Coral Reefs in Hot Water

Coral Reefs in Hot Water
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mQl6xJiWl8

NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)

Coral Reefs in Hot Water is a short video displaying computerized data collected on the number of reefs impacted by coral bleaching around the world.

Video length: 2:44 min.

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See how this Video supports the Next Generation Science Standards»

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Middle School

Disciplinary Core Ideas: 6

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-ESS3.C1: Human activities have significantly altered the biosphere, sometimes damaging or destroying natural habitats and causing the extinction of other species. But changes to Earth’s environments can have different impacts (negative and positive) for different living things.

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.

MS-LS2.C1: Ecosystems are dynamic in nature; their characteristics can vary over time. Disruptions to any physical or biological component of an ecosystem can lead to shifts in all its populations.

MS-LS2.C2: Biodiversity describes the variety of species found in Earth’s terrestrial and oceanic ecosystems. The completeness or integrity of an ecosystem’s biodiversity is often used as a measure of its health

MS-LS4.D1: Changes in biodiversity can influence humans’ resources, such as food, energy, and medicines, as well as ecosystem services that humans rely on—for example, water purification and recycling.

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High School

Disciplinary Core Ideas: 6

HS-ESS2.C1: The abundance of liquid water on Earth’s surface and its unique combination of physical and chemical properties are central to the planet’s dynamics. These properties include water’s exceptional capacity to absorb, store, and release large amounts of energy, transmit sunlight, expand upon freezing, dissolve and transport materials, and lower the viscosities and melting points of rocks.

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-ESS3.C1: The sustainability of human societies and the biodiversity that supports them requires responsible management of natural resources.

HS-LS2.C1: A complex set of interactions within an ecosystem can keep its numbers and types of organisms relatively constant over long periods of time under stable conditions. If a modest biological or physical disturbance to an ecosystem occurs, it may return to its more or less original status (i.e., the ecosystem is resilient), as opposed to becoming a very different ecosystem. Extreme fluctuations in conditions or the size of any population, however, can challenge the functioning of ecosystems in terms of resources and habitat availability.

HS-LS2.C2: Moreover, anthropogenic changes (induced by human activity) in the environment—including habitat destruction, pollution, introduction of invasive species, overexploitation, and climate change—can disrupt an ecosystem and threaten the survival of some species.

HS-LS4.D2: Biodiversity is increased by the formation of new species (speciation) and decreased by the loss of species (extinction).

Climate Literacy

This Video builds on the following concepts of Climate 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

Basic overview of coral bleaching supported by downloadable fact sheets on coral bleaching.
Its most powerful message is within its data graphics of coral bleaching locations around the globe.

About the Science

Concise, to-the-point, general overview to coral bleaching.
Global graphics that show scale of bleaching throughout the oceans is powerful.
Short video shows relationship between warmer oceans and coral reef health and heat stress.
Comments from expert scientist: This is not an activity, but it is a very well-put together visualization about coral bleaching. The mapping is wonderful.
This video pre-dates the coral bleaching events of 2016, but the concept remains the same. An update on recent coral bleaching as of 2016 is here: http://coralreefwatch.noaa.gov/satellite/analyses_guidance/global_coral_bleaching_2014-17_status.php.

About the Pedagogy

Knowing what coral bleaching is prior to watching video might be helpful as video only gives a brief, concise definition.
Background fact sheets are provided as well as downloadable video webinar.
There are display options to show video in other museums or informal science centers.
Video and supporting materials could potentially comprise an entire unit for an educator.
A short transcript goes along with the video.

Technical Details/Ease of Use

Technical computerized imagery is good.
The visualizations make the impact of coral bleaching very easy to see on a global scale.
Well-organized supplementary materials and multimedia resources.

Entered the Collection: February 2013 Last Reviewed: October 2016

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Middle School (see details)

Middle School

Disciplinary Core Ideas: 6

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High School

Disciplinary Core Ideas: 6

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