Phase 2: Understanding the Problem
1. In small groups students conduct further research, using the resources below, to explore the identified local or global housing problem caused by rising sea levels.
#Students may like to annotate a digital world map, locating and recording the communities around the world who have already been affected by rising sea levels.
2. Conduct a scientific investigation (working scientifically) - investigate the impact on sea level rise by the two different types of ice - land and sea ice.
Have students use the following process
- What’s the question: e.g. Which type of ice - land ice or sea ice - has the biggest impact on sea level rise?
- Students predict and reason what the result will be
- How will we conduct this investigation?
What will we change? Type of ice (land and sea)
What will we keep the same? Container, amount of water in the container to begin with, the number of ice cubes symbolising the type of ice,
What will we measure? The rise in water level after 10mins, after 20mins
Equipment required: 3 containers (plastic or glass), two rocks or clay to act as the ‘land’, water, masking tape, ice cubes, texta to mark all containers with the original water height.
See images below for examples of what this scientific inquiry could look like.
- Test students’ predictions: record data in a table
e.g
Type of ice 0 mins 10mins 20mins ....
Sea ice 3.5cms data..
Land ice 3.5cms 4.2cms
Water (no ice) 3.5cms data..
- What does the data tell us? What conclusions can we make?
3. Who Needs What because Why? Who has the problem, What is the problem, Why is it important? As a group, students compose a “problem & opportunity” statement:
Example - How can we as structural or humanitarian engineers design housing solutions so the people of Hue Vietnam/Carteret Islands/Ballina are protected from the risk of rising sea levels for the next century?
4. Conduct a class video conference (Facetime, Google hangout, Skype) with Lism/Wollongong connected classroom - Each class will share 4 key findings from the research, how the rising sea levels may affect their local community and a Problem & Opportunity statement.
These are examples only of what the scientific inquiry could look like.
Research
Please familiarise yourself with these resources and select those most appropriate for your students.
Exploring these resources may lead to further questions and research of interest to students, i.e., melting ice sheets of Antarctica and Greenland. Allow students flexibility to research different aspects of this local and global issue in order to build their understanding and engagement.
Interactive map: Coastal Risk Australia
Predicted coastal flooding across Australia resulting from climate change and rising sea levels.
