Arctic Sea Ice vs. Time
Lesson Plans
Grades9, 10, 11, 12Earth and Space Sciences, Mathematics
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 →
Provided by MIT Climate Action Through Education
What it is
- In this lesson, students will explore sea level rise data, learn about the difference between melting ice on land versus water, explain the correlation coefficient (R), and graph the data over time to look at the y-intercept and slope.
- Students will learn how melting sea ice is an indicator of climate change, how scientists measure sea ice, and the impact of feedback loops.
Teaching tips
Positives
- The questions in the student worksheet invite students to use critical thinking and analysis skills.
- The resource includes guidance for teaching this topic through SEL and place-based learning lenses.
Prerequisites
- Students will need to download the basic (free) version of Vernier Graphical Analysis or have access to graphing calculators.
- There are resources linked in the lesson to support student knowledge of the basics of climate change.
Differentiation & Implementation
- When watching the video, some students may benefit from pausing or slowing the video to read the text. Teachers can also play the video for the class and read the text aloud.
- After completing this lesson, students can discuss the impact of land ice melt on sea level rise and, consequently, coastal communities.
- Teachers can also use this Geometry Lesson: Calculating Sea Level Rise to support this topic.
- To help students understand the differences between sea ice and land ice with a hands-on activity, teachers can use the resource, Is Ice, Ice Baby?, which includes videos and experiments.
From the scientist review
This data-rich resource from MIT's Climate Action through Education (CATE) initiative provides teachers with a lesson plan to explore the transformation of arctic sea ice. The lesson plan includes teacher notes, resources, materials, and the technology needed. Links within the plan provide additional information, up-to-date data, interactive maps, and graphs, with additional links to even more related information. All links work, and the references and source material utilized for this lesson plan are from reliable organizations and present up-to-date information. This activity would be a valuable resource for educators seeking to enhance climate-related learning experiences in the classroom.
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