I loved watching the Winter Olympics this year. From wild comebacks, to athletes defying—or falling short—of expectations, to the truly bizarre subplots, I was completely there for the drama. But one of the quieter headlines that caught my attention is the way climate change is threatening the future of the winter games themselves. At these Olympics, cross-country skiers raced shirtless, nearly all the snow was human-made, and the final days of competition in Milan had high temperatures of 65°F, potentially contributing to several speedskating crashes.
Maybe it’s watching the Olympics, maybe it’s their own experience of snowboarding, sledding, or ice skating, but I wonder how students are making sense of these not-so-wintry conditions. Are your students talking about the real-life implications of climate change? What are the things that they notice most in their daily lives—and how are you helping them understand what they're seeing?
