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July 28, 2023, 11:58 a.m.

Human-caused climate change playing key factor in brutal heat waves, study says

Summary

A new analysis finds the brutal heat waves the world has experienced over the past month would be virtually impossible without the impact of human-caused climate change. It comes from an international group of researchers that are part of an initiative known as the World Weather Attribution. For a transcript of this story, click here . News wrap alternative : Check out recent segments from the NewsHour, and choose the story you’re most interested in watching. You can make a Google doc copy of discussion questions that work for any of the stories here.

Five Facts

  1. Who is Bernadette Woods Placky, and what is her background?
  2. How do researchers do attribution science?
  3. How can we really tease out the distinctions between summer weather and climate change?
  4. Where are we experiencing record heat?
  5. What is El Niño?

Focus Questions

Who do you think should be most responsible for reducing climate change? Explain. News analysis: Why did journalist interview Bernadette Woods Placky in his discussion of climate change? What expertise does she have? Alternative: See, Think, Wonder: What did you notice? What did the story make you think? What story would you want to find out more about? Where would you go to learn more?

For More

What students can do: A community garden is a piece of land cultivated by a group of people. Community gardens are an amazing tool because they can increase the city's resilience to climate change . Try to find a community garden near you and see how you may get involved!

STUDENT VIDEO OF THE DAY (September 21, 2019)


This lesson was written by Fariya Farah, a rising college senior and a NewsHour Classroom intern, with editing by Luke Gerwe. Fill out this form to share your thoughts on Classroom’s resources. Sign up for NewsHour Classroom’s ready-to-go Daily News Lessons delivered to your inbox each morning.

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