Our Ocean | Timelapse in Google Earth

• This time-lapse video uses Google Earth to show how climate change has impacted ice in the Arctic and how it may increase sea level rise in New York City, London, and Tokyo. 
• The first part of the video shows how ice in the Arctic has melted between 1984 and 2020, while the second part of the video predicts what sea level rise will do to London, New York City, and Tokyo if global temperatures rise by 2°C. 

Positives

• Timelapse video shows the progression of ice melt between 1984 and 2020, while back-to-back still images show the stark contrast between the landscape in 1984 and 2020.
• The video includes thought-provoking data and quotations.

Additional Prerequisites

• Students should be familiar with basic climate change concepts such as global warming, greenhouse gas emissions, and sea level rise.

Differentiation

• Biology classes could make a list of the ways melting sea ice could affect ecosystems in the Arctic. Once students have completed their lists, they could view this video on how species are adapting to warming temperatures in the Arctic. In pairs, students could discuss how their list compares to the information in the video.
• Social studies classes could discuss how sea level rise will change societies. Students could consider the cultural, economic, and environmental impacts in major coastal cities and small towns around the world.
• Other resources on this topic include this lesson plan and video on the impact of melting ice in Alaska's coastal communities, this interactive graph that shows ice cover in the Arctic and Antarctic regions, and this lesson plan and experiments on climate change and sea level rise.
  

This resource addresses the listed standards. To fully meet standards, search for more related resources.