CLIMATE CHANGE

Lessons 1 & 2

WHAT EVIDENCE IS THERE TO SHOW

THERE IS A RISE IN GLOBAL TEMPERATURE?
I N DIC AT O R S A R O UN D T H E W O R LD

Lesson 1

INTRODUCTION

Whats happening to global temperatures?

TERMS
Anomaly: a deviation from the common rule
(exception)
Trend: a general tendency or course of events:
Indicator: a sign that shows the condition or
existence of something (factors)

GLOBAL LAND AND OCEAN TEMPERATURE

ANOMALIES
Directions:
Each group will receive a
piece of a graph that shows
the temperature change
from average.
Look at the graph and
create 3 questions you can
ask to help clarify the
evidence and 3 things you
notice about the evidence.

*It is important to ask

clarifying questions to make
sure you are using sound
evidence
Clarifying Questions:
A clarifying question does not provide
new information, but expands on
understanding the information that is
already presented.

Share your 3 questions with the

class

GRAPH INFORMATION
The graph shows average annual global temperatures
since 1880 compared to long-term average (1901-2000).
The zero line represents the long-term average
temperature for the whole planet; blue and red bars
show the diff erence above or below average for each
year. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration collected the temperature data from
locations around the world.
Now, answer the questions about your graph as a group.

GLOBAL LAND AND OCEAN TEMPERATURE

ANOMALIES
As a class, assemble the entire graph together.
Each group should send one student to the front of the room
with their graph to put it together with the representatives
from the other groups.

Why is it important to look at the graph as a whole

instead of just in pieces, or to look at change over
time (years, decades, centuries)?

ACTIVITY 1

What is the difference between weather

and climate?

STORIES
Your homework was to interview an older relative
about what they remember about the weather when
they were younger. Share these stories with the
students in your group.
Discussion Questions:
Are there any patterns you notice about the stories you are
hearing from your classmates?
Do these stories constitute reliable evidence? Why or why not?
What would make them more reliable?

WEATHER VS. CLIMATE

In your notes, describe the weather right now, and be

as detailed as possible. Then describe the climate
where you live.
When your teacher tells you, share your descriptions
in your group.

TERMS
Weather: the atmospheric conditions of a specifi c
place at a specifi c point in time, the minute-by-minute
variable condition of the atmosphere on a local scale
Climate: how the atmosphere behaves over
relatively long periods of time (months, years), the
description of an areas average weather conditions
and the extent to which those conditions vary over
long time intervals

WEATHER VS. CLIMATE

The difference between weather and climate is a

measure of time. Weather is what you wear each
day. Climate is the clothes you have in your
closet.

WEATHER VS. CLIMATE

Watch this video: http://www.climategen.org/ngconline
Discuss: Look back at the Global Land and Ocean Temperature
Anomalies graph from the beginning of this activity. How
would you describe the diff erence in global temperatures in
1909 and 1998? Can you describe the weather of those two
years? Why or why not?
In your notes, choose your favorite way of describing the
diff erence between weather and climate and draw or write
that description.

ACTIVITY 2

What are the indicators of the rise in global

temperature? How do you ask clarifying
questions?

INDICATORS
What are the indicators that show us the global temperature
is rising? Measurements from scientists, citizens, and
students like yourselves can show us that temperatures
around the world are going up. In this activity, you will look at
how measurements are made and draw conclusions about the
global temperature after looking at multiple lines of evidence.
Discuss: Besides looking at a thermometer, what are things
you see that indicate changes in temperature?

TEMPERATURE INDICATORS FIGURES SET

Your group will receive 1-2 fi gures from the Temperature
Indicators Figures Set and each individual will receive a
worksheet.
Study the fi gure(s), discover what indicators are shown, and
answer the questions on the worksheet.
Each group will present their fi ndings to the class.

FIGURE WALK
After groups are done studying and sharing the
fi gures, post them on the walls.
Walk around and study the fi gures. Answer the
refl ection question in your notes.
Discuss:
What can we learn from multiple lines of evidence?
When looking at the figures all together, what conclusions can
be drawn?

SUMMARY
These fi gures, when put together, provide the
evidence for what is being called global climate
change, the increase in the globes average
temperature and precipitation.
With a partner, write a summary in your notes.
Choose two fi gures and write about how evidence in
those fi gures is related to the area where you live,
i.e. how is climate change impacting you? Are you
seeing these indicators now, or will you in the future?

WHAT FACTORS HAVE CAUSED

THE RISE IN THE GLOBAL
TEMPERATURE OVER THE LAST
CENTURY?
LOOKING INTO CAUSES

Lesson 2

INTRODUCTION

REVIEW
Yesterday we looked at the Global Land and Ocean
Temperature Anomalies graph.
Discuss:
Why does this graph look the way it does?
What things have happened in the past 135 years that could
cause the global temperature changes that you see? Make a
list of them in your notes (you will need them later).

TERMS
Greenhouse eff ect: a phenomenon in which the atmosphere of
a planet traps radiation emitted by its sun, caused by gases
such as carbon dioxide, water vapor, and methane that allow
incoming sunlight to pass through but retain heat radiated
back from the planets surface.
Greenhouse gas: gases which allow direct sunlight to reach
Earths surface, but absorb the infrared energy (heat) that is
reradiated to the atmosphere. These gases include: water
vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, among others.
Also referred to as heat-trapping gases.

TERMS
Carbon dioxide: CO 2 is the primary greenhouse gas emitted
through human activities
Cumulative: increasing or increased in quantity
Emissions: the act of producing or sending out something
(such as energy or gas) from a source
Carbon sink: anything that absorbs more carbon than it
releases (trees, ocean)

VIDEO AND REFLECTION

Watch the following video about carbon dioxide, the
greenhouse eff ect, and greenhouse gases:
http://www.climategen.org/ngconline
Refl ect in your notes and answer the following
questions:
Why is the greenhouse effect important?
Why is CO 2 important?
What is the relationship between CO 2 and the greenhouse
effect?

ANALOGY: CAKE AS WEATHER

Lets say a storm (weather) is like a cake. A storm has a
specifi c set of ingredients, which the atmosphere provides. If
we dont have the ingredients, we are not going to make a
cake. A storm needs air masses to collide and rise, allowing
water to condense and fall out as rain. A cake needs a
combination of fl our, eggs, butter and sugar. How what
happens if we change the ingredients slightly? Saw we use
whole wheat fl our, which makes the cake more dense. Or we
use more sugar, which makes it sweeter. We will still make a
cake, but it will be diff erent. Changing the ingredients doesnt
change the fact that you are making a cake, just how it turns
out. The is what climate change does. Climate change doesnt
make the storm (or cake), but it changes the ingredients! The
cake will turn out a bit diff erent.

ACTIVITY 1: THE GREENHOUSE EFFECT GAME

Make two notecards: One says HEAT and the other LIGHT
In your notes, draw a diagram of the greenhouse eff ect. Be
sure to label what you draw, even if it is only a few things.
Before we play, here are some things you must know,
including the rules.
There will be two circles in the gym: The smaller circle represents the
Earth and the larger one represents Earths atmosphere. This model is not
to scale. In real life, the Earths diameter is 7917 miles and the
atmosphere reaches about 800 miles above Earth.
You will place your heat cards in a pile on the Earth.
There will be 3 rounds. The first round will represent the Natural
greenhouse eff ect, the second will represent Human enhanced
greenhouse eff ect, and the third will show us how to slow down the
greenhouse eff ect.

RULES
If you are CO 2 in the Earths atmosphere, you may not move your feet.
(In the fi rst round there will be 2 CO 2 molecules.)
If you are not a CO 2 molecule, then you are sunlight. Your goal is to enter
the Earths atmosphere, tag the Earth, exchange your light card for a
heat card, and then escape the atmosphere without getting tagged by
a CO 2 molecule.
Students can only be tagged once they are heat.
Sunlight who are tagged must stay standing still in the atmosphere. Only
CO 2 molecules may tag other students.
Those who avoid being tagged bounce back out of the atmosphere into
space.
Each round lasts about 30 seconds.
We will now go to the gym. You will need to bring your notes and a pencil
with you, because you will be editing your diagram as we play the game.

ACTIVITY 1: WRAP UP
In this game, we saw that human actions, particularly burning
fossil fuels, can enhance the greenhouse eff ect by putting more
CO 2 into the atmosphere. This increase in CO 2 which is
increasing global temperature is referred to as climate change.
Discuss:
How was this game like the atmosphere or not like the atmosphere?
What makes the game an accurate or inaccurate model of the
atmosphere?
How did your diagram change throughout the game? What did you
learn during the game?
How did you show things moving around? How did you show quantity?
How did you show that light changes to heat?

ACTIVITY 2: CLAIM, EVIDENCE, REASONING

Today you will work together to answer this question: What is
causing the global average temperature on Earth to increase?
Each group will receive a set of Evidence Figures and each
student will receive a Claim, Evidence, Reasoning worksheet.
Read the instructions and the example format
Once you are done summarizing the graphs, you will write a
Claim, Evidence, and Reasoning argument to answer the
question.

DISCUSSION DIAMOND
You will be placed in groups of 5. You will each receive a
Discussion Diamond worksheet.
In the center each student should write What is causing a rise in
global temperatures?
Each partner will present their claim and then the rest of the
group will write the claim and the lines of evidence provided in
one triangle.
Once the presenter is done, each student must develop two
clarifying questions based on his or her notes to ask the presenter.
Did other group members use of evidence alter your claim?

CONCLUSION
Look at the chart Separating Human and Natural Infl uences
on Climate
http://nca2014.globalchange.gov/report/our-changing-climate/observed-ch
ange

In your notes, answer the questions to explain your

interpretation of the fi gure.
As a class, discuss your conclusions and the connections you
made.