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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
- After Fierce Lobbying, Treasury Sets Rules for Billions in Hydrogen Subsidies
- El Canal de Panamá tiene un gran problema, pero no es China ni Trump
- Biden Expected to Permanently Ban Oil Drilling in Some Federal Waters
- What Happened to Carter’s White House Solar Panels? They Lived On.
- To Understand Trump and Biden, Look to Reagan and Carter
- 20 Years Later, a Look at The New York Times’ 52 Places to Go
- The Panama Canal Has a Big Problem, but It’s Not China or Trump
Climate Change News from The Guardian
- ‘A look into the future’: TV drama about Danish climate refugees divides opinion
- Is pistachio the new pumpkin spice? Why production of the nut is booming in California
- Weatherwatch: The need to wake up to sea level rise in the UK
- Embankment of 18th-century canal in Cheshire collapses after flooding
- UK electricity cleanest ever in 2024, with record 58% from low-carbon sources
- ‘Extraordinary longevity’: great whales can live a lot longer than we thought – if we leave them alone
- Fig and almond trees thriving in UK thanks to fewer frosts, RHS says
Climate Solutions from Union of Concerned Scientists
- How to Vet Presidential Nominees for Their Science Savvy—a Handy Checklist for Senators
- Soaring Insurance Rates Show Climate Change Is a Pocketbook Issue
- Looking Ahead to Climate Litigation in 2025: Progress, Challenges, and Opportunities
- Key Questions for HUD Nominee Ahead of Confirmation Hearing
- Arctic Report Card 2024: How Did the Region Fare? Ask the Caribou
- What the US Needs from a New NOAA Administrator (Science, Please)
- Chasing Glaciers: A Runner’s Quest Through a Changing Landscape
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.