To the left is a Google Earth video tour with Kofi Annan explaining the effects of our changing climate, and how individuals and organizations are working to cope with them.

Plan a lesson around showing this video in your classroom to get your students thinking about climate change. Then explore the specific effects of climate change in Google Earth using the data layers available for download below!

Planning your Climate Change Lesson

Use both video tours and individual data layers to help teach your students about climate change and the impact it has all over the world. Lesson plans for all grade levels can be created from these resources. Check out some of our ideas for creating lesson plans around Kofi Annan's tour below. You might want to use additional videos in your lessons, too.

1. Create a quiz for students to answer while watching the film.
2. Before watching the video, discuss definitions for key vocabulary words relating to climate change mentioned in the film. Have students list one or two examples of where each vocabulary word came up in the film.
3. Have each student choose one country on the globe. Analyze all data layers, focusing on that specific country. Use the information to tell a story of the impact of climate change on that country. Present to the class, using Google Earth and selected layers in their presentation.

Submit a lesson plan on climate change.

We'll review it and add it to our lesson plan library so other teachers can use it around the world.

Download Google Earth KML files of climate change layers:

> Temperature Observations, 1901-1990 (KMZ, 566K)
> Deaths from Climate Change (KMZ, 155K)
> Climate Projections under High Emissions, 2004-2100 (KMZ, 289K)
> Projections of Global Temperature Extremes (KMZ, 265K)
> Global Food Security Projections (KMZ, 1.4M)
> Projections of Food Security in Africa (KMZ, 235K)
> Greenland Ice Melt, 1980-2007 (KMZ, 234K)
> Sea Level Rise Scenarios in Bangladesh (KMZ, 181K)
> 2007 Bangladesh Floods (KMZ, 480K)
> Global Projections of Drought (KMZ, 1.2M)
> Global Water Resources (KMZ, 284 KB)
> Global Relative Change in Water Runoff (KMZ, 1.3M)
> Global Dengue Fever Projections (KMZ, 430K)
> Projections of Malaria in Africa (KMZ, 187K)
> 2005 CO2 Emissions, by Country (KMZ, 128K)

Other Resources:

> More Google Earth tours related to climate change
- 15 tours from Al Gore, Jane Goodall, Greenpeace, and more
- 4 new tours from the Green Belt Movement, Oceana, and more

> Are you interested in using Google Earth Pro for your classroom or organization?
- Google Geo Education grants free software licenses to eligible K-12 and higher education institutions. Learn more
- Google Earth Outreach grants free software licenses to eligible non-profit organizations. Learn more

Source: Google Earth for Educators

<< Previous page --- Next page >>

TOP