In this introductory lesson, students will learn the basics of the aurora …
In this introductory lesson, students will learn the basics of the aurora through small group discussions, reflection and reading. The lesson includes teacher notes and instructions, student workshops and an online, animated story, and related teacher resources on aurora. This is lesson one of a collection of five activities that can be used individually or as a sequence; concludes with a KWL (Know/Want-to-know/Learned) assessment activity.
In this lesson, students utilize case studies to learn about the ways …
In this lesson, students utilize case studies to learn about the ways climate change is currently impacting people and other living things around the world.
This module contains an 8-lesson curriculum to study greenhouse gases and global …
This module contains an 8-lesson curriculum to study greenhouse gases and global warming using data and visualizations. The students will summarize the issue in a mock debate or a presentation.
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This demonstration will show how increased temperatures will hasten the melting of …
This demonstration will show how increased temperatures will hasten the melting of ice in the environment, contributing to a rise in sea level and subsequent flooding of coastal areas. Materials required include 2 aquariums, plastic wrap, a clamp light with a 60 watt bulb, modeling clay, ice, pebbles and rocks, and a ruler. Teacher background information, student worksheets and a scoring rubric are included. This is Activity 3 of the learning module, Too Many Blankets, part of the lesson series, The Potential Consequences of Climate Variability and Change.
This activity addresses naturally occurring climate change involving ENSO (El-NiÃo Southern Oscillation). In this activity, students play the role of a policy maker in Peru. First, they determine what sort of ENSO variation is occurring. Then, they must decide how to allocate Peru's resources to manage for possible weather-related problems.
In this lesson, students will first participate in a chalk talk to …
In this lesson, students will first participate in a chalk talk to elicit initial ideas about climate and Antarctica and the types of data scientists collect. Next, they will explore images of Antarctica and make initial noticings and wonderings about what they’re seeing. Students will be introduced to important vocabulary through matching terms to components or features of a satellite image. Finally, students will synthesize their initial ideas about how satellite imagery can help us understand climate change in Antarctica. This is the first lesson of a five-part curriculum about Antarctic physical environments and ecosystems.
This lesson explores climate data at local, national, and global levels to …
This lesson explores climate data at local, national, and global levels to determine that temperatures are changing all over the world, and that there are certain locations where temperatures are warming faster than the global average.
This resource introduces the concept of wind chill, the formula used to …
This resource introduces the concept of wind chill, the formula used to measure it and relates it to the causes of hypothermia. A simple experiment using a pie pan, sand, fan and a thermometer demonstrates this concept. The resource is from PUMAS - Practical Uses of Math and Science - a collection of brief examples created by scientists and engineers showing how math and science topics taught in K-12 classes have real world applications.
In this interactive activity students will create a very simple climate model. …
In this interactive activity students will create a very simple climate model. They use worksheets, chips/tokens, and follow rules for heat exchange. The activity only models temperature but there are instructions for adaptations of the model, such as rule changes for an atmosphere with increased levels of CO2.
This is a series of 5 guided-inquiry activities that examine data and …
This is a series of 5 guided-inquiry activities that examine data and models that climate scientists use to attempt to answer the question of Earth's future climate.
Students consider why the observed atmospheric CO2 increase rate is only ~60% …
Students consider why the observed atmospheric CO2 increase rate is only ~60% of the CO2 loading rate due to fossil fuel combustion. They develop a box-model to simulate the atmospheric CO2 increase during the industrial era and compare it to the historic observations of atmospheric CO2 concentrations. The model is then used to forecast future concentrations of atmospheric CO2 during the next century.
Students act out 4 different molecules (nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide and water …
Students act out 4 different molecules (nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide and water vapor) to discover which ones are greenhouse gases and which ones are not.
Students are introduced to the concepts of air pollution and air quality. …
Students are introduced to the concepts of air pollution and air quality. The three lesson parts focus on the prerequisites for understanding air pollution. First, students use M&Ms to create a pie graph that expresses their understanding of the composition of air. Next, students watch and conduct several simple experiments to develop an understanding of the properties of air (it has mass, it takes up space, it can move, it exerts pressure, it can do work). Finally, students develop awareness and understanding of the daily air quality using the Air Quality Index (AQI) listed in the newspaper. In an associated literacy activity, students explore the environmental history timeline.
Two short, narrated animations about carbon dioxide and Earth's temperature are presented …
Two short, narrated animations about carbon dioxide and Earth's temperature are presented on this webpage. The first animation shows the rise in atmospheric CO2 levels, human carbon emissions, and global temperature rise of the past 1,000 years; the second shows changes in the level of CO2 from 800,000 years ago to the present.
Students develop an understanding of the effects of invisible air pollutants with …
Students develop an understanding of the effects of invisible air pollutants with a rubber band and hanger air test and a bean plant experiment. They also learn about methods of reducing invisible air pollutants.
This activity is a daily lab where two students read a thermometer …
This activity is a daily lab where two students read a thermometer and identify the cloud type for a week. They record it on the board first and we all record it in our journals. A graph of the entire year is also completed and we can analyze the data as we go. We get two new "scientists" each week and we do it all year. I start the first week of school.
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