Oil reserve estimates vary widely due to the challenges of accurately assessing oil deposits deep underground. Factors such as limited transparency, varying methodologies, and political influences contribute to the disagreements. Efforts are needed to align reserve estimates with climate goals and ensure transparency in reporting.

This activity introduces students to plotting and analyzing phenology data. Students use 30 years of data that shows the date of the first lilac bloom and the number of days of ice cover of nearby Gull Lake.

Students explore the carbon cycle and the relationship between atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations and temperature. Students create and compare graphs of carbon dioxide and temperature data from one local (Mauna Loa, Hawaii) meteorological station and one NASA global data set. These graphs, as well as a global vegetation map and an atmospheric wind circulation patterns diagram, are used as evidence to support the scientific claims they develop through their analysis and interpretation.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Most climate models tend to agree on the Earth’s future when it comes to temperature: at our current pace of greenhouse gas emissions, it’s going to get hotter everywhere. That makes intuitive sense. What’s less obvious is what’s going to happen to precipitation. Models are generally in much weaker agreement about precipitation changes, but they seem to converge in predicting that certain areas are definitely going to get wetter and others drier. Among these, the Mediterranean stands out. Locally, the region may lose up to 40% of its winter precipitation. For the millions who depend on these seasonal rains, it’s a serious threat to their way of life. But researchers have yet to explain why numerous climate models settle on the same fate. Now, researchers from MIT have discovered two mechanisms that could converge to create this dire scenario: strengthening winds in the upper troposphere, at an altitude of about 10 km, and a diminishing temperature difference between land and sea..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

Wicked Problems, Wolfpack Solutions is a multidisciplinary experience created for all incoming first-year and transfer students at NC State University. Each year, this course focuses on a current “wicked problem,” defined as a highly complex problem that can only be addressed through collaborative, multidisciplinary efforts. The course explores possible solutions through the perspectives of NC State scholars representing many different areas of study and reflects NC State’s commitment to the inclusion of individuals and ideas from a broad diversity of backgrounds and experiences. This website includes the video and podcast lectures produced for the course, along with presenter information and supplemental materials.

This activity includes a set of slides with embedded images, animations, and interactives that students use to investigate extreme weather events. This is module 8 of a Satellite Meteorology course.

Students will learn the difference between global, prevailing and local winds. In this activity, students will make a wind vane out of paper, a straw and a soda bottle and use it to measure wind direction over time. Finally, they will analyze their data to draw conclusions about the prevailing winds in their area.

This highly engaging course is comprised of five modules. Each one clearly explains the concept using readings and videos. Students are presented with the current fire and climate data and then run simulations. Students read graphs based on the data they collect in their simulations and then answer comprehension questions and make predictions.

This is a wildfire simulation with three different zones (plains, mountains, and foothills). The user can change variables to see what happens when they spark a fire.

This video from ClimateCentral looks at the way climate conditions can affect vegetation in the West, and what influence this has on wildfires. Drought and rainfall can have very different wildfire outcomes, depending on vegetation type, extent, and location.

Students will be exploring the idea of ecosystems and wildfires. They will become familiar with what an ecosystem is and how to keep them healthy. Students will also see the positive and negative effects of wildfires on ecosystems. Also how wildfires influence the local government and federal government when it comes to land management.

SYNOPSIS: This lesson introduces students to climate change and the idea that renewable energy sources are a better choice for the planet.

SCIENTIST NOTES: This lesson introduces students to climate change and provides an excellent resource that illustrates how climate change impacts life in New Jersey. The energy independent island Samsø, Denmark is presented through a reading of Energy Island by Alan Drummond, and a Venn diagram is provided so students can compare Samsø to their hometown. Students are tasked with designing a zero emission ferry for Samsø and are challenged to see how climate change affects them and how an 8-12 year old can make a difference. This lesson is recommended for teaching.

POSITIVES:
-This lesson allows for a collaborative learning environment for students as it builds on understanding of climate change.
-This lesson features a problem-based approach to learning where students are immersed in solving a real-world problem.
-Students connect a real idealistic community to their own to see what is possible.
-This lesson follows the engineering design process.

ADDITIONAL PREREQUISITES:
-Students should have a basic understanding of climate change.
-Students should have an understanding of the engineering design process.

DIFFERENTIATION:
-Students can think-pair-share during the read aloud where students can make predictions or answer questions.
-You can pause the read aloud for students to make observations and predictions about the story.
-Groups of students with mixed abilities can collaborate on their ferry design challenge project.

With an often unexpected outcome from a simple experiment, students can discover the factors that cause and influence thermohaline circulation in our oceans. In two 45 minute class periods, students complete activities where they observe the melting of ice cubes in saltwater and freshwater, using basic materials: clear plastic cups, ice cubes, water, salt, food coloring, and thermometers. There are no prerequisites for this lesson but it is helpful if students are familiar with the concepts of density and buoyancy as well as the salinity of seawater. It is also helpful if students understand that dissolving salt in water will lower the freezing point of water. There are additional follow up investigations that help students appreciate and understand the importance of the ocean’s influence on Earth’s climate.

Openendedsocialstudies.org created this collection of background readings, images, and questions on William Walker and U.S. imperialism in the years between the War with Mexico and the U.S. Civil War. The College of Wooster also hosts a webpage dedicated to Willam Walker's adventurism which includes primary documents, timelines, an historical context essay, discussion questions, and additional resources. https://williamwalker.voices.wooster.edu/

The period between the end of the Mexican-American War and the U.S. Civil War included numerous attempts by U.S. business interests to expand into Central America. William Walker was interested not only in the mining, banana plantations, and possible canal, rail, and steamship routes to connect the East and West coast of the United States but also in the expansion of slavery into the tropical climate of the region.

The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) is the largest-ever federal program focused on energy and the environment, allocating $369 billion over a decade. With a laser focus on climate change, the IRA aims to cut greenhouse gas emissions, promote clean energy, and enhance climate resilience. Its provisions have the potential to create jobs, lower electricity costs, and significantly contribute to meeting the US climate targets.

Wind energy uses naturally flowing air in the Earth's atmosphere to generate mechanical power and electricity. It is a fully renewable resource and has few climate and environmental impacts. Wind energy is one of the lowest cost sources of electricity and is one of the largest and fastest growing electricity resources worldwide.

Global wind patterns are dictated by the movement of the Earth on its axis and are significant factors in determining the climate for regions of the planet. Students learn how the Coriolis effect and Hadley convection cells determine the location of deserts on Earth. They manipulate inflated plastic globes to discover how the Coriolis effect drives wind clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and counterclockwise in the Southern Hemisphere. Then they incorporate latitudinal differences onto this modeling exercise to understand why deserts form at 30 degrees north and south of the equator. Once students understand the importance of global winds, they discuss hydropower in the desert. They compare and contrast two case studies: China’s Three Gorges Dam, and Chile’s proposed plant in the Atacama Desert that would creatively use solar power to move seawater up to the top of a mountain so that it can flow back down and generate power. Students note the economic, environmental, cultural and social impacts, issues and benefits of both power plants. Then they reflect, write, debate and discuss their ideas and opinions using evidence from the case studies and their own research.

After most of the city was flattened by a tornado, Joplin, Missouri’s Mercy Hospital built a new facility, incorporating features to reinforce its resistance to wind.

Children create a wind streamer out of common materials and use it to determine the wind's direction.

This animated visualization was created for the planetarium film 'Dynamic Earth'. It illustrates the trail of energy that flows from atmospheric wind currents to ocean currents.