SUMMARY
Rising waters due to climate change and erosion are diminishing the landmass of Tangier Island, Virginia, a tiny speck of land in the Chesapeake Bay, and threatening a centuries-old culture fostered by the island’s isolation. PBS News Student Reporting Labs’ Sabrina Tomei reports on how the community is trying to restore their land and preserve their history and traditions.
News 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.
KEY TERMS
coastal erosion — the wearing away of land surfaces and loss of beach, shoreline or dune material as a result of natural or coastal processes or human-induced influences
WARM-UP QUESTIONS
- Who is Cameron Evans?
- What is happening to Tangier Island?
- How much has the landmass of the island decreased since 1850?
- Why is it difficult for people to stay and work on the island?
- What does Evans hope to see in the future for the island?
FOCUS QUESTIONS
Vice Mayor Cameron Evans has been photographing the island to document the environmental changes over time. In what ways do you think the island has changed over the last few decades? Explain your response.
Media literacy: Do you know of other communities that are impacted by the climate crisis?
Alternative: See, Think, Wonder: What did you notice? What did the story make you think? What would you want to learn more about?
FOR MORE
What students can do:
- Learn how farmers in the Great Plains are dealing with groundwater scarcity using this Daily News Lesson.
- Listen to this episode from the On Our Minds podcast featuring activist Sophia Kianni to learn about how young people can get involved with climate activism.
- As a class, discuss — how is climate change or other environmental change potentially impacting your community? Are natural disasters more common? Invasive plant or animal species? Identify one challenge facing your community or region.
- Then discuss — what is being done to address the challenge, or what could you do to help address the challenge as students?
his post was written by Gianfranco Beran, a senior at Amherst College, and an intern with PBS NewsHour Classroom, and edited by NewsHour's Luke Gerwe.
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