Let's create continuous conversations about climate change education: Spreading the Sediment of Science!
Attribution Science: Linking Climate Change to Extreme Weather
Provided by: Columbia Climate School |Published on: April 27, 2021
Articles/Websites Grades 6-8, 9-12
Synopsis
- In this article, the author describes the term "attribution science" in relation to the connections between climate change and intensifying and/or increasing numbers of extreme weather events.
- The article describes how attribution science consists of using models to attempt to quantify climate change's contribution to an extreme weather event.
Subjects: Earth and Space Sciences, Computer Science
Authors: Renee Cho
Region: Global
Languages: English
Teaching Materials
Positives
- The short article clearly introduces the concept of attribution science and thoroughly explains the methods behind this practice.
- The explanation of attribution science effectively details the nuances of providing evidence that supports claims but does not necessarily prove a causal relationship.
Additional Prerequisites
- Students should understand the difference between climate and weather, and be familiar with explaining the relationship between two variables.
Differentiation
- Students can read and annotate the article in pairs and then work together to summarize their understanding of the concept of attribution science.
- Students can independently research other fields where attribution science is used and then have a discussion about how attribution science can be used as evidence for a claim, and its limitations.
- Other recommended resources include the e-book Extreme Weather and the Climate Crisis: What you Need to Know and this Table of Solutions to climate change by Project Drawdown.
Scientist Notes
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
All resources can be used for your educational purposes with proper attribution to the content provider.
