In this inquiry lesson, learners will determine the impact of a strong El Niño event on their local region compared to other regions using online resources based on observations from ground and space. This is the second of three lessons in a set that guides learners to investigate the "El Niño" phenomenon.
In What is El Niño? - Part 1, learners defined El Niño conditions characterized by unusually warm ocean temperatures in the Eastern Equatorial Pacific. Conversely, unusually cool ocean temperatures were found in the same area during a La Niña event. These sea surface temperature variations affect changes in weather systems around the world.
In the third lesson of the series, after defining the El Niño phenomenon and explaining its regional impacts, learners will explore solutions to mitigate the impacts of such weather changes. The ultimate end-product of the lesson set is the construction of "The Next El Niño Survival Guide."
| Relevant Disciplines: | All |
| Grade Level: | 6-12 |
| Adaptable to Other Grades: | No |
| Time Required (class periods): | 1-2 |
| Prerequisites: | What is El Niño? - Part 1 |
| Additional Resources Available: | Yes |
Next Generation Science Standards addressed in this lesson:
MS-ESS2-5
HS-ESS2-2
| Lesson Resources for What is El Niño? - Part 2 | |
| File Type/Link | Description |
| Video-MP4 | "El Niño and Why It's So Hard to Predict the Weather" video from PBS, 640x360, 6:16, 30.4MB |