Young Photographer Documents Disappearing Salt Marshes to Inspire Action
A student photographer documents climate change in action.
Note: If you are short on time, watch the video and complete this See, Think, Wonder activity: What did you notice? What did the story make you think? What would you want to learn more about?
Salt marshes exist on every coast of the U.S., but these important wetlands are succumbing quickly to the effects of sea level rise caused by climate change. Grace Go of our journalism training program, PBS News Student Reporting Labs, has the story of how one young photographer from Massachusetts is fighting to protect these places.
View the transcript of the story.
Discussion Questions
- Who is Soren Goldsmith, and what is his background?
- What are "salt marshes," and how are they impacted by climate change?
- Where did Goldsmith set up his camera?
- How did Goldsmith seek help for his idea, and who helped him?
- Why does Goldsmith want to draw attention to salt marshes?
Focus Questions
- How else do you think technology could help protect threatened ecosystems like salt marshes?
- Are there any threatened environments in your community that you would like to draw more attention to protecting? If so, how would you do so?
- Media literacy: Why do you think this segment was produced by a student journalist? What perspective might a student journalist have that a veteran journalist might not?
Extension Activity
Students are making a difference in their communities every day through inventive problem solving. Watch the following segment on Dasia Taylor, a student who invented a new kind of suture that detects infections. Then discuss —
- What are some similarities in the paths Taylor and Goldsmith took to addressing a problem through invention?
- How do Taylor and Goldsmith seek out help to make their ideas into realities?
Lesson Plans on Climate Change
Explore more resources for educators to find a wide-range of relevant preK-12 lessons on climate change or supporting young people as they continue to lead the conversation around the climate change crisis.
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Republished with permission from PBS News Hour Classroom.
PBS News Hour Classroom helps teachers and students identify the who, what, where and why-it-matters of the major national and international news stories. The site combines the best of News Hour's reliable, trustworthy news program with lesson plans developed specifically for... See More
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