Climate Change at the Doorstep

Climate Change at the Doorstep
http://www.pbs.org/video/need-to-know-climate-change-at-the-doorstep-1/

PBS

This PBS video focuses on sea level rise in Norfolk, Virginia and how the residents are managing the logistical, financial and political implications. Science journalists who have been studying Norfolk's rising sea level problems are interviewed, as well as local residents who are being impacted.

Video length: 11:35 min.

Learn more about Teaching Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness»

See how this Video supports the Next Generation Science Standards»

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Middle School

Disciplinary Core Ideas: 3

MS-ESS2.D1: Weather and climate are influenced by interactions involving sunlight, the ocean, the atmosphere, ice, landforms, and living things. These interactions vary with latitude, altitude, and local and regional geography, all of which can affect oceanic and atmospheric flow patterns.

MS-ESS2.D3: The ocean exerts a major influence on weather and climate by absorbing energy from the sun, releasing it over time, and globally redistributing it through ocean currents.

MS-ESS3.D1: Human activities, such as the release of greenhouse gases from burning fossil fuels, are major factors in the current rise in Earth’s mean surface temperature (global warming). Reducing the level of climate change and reducing human vulnerability to whatever climate changes do occur depend on the understanding of climate science, engineering capabilities, and other kinds of knowledge, such as understanding of human behavior and on applying that knowledge wisely in decisions and activities.

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High School

Disciplinary Core Ideas: 3

HS-ESS2.D1: The foundation for Earth’s global climate systems is the electromagnetic radiation from the sun, as well as its reflection, absorption, storage, and redistribution among the atmosphere, ocean, and land systems, and this energy’s re-radiation into space.

HS-ESS2.D3: Changes in the atmosphere due to human activity have increased carbon dioxide concentrations and thus affect climate.

HS-ESS3.D1: Though the magnitudes of human impacts are greater than they have ever been, so too are human abilities to model, predict, and manage current and future impacts.

Climate Literacy

This Video builds on the following concepts of Climate Literacy.

Click a topic below for supporting information, teaching ideas, and sample activities.

Energy Literacy

This Video builds on the following concepts of Energy Literacy.

Click a topic below for supporting information, teaching ideas, and sample activities.

Notes From Our Reviewers The CLEAN collection is hand-picked and rigorously reviewed for scientific accuracy and classroom effectiveness. Read what our review team had to say about this resource below or learn more about how CLEAN reviews teaching materials
Teaching Tips | Science | Pedagogy | Technical Details

Teaching Tips

Norfolk, Virginia has a major base of the U.S. Navy, which takes climate change and sea level rise very seriously.
Norfolk continues to struggle with these issues and solutions remain difficult- https://www.npr.org/2023/09/02/1193726251/at-risk-from-rising-seas-norfolk-virginia-plans-massive-controversial-floodwall.
See: Rear Admiral David Titley, Oceanographer and Navigator of the US Navy- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2yvky_xmwk&feature=related

About the Content

This video offers a case study of a community where sea level rise is already an issue and a glimpse of the related social and infrastructure issues.
Comments from expert scientist: It mentions both land-ice melt and thermal expansion of water as drivers of sea-level rise. Resource includes the role of local subsidence (Norfolk, VA is built on drained wetlands--easily compressed compared to bedrock).

About the Pedagogy

This video offers viewers an example of how climate change impacts a community through sea level rise.
Can be used to spark discussion and further research.
A good complement to other CLEAN sea level rise resources.

Technical Details/Ease of Use

The video is of good production quality and can be embedded.

Related URLs These related sites were noted by our reviewers but have not been reviewed by CLEAN

Bases at Risk: http://global-warning.org/main/installations/
NY Times article on Norfolk: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/26/science/earth/26norfolk.html
U.S. Navy Climate Change Roadmap: http://www.navy.mil/navydata/documents/CCR.pdf

Entered the Collection: March 2013 | Last Reviewed: January 2025

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Middle School (see details)

Middle School

Disciplinary Core Ideas: 3

High School (see details)

High School

Disciplinary Core Ideas: 3

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Energy Literacy

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About the Content

About the Pedagogy

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Related URLs These related sites were noted by our reviewers but have not been reviewed by CLEAN

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