Activity One - Truth or Fiction

There is a lot in the news about the changes in our climate causing a greater incidence of extreme weather but is this actually true? Watch the two Youtube clips below and make notes on the different views on the relationship between climate change and hurricanes.

Activity Two - Mind Mapping

As you saw in the previous activity definitely saying whether climate change is impacting the incidence of climatic hazards is tricky. For this activity you are going to find evidence for both the for and against arguments to be able to write a balanced view. We are going to focus on hurricanes which are easy to quantify and the expansion of deserts. While you need to have a record of the evidence for both sides of the argument you will initially work in teams to look at one side only. We will then discuss each teams' findings with the whole class. This will give the class the opportunity to extend what they have found out and to record the opposite view point. 

• • 1. Collect a piece of A3 paper and fold it in half. 

    2. Write a heading 'Climate Change does cause the incidence of climatic hazards to increase' and a subheading 'Droughts'.

    3. From the pack of coloured pens pick one colour and write 'For' on the left side of the A3 paper.

    4. Choose another colour from the pack pf pens and write 'Against' on the right side of the A3 paper.

    5. Complete steps 2 - 4 but for 'Hurricanes'.

    6. Use the articles in the 'Useful Resources' box and make bullet-pointed notes to support both arguments. Remember to consider the following points:

       1. 1. 1. 1. • Incidence

                   • Severity

                   • Natural greenhouse effect

                   • Enhanced greenhouse effect

Useful Resources

Activity Three - Discuss

You have now completed a fair amount of research looking at the links between the severity and incidence of climate hazards and climate change. We are now going to discuss the following questions as a group. As we do make notes of what your peers think.

• • 1. How strong is the link between climate change and the incidence of extreme weather events?

    2. How strong is the link between climate change and the severity of extreme weather events.

    3. To what extent do extreme weather events have nothing to do with climate change?

    4. To what extent does climate change impact the number of people who are vulnerable to climatic hazards.