Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash.
In the third installment (July 25, 2022) of Climate Change Education Corner, NCSE's Executive Director Ann Reid asks, "Climate Change Causes Extreme Weather Events: Yes, No, or Wrong Question?" Noting that the relationship between extreme weather and climate change is complicated, she argues that it is still appropriate for the science classroom.
"First, extreme weather really gets students' attention, especially when it affects them, their families, and their communities, and the first question they might ask is whether climate change is responsible," she observes. "Second, the more we know about how climate change may affect extreme weather, the better prepared we can be." Reid concludes, "What's the takeaway message? It's that with a little preparation by the teacher, a science classroom can be a hospitable place for students to address questions about whether, in what sense, and to what extent the evidence shows that climate change causes extreme weather events," recommending a set of activities for doing so developed by NCSE.
A new series on the National Science Teaching Association's blog, Climate Change Education Corner features posts by NCSE authors with helpful information, insights, and resources for science educators about climate change and climate change education. The series is produced by NCSE and NSTA in collaboration. New posts will appear every quarter.
