Cookie Policy

Our website uses cookies to understand content and feature usage to drive site improvements over time. To learn more, review our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Indirect Impacts of Climate Change

Driving Question: How is climate change affecting people?

Explore the ways that changes in Earth’s natural systems are impacting human systems. Investigate the connections between climate impacts and their effects on people and communities around the world.

Learning Objectives:

  1. Identify and describe indirect impacts of climate change.
  2. Analyze how climate impacts vary depending on factors such as geography, health, and income.
  3. Evaluate evidence to understand the effects of climate change on humans.

Vocab Terms:

  • climate justice
  • disease vectors
  • indirect impacts
  • infrastructure
  • migration
STEP 1

Opener: Indirect Impacts of Climate Change

Teaching Tips

To teach this lesson step, refer to page 2 of Lesson 2.3 Teaching Guide Locked .

STEP 2

Exploring Risks

Teaching Tips

To teach this lesson step, refer to page 3 of Lesson 2.3 Teaching Guide Locked .

How do people and regions experience varying vulnerabilities to climate change? Where you live and what you do for a living can determine how you experience certain climate impacts.

STEP 3

Assessing Correlation and Causation

Teaching Tips

To teach this lesson step, refer to page 4 of Lesson 2.3 Teaching Guide Locked .

Looking to differentiate, modify or adapt this assignment? Check out our Differentiation Guide External link .

Does eating ice cream cause violent crime? Being able to accurately assess the relationship between two factors will help you make good use of information and enable you to see when information is being used to support a faulty assertion.

STEP 4

Climate and Human Health

Teaching Tips

To teach this lesson step, refer to page 7 of Lesson 2.3 Teaching Guide Locked .

Our online teacher community is a great resource for suggestions on how to implement climate project External link in your classroom.

STEP 5

Exploring Climate Justice

Teaching Tips

To teach this lesson step, refer to page 9 of Lesson 2.3 Teaching Guide Locked .

Climate change has no bias, but societies do. What’s the role of climate and environmental justice when it comes to taking on climate change? First, use the activity to think about your own definitions, and then learn more in the video.

Are Natural Disasters Actually Natural?

How can injustice within societal structures causes climate change to affect some more than others? Our friends at Crash Course break down climate and environmental justice.

Key Ideas

As this video progresses, key ideas will be introduced to invoke discussion.
STEP 6

Climate and Disease

Teaching Tips

To teach this lesson step, refer to page 10 of Lesson 2.3 Teaching Guide Locked .

Check out this blog postHow to write without writing External link – for some strategies to get students excited about writing.

We had been winning the war against mosquitoes, but is the tide turning in their favor? Check out the facts in the infographic, and then use the activity to evaluate the evidence.

STEP 7

Closer: Indirect Impacts of Climate Change

Teaching Tips

To teach this lesson step, refer to page 12 of Lesson 2.3 Teaching Guide Locked .

You’ve explored the direct and indirect impacts of climate change. What do you think are the most important issues to address? You’ll decide by exploring some of the solutions.