Task: Climate Change

For the past two weeks we've been investigating what climate change is and what it's effects have been so far and are likely to be in future. Now's the time to take a closer look at how climate change is affecting people's lives, how they are adapting, and what is likely to happen if climate change continues into the future.

Here is your task:

1. Select a region of the world. By "region" we mean a geographical area. Some examples might be the Canadian Arctic, or Greenland, western Europe, all of Australia, or just one part like the south-west (from Kalbarri to Esperance), Pacific Islands, or the coast along the Gulf of Bengal (from Kolkata to Bangladesh). All of these regions (and more) are showing very noticeable impacts from climate change already, and things are expected to get worse.
2. Conduct research using numerous sources (eg: magazines, news websites, newspapers, books, etc) of information.
   
3. Find out and report on how this region has already been affected by climate change.
4. Find out and report on how the people of this region are adapting (or are planning to adapt) to the affects of climate change.
5. Find out and report on the predicted future change to the environment and way of life in the region as a result of climate change.
6. Discuss how changes in this climate driven changes in this region could impact on other parts of the world (eg: economic, political, social).
7. Write up your findings in a report (which includes pictures, graphs, or other relevant visual data) which is posted to your blog.
   

Assessment Criteria

Natural and Social Systems

Level Three
The student understands that, in natural and social systems, relationships occur to provide order to the interactions found within them. Students explain how relationships between elements attempt to provide order and sequence within natural and social systems. Students can provide some reasons for changes in these systems.

Level Four
The student understands that modifications to natural and social systems occur as they respond to challenges. Students can link cause and effect and generalise beyond the specific. Their generalisations are largely context dependent. They have a growing awareness of the interrelationships within each system.

Level Five
The student understands how and why changes occur in natural and social systems. Students use their understanding of concepts and processes to draw inferences about how and why changes occur in systems. They understand that changes can have either or both short-term and long-term impacts. They make generalisations with a growing awareness of the complexity of interrelationships within systems and are aware that there are relationships between systems.


Investigation, Communication & Participation

Level Three
The student plans an investigation by devising questions, identifying and using information from more than one source; and makes inferences from information collected in order to justify personal decisions.

Level Four
The student identifies appropriate sources and data-gathering techniques for an investigation; records information from these sources accurately; considers various perspectives and begins to generalise beyond the immediate context when presenting findings.

Level Five
The student analyses and clarifies the purpose of an investigation to formulate questions; selects from a range of appropriate data sources and methods of recording; and uses supporting evidence to explain patterns and draw conclusions that generalise beyond the immediate context and present a particular viewpoint.