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A Subsistence Culture Impacted by Climate Change
Arctic Athabaskan Council, Teachers' Domain
A short video on how changing climate is impacting the ecosystem and thereby impacting traditional lifestyles of the Athabaskan people of Alaska.
The CLEAN collection is hand-picked and rigorously reviewed for scientific accuracy and classroom effectiveness. Read what our review team had to say about this resource below or learn more about how CLEAN reviews teaching materials.
Background essay on the Athabascan people and discussion questions are provided on the PBS LearningMedia site.
Observations from scientific studies and native people of the Arctic on how changing climate is affecting their lives and the ecosystem they depend on for sustenance.
Comments from expert scientist:
Scientific strengths:
I think the background essay is great and has significant science. The video is interesting, but doesn't match the essay.
- the background essay clearly states the reason why salmon are migrating and the effects on the native people and other native animals in the Alaska/Yukon area
Notes:
- the video does not mirror what is told in the background essay
- the video talks about other animals moving north and invasive species but only briefly about the salmon, without much of the science presented in the background essay
- This national standard is not addressed, although it says it is: 4B/M11a ( Grades: 6-8 ): The wasteful or unnecessary use of natural resources can limit their availability for other purposes. Restoring depleted soil, forests, or fishing grounds can be difficult and costly.
Short introduction of how changing climate is impacting the subsistence culture of the Athabaskan people living in the Arctic.
Concrete example of the effects of climate change rather than in the abstract.