Over the past year, the world has tackled many significant events, some good, some bad. While everything that happened was meaningful, several are critical in representing the year that we’ve experienced. Early on in the year 2020, Australian wildfires ravaged the country. That spring, COVID-19 reared its ugly head and spread across the United States. Then, in the early summer of that same year, Black Lives Matter started a movement across America. These are all very influential events and should therefore be included in a "This Moment in History" starter pack.

First, wildfires broke out across the vast continent of Australia in early 2020, and this crisis is one of the most significant events to have happened in the past year because of its disastrous environmental effect. Duncombe stated, “A team of scientists said that the fires have pushed at least 20 threatened species closer to extinction” (Five Environmental). The unusual wildfire season that Australia experienced in 2020 has greatly increased the number of endangered animals, which could lead to a lack of biodiversity. This change in biodiversity could lead to dramatic changes in the food chain, affecting both animals and humans. Duncombe also explained that “the wildfires are releasing carbon dioxide, one of the gases responsible for global warming, into the atmosphere at an alarming rate (Five Environmental). The wildfires in Australia could lead to climate-altering effects across the globe due to the carbon dioxide they release. The carbon dioxide released did not just stay in Australia, it moved across the world, bringing devastating effects everywhere it went. The Australian wildfires have not only affected Australia, but have also affected the world, and this crisis is one of the most important events to have happened in the past year. 

Next, The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many students to go to online learning, and this has negatively affected adolescents’ health and well-being. Lessard and Schacter explained that the “introduction of social-distancing measures and stay-at-home orders to combat the novel coronavirus has left many young people feeling frustrated and robbed of highly anticipated opportunities” (Why the Coronavirus). When the pandemic started, summer was just around the corner. Due to social distancing and other COVID-19 precautions, adolescents had to cancel many of the plans they looked forward to. These disappointing cancellations have negatively affected teens’ mental health. Lessard and Schacter also stated that “...social distancing can interfere with the basic developmental needs of teenagers...the unquestionable necessity of social distancing is likely to throw these developmental patterns out of whack in ways that could take a toll on teenagers’ health, behavior, and academic performance” (Why the Coronavirus). Many high school students have had to switch to online learning, taking away most of the human contact they received at school. Teenagers are biologically wired to depend on peer contact, but social distancing and stay-at-home orders have gotten in the way, harming adolescents both physically and mentally. COVID-19 has wreaked havoc on the teen population, and negative physical and mental effects are starting to take hold. 

Lastly, Black Lives Matter started one of the most important racial equality movements in America in the early summer of 2020, and the effects that it has had on racial equality are monumental. Rebecca Zissou wrote, “In just a few months, the Black Lives Matter protesters have persuaded national, state, and local politicians to enact and support policy changes” (Uniting for Black Lives). Black Lives Matter set out to change the status quo in America. They achieved this goal by persuading officials to change laws and to change where funding goes. The Black Lives Matter movement changed how America works by changing laws and bringing about new plans. Zissou also stated that “while Black activists have long rallied against systemic racism, huge numbers of white Americans are now protesting alongside them” (Zissou). Black Lives Matter didn’t just change laws, it changed people’s way of thinking. It led Americans to think differently and it led them to unity. The Black Lives Matter movement was paramount in the shaping of America for the better, and in the shaping of the past year as well.

On the other hand, some might say that the Australian wildfires didn’t have a monumental impact on the environment and that they shouldn’t be included in a "This Moment in History” starter pack. For example, some people have said that the 2020 Australian wildfires, while devastating, weren’t much different from years past. Australia has endured much worse droughts and more devastating wildfire seasons. However, many scientists are saying that this last bout of wildfires has had a worse effect on the environment than in years past. According to Jamie Tarabay, a writer for the New York Times, “...early this month, NASA began tracking a plume of smoke from the fires that was the size of the continental United States.” This time, the Australian wildfires didn’t just impact that continent alone. This time, these destructive wildfires affected people around the world and devastated many different countries. Tarabay also stated, “Along the way, it caused hazardous breathing conditions in New Zealand and discolored skies in South America.” These fires affected the health and wellbeing of people all over the world. Along with damaging the delicate ecosystems in Australia, these fires created hazardous conditions for people miles away. It created a worldwide air quality crisis. Even though wildfires are normal in Australia, none have been as devastating as the 2020 wildfire season, and this monumental event should be included in a “this moment in history” starter pack. 

The Australian wildfires, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Black Lives Matter movement have all played a vital role in this past year and should be included in a “this moment in history” starter pack. The Australian wildfires devastated ecosystems. The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly affected the health of adolescents, and the Black Lives Matter movement changed racial equality in America in massive ways. These events not only changed the course of the year. These events changed the world, some for better, others for worse. As the world looks back on this past year, we should reflect on these events, and on how they affected both us individually and how they affected the world.

Works Cited 

Duncombe, Janessa. “Five Environmental Consequences of Australia’s Fires - Eos.” Eos, AGU, 13 Jan. 2020, eos.org/articles/five-environmental-consequences-of-australias-fires. Accessed 4 Feb. 2021.

Lessard, Leah, and Hannah Schacter. “Why the Coronavirus Crisis Hits Teenagers Particularly Hard (Opinion).” Education Week, Editorial Projects in Education Inc., 16 Apr. 2020, www.edweek.org/leadership/opinion-why-the-coronavirus-crisis-hits-teenagers-particularly-hard/2020/04. Accessed 4 Feb. 2021.

Tarabay, Jamie. “Why These Australia Fires Are like Nothing We’ve Seen Before.” The New York Times, 21 Jan. 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/01/21/world/australia/fires-size-climate.html. Accessed 16 Feb. 2021.

Zissou, Rebecca. “Uniting for Black Lives.” Gale in Context, GALE, 7 Aug. 2020, go.gale.com/ps/retrieve.do?tabID=Magazines&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&searchResultsType=MultiTab&hitCount=13422&searchType=BasicSearchForm¤tPosition=3&docId=GALE%7CA639763464&docType=Article&sort=Relevance&contentSegment=ZXAY-MOD1&prodId=OVIC&pageNum=1&contentSet=GALE%7CA639763464&searchId=R4&userGroupName=edmo80637&inPS=true. Accessed 4 Feb. 2021.