SUMMARY

5 min 16 sec

Scorching heat continues to smash records in many parts of the country. In Austin, Texas, triple-digit temperatures are causing unprecedented demands on power grids. Oklahoma City is on track to eclipse the record number of 100-degree days in a year, and these high temperatures are only making existing drought conditions worse.

As Dr. Heidi Cullen reports, the suffocating heat comes on the heels of the government’s release of the new climate “normals.” Every 10 years, scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration calculate the 30-year averages for temperature and precipitation from thousands of U.S. locations.

ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION AND TEACHING MATERIALS

Watch >> Adapting to New Normals: The Heat's On

TEACHING NOTES / CONTEXT FOR USE

This video discusses how temperatures that used to be records are now going to be the new normal. It also mentions solutions and adaptations to this fact. Because the video is short it can be easily integrated into any class period, specifically ones focused on temperature and climate.

ASSESSMENT

Assessment is at the discretion of the educator as to how the video is applied and the expectations after viewing it.

REFERENCES AND RESOURCES