Will Climate Change Make Chicago at Risk of Hurricanes?
Articles/Websites
Grades6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12Earth and Space Sciences
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Provided by CBS News
What it is
- The news article from CBS News Chicago discusses how hurricanes in the southern gulf states are now affecting the people of Illinois.
- The article makes the connection between climate change and the increasing intensity and consequences of tropical storms and hurricanes.
Teaching tips
Positives
- The video linked to the article builds students' background knowledge of what hurricane damage looks like in the coastal states.
- The article allows for students who don't live along the coast to understand that there are still impacts to the inland states. The article also makes a clear connection between climate change and the increase in frequency and intensity of hurricanes and tropical storms.
Prerequisites
- There are some advertisements and links to other news articles that may not be appropriate for students. Teachers may want to consider printing the article for students instead of having them view the article via the webpage link.
- Students should have a general idea of which states (coastal, gulf, etc.) are most affected by hurricanes and which states (inland) do not usually experience hurricanes.
- Students may benefit students from understanding climate change and its impacts on extreme weather events.
Differentiation & Implementation
- The video Why are Hurricanes Getting Stronger will further stress the connection between climate change and the increase in frequency and intensity of hurricanes.
- Students can research the last 10 years of hurricanes and record each individual hurricane's Saffir-Simpson Scale category. Plotting the data on a graph, students can analyze if there is a trend and what the causes of that trend may be.
- Other resources teachers may want to explore with their students related to climate change and extreme weather are Extreme Weather and the Climate Crisis: What You Need to Know, Is Climate Change Supercharging Hurricanes, and Extreme Weather and Natural Disasters Lesson. These lessons and videos will make the connection between climate change and extreme weather events of all kinds more accessible to students.
From the scientist review
The news article discusses how hurricanes and tropical storms impact Illinois and how these impacts have changed and are expected to change as the climate changes. It also touches on the importance of being prepared for these extreme events. The information presented is accurate, and this resource is recommended for teaching.
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