Teaching overview
Learning points
- Meteorologists have predicted that an El Niño event is likely to happen in the near future. El Niño causes unusual weather across the world, such as droughts in areas that normally have high rainfall.
- A “sound fence” in Tasmania is helping to protect animals trying to cross roads. The fence uses sounds and flashing lights to warn animals when a car is approaching.
- NASA’s InSight lander has touched down on the surface of Mars. It will gather data about the inside of the rocky planet.
Curriculum keywords
- Climate
- Conservation
- Space
Video viewing guide
This graphic organiser supports your students to capture their thoughts and questions as they watch the news update.
Spark a discussion
El Niño Predicted
- When the winds blowing west across the Pacific Ocean become weaker, it changes which parts of the ocean are warmest. Why do you think this happens?
- What impact might a drought have on local communities—for example, their access to food and water?
- How could people prepare for possible flooding caused by unusually heavy rain?
Sound Fence
- Why do you think animals might try to cross a road?
- The “sound fence” is actually a series of alarms with gaps between them. Why might this be better for wildlife than a real fence with no gaps?
- Can you think of any other ways to protect animals from being hit by cars?
InSight Touches Down
- The team behind InSight decided to land it on a flat, sandy part of Mars where there aren’t many rocks. Why do you think they chose this location?
- Why do you think InSight’s designers gave it a parachute to release as it fell toward Mars?
- If you could send a spacecraft to Mars, what would you want to find out?
Discover more about the topics covered in this week's News update
Twig Science: A Complete Pre-K–8 Program for the NGSS
Immersive Investigations with High-Quality Multimedia
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