Unit 2: Introduction to Climate Change

Rising global temperatures are having ripple effects throughout ecosystems and communities. Discover how climate change is impacting us and our planet, and what the future might hold.

Lesson 2.1

Evaluating Climate Impacts

Understanding the impacts of climate change is the first step in addressing them. How is climate change affecting us?

Lesson 2.2

Direct Impacts of Climate Change

Explore the effects of climate change on Earth’s natural systems now and in the future to understand why even small amounts of warming can have big impacts.

Lesson 2.3

Indirect Impacts of Climate Change

How is climate change impacting people and communities? Investigate the effects of rising temperatures that can be harder to see.

Lesson 2.4

Climate Vocabulary

Understanding—or misunderstanding—can depend on a single word or phrase. Dig into the vocabulary around climate change to build a shared understanding of the topic.

Featured Materials

Video

How Will Climate Change Continue to Affect Us?

The impact of a warming planet isn’t just about fewer opportunities to build snowmen. Explore how seemingly small increases in global temperatures are creating ripple effects that we feel now—and which will be felt even more intensely in the future.

Visual Aid

Climate Change Impacts Profiles

Use these profiles to complete the Climate Change Impacts Around the World activity.

Article

Data Exploration: The Direct Impacts of Climate Change

This data exploration focuses on global sea-level rise—its connections to greenhouse gas emissions and the ways it threatens human communities all over the world.

Activity

Claim Testing – The Impacts of Climate Change

You’ve learned a lot about the direct impacts of climate change. Now it’s time to use your claim-testing skills and evidence from this lesson to evaluate some of the claims about these direct impacts.