The History of Climate Change
Driving Question: What can the history of climate change teach us about the present and future?
For billions of years, Earth’s climate has shaped the evolution of life. But over the past 250, humans have become the biggest force driving climate change. What can the story of our planet’s past teach us about the choices we face today—and the future we want to build?
Learning Objectives:
- Explore how climate change shaped the past, influences the present, and could impact the future.
- Explain the connection between the Industrial Revolution and today’s climate challenges.
- Analyze how environmental movements worked to protect natural resources and promote conservation.
Natural disasters are at times referred to as “acts of God” because they seem to come out of nowhere. But scientists actually know quite a bit about how they happen. Check out this opener to learn more.
What do tree rings have to do with pirates?
Trees don’t just grow—they record history. Scientists can read tree rings like natural archives, uncovering past climate events such as droughts, fires, and even hurricanes. By pairing tree-ring data with historical shipwreck records, researchers identified a decades-long lull in storms. That stretch of calmer seas may have helped fuel the Golden Age of Piracy—showing how even subtle shifts in climate can ripple through history in surprising ways.
It seems we hear news about the uncertain future of our climate every day—this video and activity help put things into a long-term perspective.
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Guiding Questions
This activity requires some preparation—you’ll need to print the game template and gather large sheets of paper and markers. We promise it’s worth the effort! Be sure to review page 6 of the Lesson Guide for detailed teacher instructions before you begin.
Coal powered Britain’s rise as an industrial superpower, but it also supercharged changes to the atmosphere that are still unfolding today. These resources explore how the Industrial Revolution reshaped both human societies and Earth’s climate—and why that history matters for our future.
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Guiding Questions
To add some context to a discussion on environmentalism and climate change, check out this blog post, which questions whether the movement is still relevant.
What do Frankenstein and Teddy Roosevelt have in common? Both were inspired—and humbled—by the wild beauty and power of nature.
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Guiding Questions
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Guiding Questions
There are many possible futures. How do you imagine the climate of tomorrow?
To dive deeper into early environmental activism, compare and contrast the legacies of the figures in these graphic biographies.
This graphic biography tool can further support close reading and analysis.
As change accelerated, the environment suffered—but some people sought solutions to overcome these negative effects.
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Guiding Questions
