The Arctic: Infographics and Data Lesson
Lesson Plan
1 hour 15 minutesGrades6, 7, 8Geography, English Language Arts
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Written by Jennifer Williams, Elizabeth Ward
About this lesson
This lesson introduces students to the impacts of climate change on the Arctic.
Inquire: Students learn about the circumpolar Arctic and its geography and explore infographics as a way of conveying information about climate change impacts in the Arctic.
Investigate: Students watch a short video from the youth perspective about the impacts of climate change in one Canadian Arctic community and learn more about how climate change is impacting the Arctic.
Inspire: Students research one of their questions and design an infographic.
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Everything you need to teach it
How to edit these materials (video)Teaching tips
Suggestions
- This lesson situates the Arctic globally and introduces students to people who call the Arctic home, including youth.
- Alongside climate change, students learn about infographics as a way to understand and share information.
- To support and deepen data literacy, students can identify trends, comparisons, or patterns in the data to reinforce math and science skills.
- Students can investigate Arctic governance, Indigenous communities, or international agreements like the Arctic Council and include what they learn as a policy section in their infographic.
- Students can find real-time Arctic data, such as ice coverage or temperature changes, and show how conditions have changed over the past 10–20 years. Some examples include
Prerequisites
- For the “Is It an Infographic?” game, teachers should present the Teacher Slideshow in slideshow mode to conceal the answer at first glance.
- When teaching this lesson, teachers should have a baseline understanding of how climate change works. This short interactive course offers easy-to-understand information on the basics of climate change.
- Teachers will need to plan ahead for the gallery walk.
Differentiation
- Infographic creation could be digital, adding technology skills to the outcomes, if students have access to technology and the appropriate software.
- As an extension activity, students can research climate change impacts in a non-Arctic cold region like Siberia, Patagonia, or Antarctica and create an infographic comparing it to the Arctic.
- Students can write a short narrative or digital story from the perspective of a resident or animal in the Arctic and include climate change impacts.
From the scientist review
This lesson demonstrates the impacts of climate change on the Arctic region and thus provides a background for students to reflect on the causal relationship between temperature changes and ice melting, glaciers, permafrost, and sea level rise. Accordingly, this lesson is interactive, properly cited, and has passed our science credibility.
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About the teacher writers
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Jennifer Williams
Teacher
I am a certified teacher with a Master's in Environmental Education and am passionate about connecting youth to nature. I spent the majority of the last decade working for ship-based programs. First, I worked for Class Afloat, teaching for a Canadian high school situated on a tall ship. That experience was followed by Students on Ice, leading youth expeditions to the Arctic focusing on environmental and social programming. I am now based full-time in Ottawa, Canada substitute teaching coupled with other values-based projects supporting youth. When I'm not working you can find me out on the Ottawa River or in Gatineau Park hiking or cross-country skiing, making soap, or continuing to challenge myself in the quest to live a single-use plastic-free lifestyle.
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Elizabeth Ward
Elizabeth Ward, B.S., is SubjectToClimate's Chief Product Officer. She has more than 12 years of teaching experience across 3rd-grade science and social studies, Kindergarten, and online EFL, and holds a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education with an Early Childhood Endorsement. She has spent 8 years in the education sector, spanning curriculum development and ed tech. Outside of work, she loves exploring the natural beauty of her home state of Texas.
