Lesson Plan - 5 Big Questions About Extreme Weather

Watch a Video: Let’s Talk About Climate Change
Ask: Which kinds of extreme weather may be occurring more often because of rising global temperatures? Which kinds may be getting more intense?

Preview Words to Know
Project the online vocabulary slideshow and introduce the Words to Know. 

• drought
• intensity

Set a Purpose for Reading
Point out the “As You Read” question, and have students identify ways experts think humans are affecting the global climate. 

1. Why does the author mention the 2021 heat wave in the Pacific Northwest?
The author mentions the heat wave as an example of a destructive weather event that scientists believe is linked to climate change.
^{R.6 Author’s Craft} 

2. According to most climate scientists, how are humans contributing to Earth’s current warming trend?
Most scientists say humans contribute to the warming trend when they burn fossil fuels to create electricity or to power cars and planes
^{R.2 Key Details}

3. What is the greenhouse effect?
The greenhouse effect is what happens when gases like carbon dioxide act as a blanket and trap some of the sun’s heat in Earth’s atmosphere.
^{R.3 Explaining Ideas}

FEATURED SKILL: Text Features
Use the skill builder “Focus on Text Features” to have students analyze various text features in the article. 
^{R.7 Text Features}