. Students are guided through a series of slides and asked questions to build mastery and understanding of content. Activity includes an interactive climate tool that students use to answer questions as they cover different topics.