ENVIRONMENT Scientists are warning that devastating bleaching of colorful coral is becoming a worldwide crisis. (Christian Science Monitor) Use our resources to learn more about coral reefs and the threats they face. Teachers, scroll down for a quick list of key resources in our Teachers’ Toolkit. Discussion Ideas Scientists have announced the emergence of a major worldwide coral bleaching event. What is coral bleaching? Read … Continue reading Coral Bleaching Crisis
ENVIRONMENT This year is on track to be one of the hottest, if not the hottest, year on record, a U.N. agency has reported. (CNN) Use this activity to learn more about “Earth’s Changing Climates.” Teachers, scroll down for a short list of key resources in our “Teachers’ Toolkit.” In this 26-second video, a color-coded map displays a progression of changing global surface temperatures anomalies … Continue reading 2014 Likely to be the Hottest Year on Record
UNITED STATES How do you live through a voyage when the temperature drops to more than 50 degrees below zero and the air is thinner than that at the top of Mount Everest? You usually don’t. (NPR) Use our resources to understand altitude, air pressure, and their impact on the human body. Discussion Ideas The NPR blog post says wheel-well stowaways are likely to freeze to … Continue reading Boy Survives Flight in Jet’s Wheel Well
UNITED STATES Blasts of extreme cold have (briefly) taken hold throughout the U.S., delivering temperatures not seen for decades. (National Geographic News) Use our resources to create your own cold-weather map. Curious about polar vortexes and their impact on global weather? Let this BBC meteorologist explain it for you. Discussion Ideas How cold is it? Locate your general region on our MapMaker Interactive, and find … Continue reading IT’S SO COLD
ENVIRONMENT Using new satellite data from Antarctica’s eastern highlands, scientists have measured the most frigid temperature ever recorded: about -93°Celsius (-136°Fahrenheit). (National Geographic News) Use our resources to learn about Earth’s extremes, from highest and lowest, to hottest and (new) coldest! Discussion Ideas The coldest temperatures in the world have been consistently recorded in the interior of Antarctica, although the Arctic is also pretty chilly. Why … Continue reading Antarctica Reaches a New Low
