Students will learn about climate change through the hands-on experiments on green houses gases, weather and climate, measuring climate change, the heating and cooling of the earth and the push and pull of climate change. The activities help structure students conceptual understanding of climate change. Through a series of hands-on and thought experiments followed by questions build students’ analytical thinking skills. Therefore, whether students further pursue science, as later citizens, they will be able to reason through the factors that affect issues of central concern of society regarding climate change. 

 This is accomplished through a series of hands-on and thorough experiments followed by questions to build students' analytical thinking skills. 

Divided into these five parts: 

Learning Expectations:

Understanding concepts

• Understand that weather is day-to-day
• Understand that climate is the long-term average of weather
• Learn how to detect and measure change
• Recognize patterns and trends to predict
• Explain how trapped air heats up upon exposure to light (the greenhouse effect)
• Understand and explain how climate change can cause both heating and cooling
• Understand how climate change can alter weather patterns including precipitation
• Suggest various methods of preparing for and/or minimizing the effects of climate change 

Skills of inquiry, design, and communication

• Demonstrate an awareness of the scientific method  
• Classify and sort concepts
• Observe with the senses and instruments 

Work with others

• Listen, record, and compare others’ observations
• Make predictions
• Record observations, findings, and measurements using drawing, tables, and written descriptions
• Communicate the procedure and results of investigations using drawing and written descriptions
• Connect various ideas from observations and previous knowledge to understand new concepts 

Relating science and technology to the outside world

• Relate scientific concepts to objects in their environment 

Teaching Instructions Includes:

• At A GlanceTM – List of Skills
• Teacher Assessment Rubric
• Student Achievement and Effort Rubric
• Introduction
• Bibliography
• Materials
• Vocabulary

LESSON TOPICS: 

Topic 1: Weather and Climate

Weather and Climate get students thinking about the temporal and spatial scale of climates in order to confront the concept of global changes.

• What is Weather?
• Climates of the World
• Weather or Climate?
• Weather Patterns Make Climates
• Ask an Expert
• Teacher Notes and Answer Key 

Topic 2: Measuring Change

Measuring Change builds students’ observational and data analysis skills that will aid in their extracting meaning from the subsequent experiments and concept-teaching questions. This section will be of use to any curricular content for which tracking change is necessary.

• Measuring Change
• Ideas of Change
• Short Term Change and Long-Term Change
• Temperature Trends
• Watering Changes
• Teacher Notes and Answer Key 

Topic 3: The Greenhouse Effect

The Greenhouse Effect focuses on the dominant issue of present concern for climate change. While certainly not the only issue, the groundswell of attention garnered by global warming means that a generation of students will need to understand this concept that is already driving social change. Every effort was made to present the effect accurately without complicating its explanation. The intent is for students to “discover” the greenhouse effect as opposed to blindly applying dogmatic knowledge in token demonstrations. Myriad studies in science education have shown that an inquiry/discovery approach allows students to take ownership of their learned knowledge while building scientific skills. Once they have developed their own comprehension of how greenhouses work, the conceptualization of infrared radiation interacting with atmospheric molecules will be better retained.

• Air Inventory
• Can We Control Climate?
• How Does a Greenhouse Work?
• Clouds Over the Greenhouse
• Greenhouses are Traps
• Humidity
  • a) What is Humidity?
  • b) Measuring Humidity
• Air in the Greenhouse
• Carbon Dioxide and Greenhouses
• A Natural Greenhouse
• Teacher Notes and Answer Key 

Topic 4: Heating and Cooling the Earth

Heating and Cooling the Earth combine the first three parts and has students begin to apply their accrued knowledge. Much of these activities and thought experiments concern water and ice, as that is where the lion’s share of evidence for present climate change exists. Class discussions upon completing the activities can therefore be well augmented by current affairs.

• The Color of Earth
• Will the Earth Heat Evenly?
• Water and Ice and Heat
• Feedback
• Moving Water in the Oceans
• Changing the Current
• Rising Seas and Shores
• Icebergs and Sea Level
• Glaciers and Sea Level
• Teacher Notes and Answer Key 

Topic 5: The Push and Pull of Climate Change

The Push and Pull of Climate Change collate students’ abstract thinking skills to synthesize their fundamental understanding of climate change. The activities encourage debate and prediction within the context of global warming. Students will therefore be better able to weigh risks and propose solutions to myriad problems, both generally and specifically to climate change. It is hoped that in using this resource to augment your lessons, students will come away with the ability to problem solve and think critically rather than regurgitate countless facts. Climate change has occurred and continues to take place; today’s students need to be prepared to make the most of our future.

• Relative Impact
• Local Affects Global
• Natural and Artificial
• Sources and Sinks
• Debating Pollution
• An Inconvenient Truth Graphing
• Are Clouds Good or Bad?
• Cities and Climate
• Teacher Notes and Answer Key 

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