Methane Stores Underground | Arctic Sinkholes
Provided by: PBS|Published on: May 15, 2026
Grades: 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
Type: Videos
Subjects: Earth and Space Sciences
Authors: PBS
Region: Polar Regions, Alaska
Languages: English
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Synopsis
- This video explains how fossil methane in the Arctic is being released from underground.
- The resource also includes worksheets, a background reading, an answer key, and discussion questions to support the video.
Teaching Materials
Positives
- This video is brief and easy for viewers to understand.
- The resource provides a helpful background reading that contextualizes much of the information in the video.
Prerequisites
- Students may need the term permafrost defined before watching.
- The included worksheet asks students to draw a model of the carbon cycle. The video does not include an explicit explanation of this cycle, so students may benefit from viewing a video like this one before completing the worksheet for this resource.
Differentiation & Implementation
- Teachers may want to pre-teach about permafrost to ensure all students have the appropriate background knowledge. This video may be helpful in explaining its relationship to this topic.
- To learn more about climate change in the Arctic, students can check out this virtual experience.
- Students can complete the background reading and watch the video before coming to class to discuss the video and its implications.
This video and worksheets discuss methane in the Arctic and its relationship to carbon and climate change. Methane is often discussed alongside carbon dioxide when discussing climate change. It is a more powerful greenhouse gas (causes more warming) than carbon, but it does not stay in the atmosphere as long. The information presented is accurate, and this resource is recommended for teaching.
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
Learn about our review process →
