Climate change is occurring because more of the Sun’s energy that reaches Earth is being trapped by our atmosphere. In these activities, students will learn about Earth’s energy balance so that in later activities they will be able to explain how human activities have altered this balance and evaluate how these changes have led to an increase in global temperature and the subsequent consequences of global warming.

Climate change is occurring because the amounts of carbon dioxide and other “greenhouse” gases in the atmosphere are increasing. In these activities, students will learn about The Carbon Cycle so that in a later lesson they will be able to explain how human activities have altered The Carbon Cycle and evaluate how these changes have led to an increase in global temperature and the subsequent consequences of global warming.

In these activities, students will evaluate data to provide evidence to support the claim that “Human activities, particularly the burning of fossil fuels, are adding more CO2 to the atmosphere. This is enhancing the greenhouse effect, trapping more heat and causing global temperatures to rise.”

A warming climate alters patterns of air movement and precipitation, causing an increased frequency of some extreme weather events. In these activities, students will analyze data on the frequency of severe weather events, evaluate the impacts, and propose solutions to help mitigate them.

Increases in CO2 in the atmosphere and warming global temperatures are having a significant impact on the chemistry, temperature, volume, and circulation patterns in bodies of water. In this set of activities, students will investigate these changes and evaluate their potential impacts.

The geographic range of a plant or animal species is determined by its environmental requirements – the conditions it needs to survive and reproduce. These conditions include abiotic variables, such as temperature, precipitation, and nutrients, as well as the presence of certain other species with whom the species shares important interactions. Climate change can result in shifts in all these things and can lead to an area that was once ideal for a species to become uninhabitable for them. However, it can also create new areas that meet the species needs that didn’t used to before. These changes result in shifting species ranges over time. These shifts can have a variety of impacts on ecosystems. In these activities, students will investigate these potential impacts.

As the global temperature continues to rise due to climate change, the timing of life cycle events might by disrupted in ways that affect ecosystems. In these activities, students will analyze data on the timing of life cycle events and predict possible impacts.

Changes in climate can have direct and indirect on human health. In these activities, students will review the negative impacts of climate change on human health, interpret data that provides evidence of these impacts, and discuss how state and local agencies are acting to try to decrease these impacts.Links are provided to folders on Google Drive with resources for each disease category.

Climate prediction models help us to understand how the Earth's climate is changing over time and how it might change in the future. By predicting the potential impacts of climate change, we can prepare for and adapt to these changes. Accurate climate predictions can help inform policymakers about the potential consequences of their decisions and develop strategies for mitigating and adapting to climate change. In these activities, students work with simple climate prediction models.

Climate prediction models help us to understand how the Earth's climate is changing over time and how it might change in the future. By predicting the potential impacts of climate change, we can prepare for and adapt to these changes. Accurate climate predictions can help inform policymakers about the potential consequences of their decisions and develop strategies for mitigating and adapting to climate change. In these activities, students work with simple climate prediction models.

Objective
SWBAT examine personal use of energy as measured in kilowatts by creating a spreadsheet to easily analyze data.

Big Idea
How much energy do we really use? Authentic technology integration is supported in the lesson as students create an Excel spreadsheet to analyze data. Students analyze the spreadsheet to determine a personal contribution to climate change.

" This class examines tools, data, and ideas related to past climate changes as seen in marine, ice core, and continental records. The most recent climate changes (mainly the past 500,000 years, ranging up to about 2 million years ago) will be emphasized. Quantitative tools for the examination of paleoceanographic data will be introduced (statistics, factor analysis, time series analysis, simple climatology)."

" This course introduces students to climate studies, including beginnings of the solar system, time scales, and climate in human history. It is offered to both undergraduate and graduate students with different requirements."

This article describes how the lifestyle of Alaska's Inupiat people have changed over time, and the new challenges they now face as a result of a changing climate. Versions are available for students in grades K-1, 2-3 and 4-5. Related science and literacy activities are included.

Physical Geology is a comprehensive introductory text on the physical aspects of geology, including rocks and minerals, plate tectonics, earthquakes, volcanoes, glaciation, groundwater, streams, coasts, mass wasting, climate change, planetary geology and much more. It has a strong emphasis on examples from western Canada, especially British Columbia, and also includes a chapter devoted to the geological history of western Canada. The book is a collaboration of faculty from Earth Science departments at Universities and Colleges across British Columbia and elsewhere.

Physical Geology is a comprehensive introductory text on the physical aspects of geology, including rocks and minerals, plate tectonics, earthquakes, volcanoes, glaciation, groundwater, streams, coasts, mass wasting, climate change, planetary geology and much more. It has a strong emphasis on examples from western Canada, especially British Columbia, and also includes a chapter devoted to the geological history of western Canada. The book is a collaboration of faculty from Earth Science departments at Universities and Colleges across British Columbia and elsewhere.

"This course is designed to give you the scientific understanding you need to answer questions like: How much energy can we really get from wind? How does a solar photovoltaic work? What is an OTEC (Ocean Thermal Energy Converter) and how does it work? What is the physics behind global warming? What makes engines efficient? How does a nuclear reactor work, and what are the realistic hazards? The course is designed for MIT sophomores, juniors, and seniors who want to understand the fundamental laws and physical processes that govern the sources, extraction, transmission, storage, degradation, and end uses of energy."

The goals of the International OER Exchange Pilot project are to: facilitate the development and use of Open Educational Resources (OER) by teachers and students globally, track the development and use of the science learning materials and data collection, especially around climate change study, created in the project through OER Commons, and highlight the process and results through workshops and conference presentations.The broader purpose of the project is to support the international exchange of information and understanding through freely available resources among teachers and students, especially in the area of environmental science and climate change investigation.

This article from Beyond Weather and the Water Cycle provides ideas on how school librarians can work with elementary teachers to teach about the Sun's impact on weather and climate. The author introduces the Standards for the 21st Century Learner, developed by the American Association of School Librarians. The author focuses on Standard 1, which calls for students to inquire, think critically, and gain knowledge through developing and refining questions, investigating answers, seeking divergent perspectives in information, and assessing whether the information found answers the questions posed. The free, online magazine draws its themes from the Seven Essential Principles of Climate Literacy, with each issue focusing on one of the seven principles.

How can we translate real-world challenges into future business opportunities? How can individuals, organizations, and society learn and undergo change at the pace needed to stave off worsening problems? Today, organizations of all kinds--traditional manufacturing firms, those that extract resources, a huge variety of new start-ups, services, non-profits, and governmental organizations of all types, among many others--are tackling these very questions. For some, the massive challenges of moving towards sustainability offer real opportunities for new products and services, for reinventing old ones, or for solving problems in new ways. The course aims to provide participants with access and in-depth exposure to firms that are actively grappling with the sustainability-related issues through cases, readings and guest speakers.