Climate and Change 3

2.1 How and why has climate changed in the past? Title : Lessons from the Past? Learning Objectives: To understand that climate change challenges existed for people and ecosystems in the past and that they had to adapt to such challenges To consider if these past experiences might offer lessons that might help us cope with global warming today. Key vocabulary: Medieval Warm Period The Little Ice Age

Class discussion on the following slide: When did the Medieval Warm Period begin and end? ..therefore how many years did it last? Thinking back to last lesson, what might have caused the Little Ice Age? (answer 2 slides time) When did The Little Ice Age begin and end/ …therefore how many years did it last?

The Medieval Warm Period and the Little Ice Age Pearson Book P. 30

Possible explanations for The Little Ice Age Sunspot activity was much lower than today. It coincided with a more active period of volcanic activity.

The Medieval Warm Period ..... and then …. Using Digby P. 28, answer the following: How did the climate at the time affect Erik the Red’s prospects when he was banished to Greenland? Learning from the Vikings. What 3 ways did the Vikings of Greenland destroy their environment? How might the Vikings in Greenland have benefited from learning from the local Inuit people? Explain your answers.

Why did the Vikings die out in Greenland?

The Little Ice Age Look at the following 2 slides. Add these events as a label to your time line graph showing ‘The Medieval Warm Period and the Little Ice Age’

A Frost Fair on the River Thames in London in 1683

Paintings of the Little Ice Age include ice fairs on the River Thames

The Little Ice Age Recap – dates, length of time of Little Ice Age, and possible theories Now using the images, Digby P 29 and by watching the clip shown below:………. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GoNHk_pJlRo …..make notes under the following headings: What were the impacts of The Little Ice Age? Who were most affected? How? Why? What happened in Britain? EXAM STYLE QUESTION: (Write out and answer): Using examples, explain how people adapted to living in The Little Ice Age. (4 marks)

Conclusion Watch out and check –were these 2 events major in the Earth’s history? Think – how many ˚C does the average annual temperature change? It was enough to make winters colder, or to make the sea ice melt a little – but was in no way comparable with the arrival or departure of proper ice ages. Finally do you think that people and ecosystems were successful at adaptation to the minor changes in climate? … say what evidence there is for this …..!!!!!!!!!!