Common Core State Standard L.CCS.1/2/3/4 Grades 6-12: Video of a current news event is presented for discussion to encourage student participation, but also inspire the use of evidence to support logical claims using the main ideas of the video. Students must analyze background information provided about a current event, draw out the main ideas and key details, and review different opinions on the issue. Then, students should present their own claims using facts and analysis for support.
03/11/2024
Ocean temperature hit record high in February
The average global sea surface temperature was 69.91 degrees Fahrenheit in February, the highest temperature on record. Marine scientists warned the heat could trigger a fourth mass coral bleaching event in the Southern Hemishpere. There is a 90% chance that Australia's Great Barrier Reef will suffer more of the bleaching which destroys ecosystems that support at least 25% of the world’s marine species, providing food and economic security for hundreds of millions of people.
■Class discussion: Besides threatening the world’s supply of seafood, how could warming waters endanger human life? How does water temperature affect the severity of storms? How could it affect coastal flooding? Do coral reefs help protect shorelines? Does water expand as it gets warmer? Does it speed up glacial melting? What steps should people take to cope with warming seas? Begin moving away from coasts? Try planting coral in cooler waters nearer the poles? Could Maine have coral reefs some day?