Teaching Tips: Climate Change Affects Glacial Water Source

Here are suggested ways to engage students with this video and with activities related to this topic.

• Beginning a lesson: Before viewing the video, ask students to locate Peru and the Andes Mountains on a world map with topographical features. Ask students what kind of climate they would expect to find on either side of the mountain range—would the climates be the same or different? Why? Notice where Lima, the capital of the country, is located.
• Doing research projects—individual: How much of Earth’s fresh water is in ice caps, glaciers, and permanent snow? Where is the rest of the fresh water located? What are the sources of fresh water that people use every day? Have students report back to class after conducting research using the following resource: Global Water Distribution.
• Doing research projects—groups: If the water quality of the rivers in Peru is deteriorating due to climate change, what can be done to clean them up? Research how one polluted river was restored by viewing the following resource: Pollution Along the Rhine River.
  
  What steps could be taken to prevent additional pollution and clean up the rivers in Peru? Report back to class.