Lesson Plan - Arctic in Peril

About the Article

Learning Objective

Students will learn about how the Arctic is changing and analyze maps of the area.

Curriculum Connections

• The Arctic

• Polar Maps

• Climate Change

• Ecosystems

• Science and Technology

Key Skills

Social Studies:

• Understand the relationship between human populations and the physical world

• Explore global connections and consider their benefits and challenges

• Consider how maps present information about places

English Language Arts:

• Identify causes and effects

• Integrate information presented in multiple formats

Key CCSS Standards

RH.6-8.1, RH.6-8.2, RH.6-8.4, RH.6-8.7, WHST.6-8.4, RI.6-8.1, RI.6-8.2, RI.6-8.4, RI.6-8.7, W.6-8.4, SL.6-8.1

Essential Questions

  • How is climate change affecting the Arctic and the rest of Earth?
  • How are ecosystems connected?
  • What makes polar maps unique?

1. Preparing to Read

Build Knowledge and Vocabulary

Have students view the interactive atlas at junior.scholastic.com by selecting “Atlas & Almanac” in the top menu and then clicking “World Atlas.” Ask them to respond to this prompt: Find the Arctic Circle on the atlas. How are the atlas and the map in the “Arctic in Peril” article similar? How are they different? What do you notice about Greenland? Discuss responses. Then use Words to Know to preteach domain-specific terms. Have students refer to the Skill Builder as they read.

2. Reading and Discussing

Read the Article

Read the article aloud or have students read it independently. Ask students to underline or highlight three key details about the Arctic as they read.

Answer Close-Reading Questions

Have students write their responses or use the Close-Reading Questions to guide a discussion.

• How is climate change affecting the Arctic? (Cause and Effect)
Because of climate change, the Arctic is starting to experience more rain and less snow. Sea ice there is only half as thick as it was 40 years ago. This summer, MOSAiC scientists witnessed that sea ice was covering the second-smallest area since records began.

• What are equidistant projections? What information can they provide? (Domain-Specific Vocabulary)
Equidistant projections are maps that show an area in relation to a central point. They show direction and distance correctly, but landmasses appear more distorted the farther they are from the map’s center.

• Write two additional questions and answers about the “Polar View” maps. (Map Reading)
Responses will vary.

3. Skill Building

Watch a Video

Before watching “Unique Polar Processes,” share these questions for students to think about as they watch: What are some characteristics of sea ice? Why is it important for polar bears?

Practice Reading Polar Maps

Have students answer the questions about the maps on page 23 independently or in groups. Review answers and correct any misunderstandings. Use the Polar Maps lesson from our Map Skills Boot Camp to give students more practice. The full curriculum of 13 lessons is at junior.scholastic.com/mapskills.

Differentiate and Customize

For Struggling Readers: Guide students to analyze the photos to support understanding. Ask: What does each photo show? What does it tell you about the Arctic region? Discuss as a class or in groups or pairs.

For Distance Learning: Use the World Atlas and Almanac at junior.scholastic.com to learn more about the countries with territory in the Arctic. Have students choose one of the countries and write a paragraph about it.

Printable Lesson Plan

Text-to-Speech