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Teaching Resources for Climate Change
Classroom Activities
Introduction to Global Warming
To begin this minds-on analysis and discussion activity, students learn about the correlated increases in global temperatures and CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere. Next, students evaluate an example that illustrates that correlation does not necessarily imply causation.
Then, students analyze several types of evidence to test the hypothesis that increased CO2 in the atmosphere has been a major cause of the increase in global temperatures. This activity concludes with a very brief discussion of how global warming has contributed to harmful effects (e.g., increased flooding) and possible student actions to reduce these harmful effects.
Food and Climate Change – How can we feed a growing world population without increasing global warming?
In this analysis and discussion activity, students learn how food production results in the release of three greenhouse gases – carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrous oxide (N2O), and methane (CH4). Students analyze carbon and nitrogen cycles to understand how agriculture results in increased CO2 and N2O in the atmosphere.
Students interpret data concerning the very different amounts of greenhouse gases released during the production of various types of food; they apply concepts related to trophic pyramids and they learn about CH4 release by ruminants.
Finally, students propose, research, and evaluate strategies to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases that will be released during future production of food for the world’s growing population.
Global Warming News from the New York Times
- How Can My Valentine’s Flowers Show the Earth Love, Too?
- California’s FAIR Plan Gets $1 Billion Bailout After L.A. Fires
- S.E.C. Moves to Kill Climate Disclosure Rule
- Under Trump, Billionaire Climate Champions Have Gone Quiet
- Trump Can’t Kill Green Energy
- NOAA Is Told to Make List of Climate-Related Grants, Setting Off Fears
- Trump Killed a Major Report on Nature. They’re Trying to Publish It Anyway.
Climate Change News from The Guardian
- Philippines storm survivors join climate protest outside Shell HQ in London
- Intense heatwave in southern Brazil forces schools to suspend return
- Britons urged to join hunt for rare daffodil breeds amid extinction fears
- GoFundMe raises $250m for LA fires victims, more than for all other disasters last year
- Tenants demand protections as LA fires exacerbate housing crisis: ‘Huge source of stress’
- Endangered waves: why Australia’s revered surf spots could soon reach a breaking point
- Conspiracy theory on methane-cutting cow feed a ‘wake-up call’, say scientists
Climate Solutions from Union of Concerned Scientists
- The Science Behind Sea Level Rise: How Past Emissions Will Shape Our Future
- As Extreme Weather Intensifies, FEMA Needs Competent Leadership and Funding
- Recovery to Resilience: Making the Most of Long-Awaited Disaster Funds
- The Perils of Ignoring Racial Equity in Disaster Relief and Recovery Are Costly
- Here Comes the Fossil Fuel Agenda
- An Open Letter to Federal Science Workers in the Second Trump Administration
- I Didn’t Lose My Home in the Fires…But Can I Drink the Water?
Resources for Teaching and Learning about Climate Change
This annotated list includes resources that can help your students to develop a scientifically accurate understanding of the causes and consequences of global warming and climate change. This list also includes resources for learning about how to reduce greenhouse gases and how to cope with the harmful effects of climate change. When learning about climate change, it is important for students to engage with proposals to mitigate and adapt to climate change, so they can feel energized, instead of powerless. Given the nature of the topic, the approach is interdisciplinary. These resources are appropriate for middle school, high school and/or college students.