How Do Storms Impact Coastal Ecosystems?
Provided by: Science Journal for Kids|Published on: January 27, 2026
Grades: 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
Type: Scientific Reports
Subjects: Biology, Earth and Space Sciences
Authors: Science Journal for Kids
Region: Global
Languages: English, Spanish
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Synopsis
- This resource from Science Journal for Kids includes a student-friendly report, in which students will read about the traits of tropical storms that make their impact on coastal ecosystems stronger.
- Students will understand that climate change’s impact on tropical storms will intensify damage to coastal ecosystems, as well as the methods the scientists use to determine the correlation between storm traits and storm impacts.
- The resource includes a glossary of terms in the article, comprehension questions, a Spanish version of the article and student materials, a teacher key, and other ideas for implementing this resource as a lesson.
Teaching Materials
Positives
- The conclusion section includes actions that students can take, leaving students feeling empowered and hopeful.
- The resource provides an abundance of additional materials for teachers to select from as needed, making this a great one-stop shop for creating an entire lesson.
Prerequisites
- Teachers will need to register to gain access to the teacher key.
- It may be beneficial for students to understand the impacts climate change is having on tropical storms. For a quick background, teachers can use this video to introduce students to the concept. For a more in-depth look, teachers can use this lesson.
Differentiation & Implementation
- Teachers can use this article as a hook to introduce this other lesson about mangroves to connect students with their importance and ways we can work to preserve mangrove forests.
- To make connections to language arts, students in coastal communities can write letters to their representatives, as outlined in the article’s conclusion, urging them to support policies that will protect their coastal ecosystems. Students can use evidence from the article to support their position.
- Teachers can use this article to make connections to the Sustainable Development Goals, especially SDG 14, Life Below Water, and SDG 15, Life on Land.
- Advanced students can read the original academic paper, linked in the resource.
- Auditory learners or students with low reading stamina can use the recorded reading of the article to follow along with or listen to.
This accessible resource presents the findings of a peer-reviewed article on storm ecosystem impacts. A glossary of terms is presented, and all figures are clear. Most notably, building ecosystem resistance and resilience are presented as keys in shaping coastal management into the future. This resource is recommended for teaching.
Teaching Tips
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Resource Type and Format
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This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
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