Global warming has been linked to many unfortunate changes on Earth. Ice has been melting worldwide as global temperatures have increased. This melting ice, alongside the thermal expansion of the oceans, is leading to an increase in sea levels. Rising sea levels can lead to more coastal flooding and could damage some aquatic habitats. The change in temperatures can also affect populations of animals, like the Adélie penguins, who have had a reduction in the amount of space they can dwell in Antarctica. This change in habitat has led to a reduction in their numbers. More extreme weather, like hurricanes and storms, have been experienced by many parts of the world. Floods and droughts could also become more common as the planet’s temperature increases further.
In this activity, students will create a spider map that examines some of the effects that global warming has on our planet. This activity could be carried out at the start of the topic to gauge students ideas, or at the end of a topic as a summative assessment to see what your students have learned. As an extension, have your students rank the effects in order of severity, then get them to justify why they chose that order. Have students look at how different parts of the world are affected by climate change.
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Student Instructions
Create a spider map that describes four effects of global warming.
Encourage active participation by inviting students to share their ideas and experiences about climate change. Use open-ended questions to prompt deeper thinking and give everyone a chance to speak.
Establish ground rules for respectful listening and sharing. Clarify expectations to ensure every student feels safe to contribute their thoughts.
Share current news stories or visuals that show the real effects of climate change. This helps students connect classroom learning to global events and see the relevance of the topic.
Prompt students to support their opinions with facts from their research or the lesson. This strengthens critical thinking and helps students evaluate information more carefully.
Ask students to reflect on what they learned and how their perspectives may have changed. Invite them to write or share one new insight gained from the discussion.
Climate change leads to melting ice, rising sea levels, more extreme weather, and habitat loss for animals. Teaching these key effects helps students understand real-world impacts.
Have students create a spider map with four main effects of global warming. They should describe and illustrate each effect, making connections between causes and consequences for a visual summary.
Ask students to make a spider map showing four effects of climate change, then discuss how each effect changes the environment or affects animals and people.
Rising sea levels cause coastal flooding and habitat loss, impacting both people and wildlife. Highlighting this effect helps students see the global scope of climate change.
After identifying effects, have students rank them by severity and explain their reasoning. This encourages critical thinking and deeper understanding of climate change impacts.