This one-page fact sheet shows how climate change is impacting New Jersey through increased rainfall, extreme weather, sea level rise, and higher temperatures.
It provides New Jersey-specific statistics about the increases that have occurred in each category over recent decades.
Teaching Tips
Positives
This fact sheet is well organized and concise, making it a good introduction to the topic of climate change in New Jersey.
The information sources are linked at the bottom of the PDF, providing additional information for more advanced students.
Additional Prerequisites
The illustration depicts a number of topics (e.g., coral bleaching, less snow and ice, warmer oceans) that are not covered in the fact sheet.
Differentiation
Elementary or middle school science and writing classes could use this fact sheet to write a paragraph explaining the ways in which the climate of New Jersey would have been different fifty years ago or how it might be different in the future.
Biology classes could use the topics listed in the illustration for mini-research projects or to connect to lessons about evolution, species extinctions, habitat loss, the carbon cycle, or ecology.
Earth science and geography classes could read New Jersey's state climate summary (also linked in the fact sheet) and then work in pairs to discuss why New Jersey's climate change problems differ from climate change problems in other parts of the United States.
Other resources on this topic include this interactive map that shows Americans' opinions about climate change issues, this Grist video on how Hoboken, New Jersey has improved its infrastructure to reduce flooding, and this video on understanding climate change.
Scientist Notes
This is a fact sheet showing how climate change will exacerbate coral bleaching, tidal flooding, wildfires, droughts, more extreme storms, heatwaves, and uncertainties in New Jersey. The main driver of climate change is the increasing concentration of CO2. However, if CO2 levels are reduced, climate change impacts will be reduced. This resource is recommended for teaching.
Standards
Science and Engineering
ESS3: Earth and Human Activity
4-ESS3-1 Obtain and combine information to describe that energy and fuels are derived from natural resources and their uses affect the environment.
Social Studies
Geography
Geography 2 (F2): Students understand geographic aspects of unity and diversity in Maine, the United States, and the world, including Maine Native American communities, by summarizing and interpreting the relationship between geographic features and cultures of Maine Native Americans, and historical and recent immigrant groups in Maine, the United States, and the world.
