Intended End User: Teacher, Teacher Educator
Age Group: Upper Primary; Lower Secondary; Upper Secondary
School Curriculum: Science; Social & Environment Science; Applied Science
Themes and Topics: Energy Use and Production; Futures Thinking; Information & Knowledge; Pedagogy Approaches
Type of Resource: Experiment, Lesson Plans
Keywords: Earth observation, sea ice, Arctic, climate, climate change
Languages: English, Portuguese, Danish, French, Italian, Norwegian, Spanish & Estonian
Description
In this set of activities, students explore the impact of climate change by analyzing Arctic sea ice using real-time and historical satellite data. They investigate where sea ice forms, its seasonal variations, and how it is changing due to global warming.
The resource provides hands-on experiments where students work with Earth observation data to monitor sea ice coverage and learn how satellite imagery is used in climate science. They critically evaluate the consequences of diminishing sea ice, connecting scientific concepts to real-world environmental issues.
By engaging with structured data analysis and inquiry-based methods, students enhance their understanding of climate change and develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
How to use this resource
Teachers guide students through a series of activities using real satellite images to examine Arctic sea ice coverage. Students compare historical and current sea ice data, interpret graphical trends, and discuss the role of satellite monitoring in climate research.
The resource encourages students to engage in hands-on activities, such as plotting ice changes and predicting future trends, fostering critical thinking and scientific literacy. Group discussions and assessments ensure that students reflect on climate change implications and possible mitigation strategies.
The resources
The classroom resource can be found here:
Learning Outcomes
- Elicit prior knowledge and further develop knowledge and comprehension of key Sustainability Citizenship key concepts, challenging established worldviews and values.
- Apply a range of suitable tools and frameworks to promote student Sustainability Citizenship
- Collaboratively synthesise the knowledge, tools and frameworks to create educational materials and lessons plans adapted to their own local context
Green Competencies
- Embodying Sustainable Values: Valuing Sustainability
- Embracing Complexity in Sustainability: Systems Thinking; Critical Thinking; Problem Framing
- Envisioning Sustainable Futures: Exploratory Thinking
Creative Commons
Sea Ice from Space – Investigating Arctic Sea Ice and Its Connection to Climate”, is provided by the European Space Agency (ESA) under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 IGO (CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO) Licence. You are free to share and adapt the material, provided proper attribution is given to ESA, a link to the licence is included, and any modifications are shared under the same licence.
SDGs
