Schools IB TOK class: Fires and floods: can science link extreme weather to climate change?
Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.
This article picked by a teacher with suggested questions is part of the Financial Times free schools access programme. Details/registration here.
Specification:
IB DP TOK themes & AOKs Natural sciences, Technology, Mathematics, Politics, Knowledge & the knower
Relevant Big Question Foundations
Key terms and ideas Direct causal link, Attribution science, Predictions, Truth, Models, Certainty, Evidence
Integration ESS, geography, biology
Investigating Issues Climate crisis
Exhibition prompt IAP-19 (justification)
Click to read the article below and then answer the questions:
Fires and floods: can science link extreme weather to climate change?
This is a fabulous article for TOK, which covers multiple key concepts, could be used to support the exploration of various exhibition prompts, and is very much in the news.
Consider why many “knowers” would intuitively link the recent natural disasters around the world with climate change.
Think about why this is insufficient for scientists and politicians, and their need for more certainty.
Why is it so hard to establish a direct causal link?
How is technology being used to try to do so?
Why is there a difference of opinion about attribution science?
Going further Check out the primary Exploration Points document here, and investigate this issue here.
Michael Dunn, theoryofknowledge.net
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