Class discussion
a. Begin the lesson by asking students to review the evidence for on-going sea level change.
b. Ask students “How would North America, for example, look different if all the ice sheets melted?” Elicit responses on changing shorelines and decreasing ice cover. Ask students about specific states or areas that might show dramatic changes.
c. Further the discussion by asking them what they think would happen to areas in other parts of the world.
Tell students that they will spend part of the class exploring a model of the possible impact rising sea level will have on global shorelines. Pass out a copy of the Global Sea Level Changes worksheet to each student.
a. Direct students to the Sea
Level animation.
Explain how to use the site tools:
Left click on the map and hold. Using the mouse or keypad, sliding to the right or left will rotate the globe. Moving up or down will raise or lower the sea level. Students can also click once and then use the arrow keys.
They can zoom in and out on the map by using the "-" and "+" below the map.
b. Ask students to explore a bit and then to complete the worksheet by recording the significant changes on each continent at each sea level.
c. Have students suggest why some areas would be more impacted by sea level change than others.
Conclude by discussing what they found. “Did you find that all the shorelines everywhere around the world were diminished by the same amount? Why not?” Lead the students to think about topography. Review the meaning of the word, if necessary. Let them know that they will be exploring topography further in the next activity.
