Introduction
Research happening on MIT's campus right now is shaping how we think about the past, present, and future of weather and climate change. Meet three MIT experts who want YOUR ideas! What’s the best way to inform the public of a pending weather emergency? What’s the ocean’s role in weather across all of Earth’s climates? How do shared stories and physical evidence help us understand future weather patterns?
Autumn Term - Tropical Cyclones
Extreme weather events change quickly. Meteorologists analyze data, predict outcomes, and communicate recommendations to the public. Will the public listen and take precautions, even with inevitable uncertainty?
A huge tropical cyclone is approaching. It's time for your students to become weather forecasters! Release fresh data to your students each day and challenge them to analyze the changing conditions and make fresh predictions based on the new possibilities. Guide the public to weather the storm!
Introduction Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DObuKkjbDG0&t=9s
Questions and Answers - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0B6lpd8SFK4&t=1s
Final thoughts - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiha4Mv5tRY&t=3s
Additional Resources
http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1975813_1975844_1976436,00.html
https://eapsweb.mit.edu/people/kokey
https://climateprimer.mit.edu/
https://news.mit.edu/search?keyword=kerry+emanuel
Spring Term - Sea Sleuth
Be a weather detective! We need your students to help us track extreme weather to the source! Luckily, we have the perfect expert to help us crack the case.
Every weather phenomena and extreme weather event can be traced back to the ocean, from flooding to drought. Understanding the water cycle is crucial to understanding weather. Climate change and warming ocean temperatures exacerbate extreme weather events—this challenge helps us understand that more fully.
Complete this challenge to understand the water cycle and the important role the ocean plays in every aspect of extreme weather.
Introduction Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0l4pt8d06oA&t=2s
Questions and Answers - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guTOTta4-H0
Final thoughts - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mk03TANt-w&t=6s
Additional Resources
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRJcezey7SU
https://news.mit.edu/search?keyword=woods+hole+oceanographic+institute
https://www.usgs.gov/special-topics/water-science-school/science/water-cycle-components
Summer Term - Scratching the surface
Our planet has 4.5 billion years of history, packed with extreme changes in weather and climate, from a mostly tropical planet to a snowball Earth! But how do we know that?
We have to learn how to read the planet—like a geologist! Explore a recent extreme weather event, and creatively demonstrate the impact this weather event had on the local environment and landscape. Then start to think like a geologist! Figure out what impact this event might have on the geologic record.
Understanding the past is the key to navigating a changing future. Learn to read the records of our planet and prepare for the future!
Introduction Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXIBzXSt8IQ&t=3s
Questions and Answers - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hqDzWkD4ZQ&t=4s
Final thoughts - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIz2OQYcmBs&t=1s
Additional Resources
https://kdberg.scripts.mit.edu/kdberg/
https://news.mit.edu/2017/mit-professor-kristin-bergmann-uses-drones-to-study-death-valley-0516
https://news.mit.edu/2021/geologists-produce-new-timeline-earths-paleozoic-climate-changes-0201