Extreme Weather MEL
Synopsis
This activity asks students to weigh evidence about the relationship between extreme weather and climate change by completing or building a model-evidence link diagram that compares alternative explanations.
Students use either a pre-constructed version with two models and four lines of evidence or a build-your-own version in which they choose two of three models and four of eight lines of evidence.
This activity also includes a lateral reading exercise in which students evaluate the credibility of online sources about wildfires in the United States.
Teaching Materials
Preparation:
Editable versions of the materials are available in Google Drive, should teachers need to make changes or implement the activity virtually.
Classroom Implementation:
Use this activity to support students in scientific and persuasive writing, connecting it to the claim, evidence, and reasoning format. The connection between the formats is most evident in the explanation task.
Use this activity in a weather and climate unit to practice scientific argumentation before introducing how scientists study specific extreme events.
Broken Links:
Note that some of the links under "Digital Resources" are broken. This doesn't impact the activity's implementation.
Differentiation:
This activity includes a pre-construction option for students who are unfamiliar with the process and a more open-ended version for older students or those who have done an MEL before.
Extensions:
Pair the lateral reading portion with a media literacy unit on identifying misinformation.
Have students find news coverage of a recent extreme weather event in their region and evaluate its sources with the same guiding questions.
Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
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