Attribution Science: Linking Climate Change to Extreme Weather

Positives

• The short article clearly introduces the concept of attribution science and thoroughly explains the methods behind this practice.
• The explanation of attribution science effectively details the nuances of providing evidence that supports claims but does not necessarily prove a causal relationship.

Additional Prerequisites

• Students should understand the difference between climate and weather, and be familiar with explaining the relationship between two variables.

Differentiation

• Students can read and annotate the article in pairs and then work together to summarize their understanding of the concept of attribution science.
• Students can independently research other fields where attribution science is used and then have a discussion about how attribution science can be used as evidence for a claim, and its limitations.
• Other recommended resources include the e-book Extreme Weather and the Climate Crisis: What you Need to Know and this Table of Solutions to climate change by Project Drawdown.