Lesson IV: Portfolio II
Title of Lesson: The Past, Present, & Future of Climate Change
Grade Level: 6th
Subject Area: Global Issues
National Geography Standards: Geography for Life
Standard 2: How to use mental maps to organize information about people, places, and environments in
a spatial context.
Standard 3: How to analyze the spatial organization of people, places, and environments on Earth's
Surface.
Standard 6: How culture and experience influence people's perceptions of places and regions.
Common Core States Standards: Reading Informational Texts
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.7
Integrate visual information (e.g., in charts, graphs, photographs, videos, or maps) with other information in
print and digital texts.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.2
Determine a central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of the
text distinct from personal opinions or judgments.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.7
Integrate information presented in different media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively) as well as in words
to develop a coherent understanding of a topic or issue.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.10
By the end of grade 8, read and comprehend history/social studies texts in the grades 6-8 text complexity band
independently and proficiently.
Student Learning Objectives: 1) Students will combine multiple sources to analyze how climate change
affected past civilizations. 2) Students will summarize their information to share with the class. 3) Students will
use critical thinking to infer how climate change in past instances is different form the climate change today.
4) Students will predict how climate change will impact their future after exploring issues in the past and
present. Blooms TaxonomyHigh order of thinking trajectory.
Materials List
PowerPoint
Roles for Jigsaw (Appendix A)
Articles for Jigsaw (Appendix B)
Climate Change Timeline (Appendix C)
Great Barrier Reef Obituary (Appendix D) Extension Activity
Exit Tickets
Student Background Knowledge: The lesson before this one introduced What is Climate Change? Students
discussed why scientists changed the term global warming to climate change to be a more accurate label for
how the earth is being impacted in various regions. Students read their case studies about human impact in
fragile ecosystems like the Great Barrier Reef and Antarctica, which as affected by tourism as well as climate
change. We discussed what the major causes of climate change were as well and possible solutions.
Lesson Body
Introduce the lesson and connect it to the connect we discussed the lesson (and the day) before.
Engagement: Activating background knowledge with a Problem to Pose:
How long has climate change been an issue?
Students are separated into 5 groups. Each group is tasked to make a hypothesis for the Problem to
Poseusing background knowledgehowever only one student will speak for the group: The Sticky
Speaker. I will walk around to each group and select a Sticky Speaker. The students will collaborate
with the Sticky Speaker to formulate a response, which the can be written on the Sticky Note for the
Speaker to read (if they are nervous or cant remember all of the details).
Sticky Speakers will them share their responses with the Whole Group.
Teacher reveals: Climate change is actually an issue that humans have had to face throughout ALL of
time! Prehistory, ancient history, you name it!
*The sticky notes not only give students a place to write their information and organize their thoughts
before they share answers, but allows me to keep track of who has contributed to the group discussion,
so that everyone has a change to speak.
Exploration: Investigation of multiple sources through a Jigsaw!
What can archeology tell us about climate change?
Lets find out what we know about climate change in the past through a Jigsaw reading.
1. Pass out roles for each group member during activity
2. Explain that they are going to read the article and present their findings to the class.
3. Pass out the article to each group
Roles include the Reader who will read the article aloud to the other group members. The Note
Taker who will do all of the writing for the group, to summarize the information. And the Speaker(s)
who will verbally present the information on behalf of their group (all members must go up with the
Speakers.
*Walk around and facilitate the Jigsaw, answering questions and giving positive
feedback.
When all groups are finished, have each group come up and share their Puzzle Piece.
Explanation: Deliver direct instruction, introduce new terms that tie into background.
Whole group discussion: How did climate change impact these civilizations?
Small Group: What can we learn from these civilizations? (Sticky Note Speaker)
PowerPoint presentation: Timeline of climate change over historyRoman Warm Period, Cold Dark
Ages, Warm Middle Ages and Renaissance, Mini Ice Age, and today.
Students Fill out Timeline as the lecture proceeds.
Climate change is very natural and not all climate changes lead to disaster. However, the climate change
today is different from climate changes in the past for multiple reasons.
Elaboration: Students apply new knowledge by combining it with existing knowledge in a
task.
T-Chart written on White BoardHow is climate change today different from climate
change that came before it?
Ancient Climate Change Climate Change Today
Have students work w
Groups to fill out T-Chart.
Share with Whole Group and
Fill out together on the board.
Main Points: The CAUSE is different and
the RATE in which climate is changing is faster.
Evaluation: Assess student learning
Students will answer an Exit Ticket question to leave the class.
Formative Assessment: PredictionWhat does climate change mean for our future?
*Collect after closure.
Closure Thank students for their participation in the class and give specific praise for good behaviors.
Extension Activity:
*Great Barrier Reef Obituary
Adaptations for ELLs and SpEd:
This lesson utilizes a Universal Design approach that integrates strategies such as hands-on experiences
before defining new vocabulary; moving between whole group and small group discussion; using multiple
modes of instruction (discussions, videos, reading); and leveled-texts with collaborative group work;
homogenous grouping.
Table 6: Standards & Vocabulary Lesson Scaffolding Planning Chart Micro Lesson
BICS BICS / CALP CALP Definition
(Tier 1) (Tier 2) (Tier 3)
Engagement & Engagement & Explanation, Elaboration
Exploration Exploration & Evaluation
1. A change in global or
Climate Change regional climate patterns. 2. A
change in climate patterns
apparent from the mid to late
20th century onwards and
attributed largely to the
increased levels of
atmospheric carbon dioxide
produced by the use of fossil
fuels.
A colorless, odorless gas
Carbon Dioxide produced by burning carbon
and organic compounds and by
respiration. It is naturally
present in air (about 0.03
percent) and is absorbed by
plants in photosynthesis.
A forecast, an educated guess
Prediction about a future event or result.
References
Bybee, R & Landes, N. (1990). Science for life and living: An elementary school science
program from Biological Sciences Curriculum Study (BSCS). American Biology Teacher. 52(2). 92-98.
Jacobsen, Rowan. (2016). Obituary: Great Barrier Reef (25 million BC 2016). Retrieved from:
https://www.outsideonline.com/2112086/obituary-great-barrier-reef-25-million-bc-2016
Milson, A.J. (2011). Habitat Preservation. Jefferson City, MO: National Geographic Learning.
Sohn, Emily. (2014). Climate Change and the Rise and Fall of Civilizations. NASA. Retrieved from:
https://climate.nasa.gov/news/1010/climate-change-and-the-rise-and-fall-of-civilizations/
Appendix A: Roles for Jigsaw
Reader: You will read the article aloud to your teammates. Make sure to read loud,
clear, and at a steady pace so that your teammates can follow along.
Note-Taker: As you discuss what to include in your article summary, it will be
your job to write down the information for the speaker.
Speaker(s): Your job will be to read the summary to the class to share what your
article was about. Make sure your whole group goes up with you (for moral
support)!
Reader: You will read the article aloud to your teammates. Make sure to read loud,
clear, and at a steady pace so that your teammates can follow along.
Note-Taker: As you discuss what to include in your article summary, it will be
your job to write down the information for the speaker.
Speaker(s): Your job will be to read the summary to the class to share what your
article was about. Make sure your whole group goes up with you (for moral
support)!
Reader: You will read the article aloud to your teammates. Make sure to read loud,
clear, and at a steady pace so that your teammates can follow along.
Note-Taker: As you discuss what to include in your article summary, it will be
your job to write down the information for the speaker.
Speaker(s): Your job will be to read the summary to the class to share what your
article was about. Make sure your whole group goes up with you (for moral
support)!
Appendix B
North American Anasazi
As we struggle with climate change today, it's important to remember that this isn't the first time climate
change has threatened the people in the world.
The Puebloans in North America, also known as the "Anasazi" by the Navajo, are one of the most famous
examples of an ancient civilization that collapsed due to climate change. Once dominant across the Colorado
Plateau in places like Chaco Canyon and Mesa Verde (pictured), the Puebloans abandoned their homes sometime in
the 12th and 13th centuries, and it's not completely understood why they left. There's evidence of warfare, human
sacrifice and cannibalism, but many scientists have observed that devastating environmental changes caused by
climate change are actually largely to blame for the fall of the Anasazi.
The decline in population in the Mesa Verde and Chaco Canyon villages "happens at the same time a long
drought was recorded in the San Juan Basin between 1130 and 1180. Lack of rainfall combined with an
environment affected by overconsumption, may have led to food shortages. Even the clever irrigation methods of
the Anasazi could not overcome the long drought. Under these pressures the people began to drift away.
Ancient Khmer of Cambodia
As we struggle with climate change today, it's important to remember that this isn't the first time climate
change has threatened the people in the world.
First established in the ninth century, Angkor Wat was once the world's largest urban (city) centers. As the
pride and joy of the powerful Khmer Empire, the city was famous for its immense wealth, rich legacy of art and
architecture and advanced network of waterways for irrigation and reservoirs that were perfect for storing summer
monsoon waters that Southeast Asia received every year.
However, by the 15th century (600 years later), the marvelous city had been laid to waste by
overconsumption of the environment as well as a devastating water crisis caused by severe weather changesa
drought followed.
As scientist Mary Beth Day tells LiveScience, "Angkor can be an example of how technology isn't always
able to prevent major collapse during times of severe climate change. Angkor had a highly advanced water
management isystem, but this technologic advantage was not enough to stop the collapse of the Khmer Empire in
the face of extreme environmental conditions. We can learn a lot from the Khmer today. Technology cant save us.
Viking Settlers in Greenland
As we struggle with climate change today, it's important to remember that this isn't the first time climate
change has threatened the people in the world.
While Christopher Columbus is often celebrated for being the first European to "discover" North America,
it's now widely accepted that Vikings from Norway were way ahead of him, discovering north America and
Greenland by more than 500 years before Christopher Columbus. These first Viking settlements began in the year
800 AD on the southern tip of Greenland and they survived for many years, until Viking started to leave Greenland
starting around the 1300s.
Scientists and historians have come up with several theories about the possible causes for the decline of the
Viking settlements in Greenland, the most popular theory is that its a result of climate change. The arrival of the
Vikings in Greenland was during the Medieval Warm Period, which lasted from about 800 to 1200 A.D. During this
time, the usually icy and cold Greenland actually had warmer climate that was easy to farm and live off. However, as
the climate changed to the period called the "Little Ice Age" in the 1300s and 1400s centuries, the settlements
began to fail. By the mid-1500s, all Viking settlements had been abandoned for warmer lands.
Indus Valley of Ancient Pakistan
As we struggle with climate change today, it's important to remember that this isn't the first time climate
change has threatened the people in the world.
The Indus Valley civilization, also known as the Harappan Civilization was an early society in modern day
Pakistan and India that once had a population of more than 5 million. It was notable for its highly detailed city
planning (streets and roads were well developed) and water systems for irrigating crops and saving water in storage
basins. Two major cities that belonged to this civilization Mohenjo-daro (pictured) and Harappa were first
discovered and excavated in the 1800s century.
What led to their fall? Two centuries (200 years!) of continuous drought. Scientists came to this conclusion
after studying the layers of soil in the ancient lake Kotla Dahar. Scientific American explains the findings:
"Kotla Dahar is a closed basin, filled only by rain and runoff water and without outlets to the sea or rivers. So, rain and evaporation
alone determine the amount of water in the lake. Soil samples have determined there was a long drought, for over 200 years, show no
signs of the regular seasonal monsoons or rain at all!
The fall of the Indus Valley happened at eh same time that there were similar droughts in civilizations of
Egypt and Greece around the same time. How far could climate change have reached?
The Mayans of Mexico
As we struggle with climate change today, it's important to remember that this isn't the first time climate
change has threatened the people in the world.
What happened to Mayans? The classic mystery of the Maya collapse of the 8th and 9th centuries has puzzled
researchers for years. Although archeologists are quick to point out that the Mayan civilization didn't technically
"fall," there's a great deal of mystery around why the Mayans' completely abandoned the grand pyramids, palaces
and cities.
There are many ideas that try to explain what happened from diseases that wiped out the population to
invasions or war. The most popular theory, however, is that sudden climate change brought about an extremely
severe "megadrought" that lasted over 200 years.
Because many of the great Mayan cities were located in seasonal deserts, people were completely relying on
the rainwater storage system. Any changes in the amount of yearly rainfall meant that the Mayans would lose their
drinking water storage. As these cities were pushed into a 200 year-long drought, it didn't take long before the
people broke apart and abandoned the cities to search for a better place to live.
Appendix C
Appendix D
Obituary: Great Barrier Reef (25 Million BC-2016)
Climate change and ocean acidification have killed off one of the most spectacular features on the planet.
The Great Barrier Reef of Australia passed away in 2016 after a long illness. It
was 25 million years old.
For most of its life, the reef was the worlds largest living structure, and the only one
visible from space. It was 1,400 miles long, with 2,900 individual reefs and 1,050
islands. In total area, it was larger than the United Kingdom, and it contained more
biodiversity than all of Europe combined. It harbored 1,625 species of fish, 3,000
species of mollusk, 450 species of coral, 220 species of birds, and 30 species of whales
and dolphins. Among its many other achievements, the reef was home to one of the
worlds largest populations of dugong and the largest breeding ground of green turtles.
The reef was born on the eastern coast of the continent of Australia during the
Miocene epoch. Its first 24.99 million years were seemingly happy ones, marked by
overall growth. It was formed by corals, which are tiny anemone-like animals that
secrete shell to form colonies of millions of individuals. Its complex, sheltered structure
came to comprise the most important habitat in the ocean. As sea levels rose and fell
through the ages, the reef built itself into a vast labyrinth of shallow-water reefs and
atolls extending 140 miles off the Australian coast and ending in an outer wall that
plunged half a mile into the abyss. With such extraordinary diversity of life and
landscape, it provided some of the most thrilling marine adventures on earth to
humans who visited. Its otherworldly colors and patterns will be sorely missed.
To say the reef was an extremely active member of its community is an
understatement. The surrounding ecological community wouldnt have existed without
it. Its generous spirit was immediately evident 60,000 years ago, when the first
humans reached Australia from Asia during a time of much lower sea levels. At that
time, the upper portions of the reef comprised limestone cliffs and innumerable caves
lining a resource-rich coast. Charlie Veron, longtime chief scientist for the Australian
Institute of Marine Science and the Great Barrier Reefs most passionate champion
(he personally discovered 20 percent of the worlds coral species), called the reef in that
era a Stone Age Utopia. Aboriginal clans hunted and fished its waters and cays for
millennia, and continued to do so right up to its demise.
Worldwide fame touched the reef in 1770, when Captain James Cook became the first
European to navigate its deadly maze. Although the reef was beloved by nearly all who
knew it, Cook was not a fan. The sea in all parts conceals shoals that suddenly project
from the shore, and rocks that rise abruptly like a pyramid from the bottom, he wrote
in his journal. Cooks ship foundered on one of those shoals and was nearly sunk, but
after several months Cook escaped the reef.
After that, the reef was rarely out of the spotlight. A beacon for explorers,
scientists, artists, and tourists, it became Australias crown jewel. Yet that didnt stop
the Queensland government from attempting to lease nearly the entire reef to oil and
mining companies in the 1960sa move that gave birth to Australias first conservation
movement and a decade-long Save the Reef campaign that culminated in the 1975
creation of Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, which restricted fishing, shipping, and
development in the reef and seemed to ensure its survival. In his 2008 book, A Reef in
Time, Veron wrote that back then he might have ended his book about the reef with a
heartwarming bromide: And now we can rest assured that future generations will
treasure this great wilderness area for all time. But, he continued: Today, as we are
coming to grips with the influence that humans are having on the worlds
environments, it will come as no surprise that I am unable to write anything remotely
like that ending.
