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5 ways to explore climate change using maps

Climate change impacts many aspects of our world; from increasing the cost of food, dramatic weather events, to the health of a community. Discover 5 ways maps can be used to explore this broad topic more deeply.

Climate change is the result of human activity so if we understand which human activities contribute to it, we can find ways to slow down the change. Using maps is one way to gain a deeper understanding as they are a great way to visualize information.

Here are 5 ways we can explore climate change with maps:

  1. Explore your neighbourhood through a climate change lens. In this lesson, students collect and map information on the reducers and contributors of climate change in their community.
  2. Using  a series of story maps from the Living in the Age of Humans collection, learn about the impact humans activities  have on our planet
  3. Understand the cost of beef. Eating meat comes at considerable cost to the environment and threatens our ability to feed the world's growing population

    Maps allow you to visualize information in a quick and fun way.
  4. Discover places in the world where people have become climate migrants - forced from their homes due to rising sea levels from melting glaciers and ice sheets
  5. Learn about marine debris in the Pacific Ocean and how it’s hurting  both humans and ocean ecosystems. In this activity, students will explore the ocean currents and the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

Explore the Living in the Age of Humans collection to learn about the impact humans activities are having on our planet

Find more resources at k12.esri.ca/resourcefinder.

Are you a K-12 teacher who is new to ArcGIS Online? Request your free account at k12.esri.ca/#access. Student accounts can be requested by teachers using the same link.

About the Author

Angela Alexander is a K-12 Education Specialist in the Esri Canada Education and Research group. She has over 15 years of experience working with educators across Canada. Angela focuses on producing geographic information system (GIS) and curriculum-specific resources, and conducting and creating custom workshops for educators. She manages the GIS Ambassador Program and is the Technical Chair for the annual Skills Ontario GIS competition. Angela also writes monthly posts for the Esri Canada Education and Research blog, highlighting K-12 educators and partners, new ArcGIS resources and GIS-related events.

Profile Photo of Angela Alexander