Climate Change
Videos
Grades3, 4, 5Science
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 Crash Course Kids
What it is
- In this 3.5-minute video from Crash Course Kids, students will learn about climate change and how it impacts plants and animals.
- Students will understand that plants and animals have adaptations to survive in the current climate, and that a quickly warming climate may make it difficult to survive in the future.
Teaching tips
Positives
- This video is very brief, leaving lots of class time for discussion and hands-on activities.
- The host in this video is goofy and has a sense of humor that students will love.
Prerequisites
- It may benefit students to have had an in-depth lesson on weather vs. climate. This activity can help students build their background knowledge.
Differentiation & Implementation
- After watching, students can discuss some plants and animals that have adaptations that help them survive in their climate. Students can consider what might happen if the climate became hotter, drier, wetter, or more extreme.
- To differentiate between climate and weather, students can write what the weather is like in their town on that day and then describe what the conditions are like throughout the year and how that compares to the conditions throughout the year in other places (like in the tropics, the Arctic, etc.).
- Teachers can make connections to the UN Sustainable Development Goals by highlighting Goal 13, Climate Action. If students are unfamiliar with the goals, teachers can use this curriculum guide to find resources that are appropriate for the classroom.
From the scientist review
This video briefly reviews the difference between weather and climate, and discusses how climate change can affect ecosystems. How climate change will change the ecosystem and affect plants and animals in the Arizona desert is discussed as an example. These changes are not universal, and different ecosystems will see different impacts and changes as the climate changes. The information presented is accurate, and this resource is recommended for teaching.
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