Positives

• This video provides connections between interdisciplinary topics while emphasizing that all of these history-shaping events had direct ties to the climate. 
• It presents a clear picture of people shaping their environment while their environment is shaping them.   

Additional Prerequisites 

• Providing students with information on the transition from Ming to Qing dynasties in China, the low-lying geography of the Netherlands, or the North American settlements of the Vikings would help to deepen understandings. 

Differentiation

• Recent research into the causes of The Little Ice Age have given scientists more insight. Have your students dig into this topic and draw parallels to what our climate data is showing today.  
• Climate change preceding political upheaval happens in current times. Invite students to look at the climatic conditions in Syria and the surrounding region prior to the 2011 uprising that sparked a civil war. 
• Success or failure of those who lived during this era often came down to innovation. Ask students to utilize data related to climate policy, investigate sustainable industrial products, or examine new approaches that may provide a pathway forward to enacting climate solutions.