Global Climate Shift Index
Data, Graphs, and Maps
Grades6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12Earth and Space Sciences, Geography
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Provided by Climate Central
What it is
- This interactive resource allows students to view a color-coded global map showing the likelihood that climate change had an impact on the daily average temperature on a specific date.
- Students will be able to see the regions where climate change is most likely affecting temperatures today.
Teaching tips
Positives
- The map is easy to navigate and is simple to interpret.
- Students will enjoy looking at the data for dates or locations that are special to them.
Prerequisites
- Students should know what the Climate Shift Index measures and know how to read a map.
- The "Choose a Date" option allows you to select dates that do not have any data. It appears that their data only goes back about one year.
Differentiation & Implementation
- Cross-curricular connections can be made in health classes that are considering how human health is impacted by rising temperatures around the world.
- As a class, use today's data to have a discussion about the data provided and ask them what stands out about the data presented on the map. Are there certain areas that experience more effects but may not be contributing much pollution?
- Science and social studies classes can discuss the trends seen during summer months and discuss how higher temperatures in some areas may affect food production or urban communities.
- Have students look up a special date in the past year, like their birthday, and then have them share with a peer or the class what they learned from the data presented in the resource for that date.
- Have students in geography classes write a paper about three locations on a specific date, comparing and contrasting what it would be like in those places or what they might be doing on that day in those locations.
From the scientist review
This interactive map depicts temperature anomalies and patterns, taking into account the realities of climate change. Global temperature is increasing, and this is caused by climate change. As indicated in the map, students can easily explore to understand the shift. Again, the information is real-time, although downscaling the model to local scale reduces accuracy of the forecast. This map could only be considered as a reference tool to prepare for impending climate risk at regional and global scales. This resource is recommended for teaching.
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Hosted on csi.climatecentral.org
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