Unnatural Disasters
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Provided by: National Wildlife Federation|Published on: January 23, 2026
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Scientist Reviewed 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 StoryMap from the National Wildlife Federation uses interactive maps, videos, audio recordings, and other media to illustrate how climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of climate disasters.
- Students will read about examples of wildfires, hurricanes, droughts, heat events, floods, and algal blooms that have occurred between 2020 and 2024, demonstrating damage exacerbated by climate change.
Subjects: Earth and Space Sciences
Authors: National Wildlife Federation
Region: United States
Languages: English
Teaching Materials
Positives
- Students will love the interactive and multimedia components of this resource.
- The StoryMap ends with a hopeful call to action that brings readers a much-needed sense of empowerment.
Prerequisites
- Students should understand climate change and its causes.
Differentiation & Implementation
- After reading through the StoryMap, students can write letters to their representatives urging them to support funding for FEMA and NOAA. Students can cite evidence from the story map to support their stance.
- Teachers can have all students read the introductory portion of this resource, then choose what they want to learn more about or assign one of the types of disasters.
- To further understand atmospheric rivers, which are mentioned in the flooding portion of the resource, students can read this article.
- Teachers can use the Take Action portion to transition into a discussion or exploration of climate solutions. This resource can help students explore a variety of solutions.
- Teachers can use this resource to make connections to the Sustainable Development Goals, especially SDG 11, Sustainable Cities and Communities.
This resource from Esri’s StoryMaps platform explores how climate change is affecting the water cycle using maps, animations, videos, and audio recordings to connect science with real-world examples. The interactive format visualizes complex concepts like wildfires, flooding, and algal blooms. Created by a trusted source, it doesn’t include original datasets but presents well-sourced information in an engaging way. This resource is a great tool for sparking classroom conversations about climate science, water systems, and the impacts of a warming planet.
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About the Partner Provider
National Wildlife Federation
The mission of the National Wildlife Federation is to unite all Americans to ensure wildlife thrives in a rapidly changing world. The National Wildlife Federation believes that in order to save wildlife and ourselves, we need to ensure that all Americans have access to clean air and water, safe communities, easy and equitable access to nature, and protection from the ravages of climate change. NWF has a long and respected track record in the field of environmental education and is a leader in applying nature and wildlife conservation to improve K-12 student achievement, particularly in the STEM disciplines, and fostering youth leadership and environmental stewardship. Our programs allow individuals to explore, analyze and take action on many key environmental issues facing communities, such as climate change, wildlife conservation, and environmental justice, with the end result of creating healthy, resilient, just, and thriving communities.
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 →
