The Carbon Cycle and its Role in Climate Change
(View Complete Item Description)In this activity, students use a physical model to learn the basics of photosynthesis and respiration within the carbon cycle.
Material Type: Activity/Lab
All resources in Oregon Science
Does Climate Change Cause Extreme Weather?
(View Complete Item Description)This video provides a good introduction to the field of attribution science. Beginning with an introduction to weather and climate, it describes how severe weather might be linked to climate change and the science behind attribution studies. It gives a good explanation behind how scientists use climate models to study whether severe weather events were influenced by climate change. It also discusses the question, "does climate change cause extreme weather?" and provides an introduction to the concepts of probability, causation, and correlation in regards to attribution science (how much climate change influenced an event verses normal variations in weather).
PEI SOLS Middle School Wetlands: Ecosystem Services
(View Complete Item Description)Coastal wetlands bring many benefits to ecosystems including their ability to sequester carbon and mitigate fluctuations in sea levels. Students will understand the ecosystem benefits of coastal wetlands with a focus on the potential of estuaries for climate related planning.
Material Type: Unit of Study
Adapting to climate change
(View Complete Item Description)This video uses Bangladesh as a case study by describing climate change adaptation strategies being implemented in Bangladeshi communities as well as in other countries.
Changes Ahoof: Could Climate Change Affect Arctic Caribou?
(View Complete Item Description)Students run a simplified computer model to explore how climate conditions can affect caribou, the most abundant grazing animal in the Arctic.
Material Type: Activity/Lab
Climate Change 1958: The Bell Telephone Science Hour
(View Complete Item Description)Bell Telephone Science Hour produced this video in 1958, explaining how the production of CO2 from factories and automobiles is causing the atmosphere to warm, melting the polar ice caps, and causing the sea level to rise.
Climate Change Basics
(View Complete Item Description)The video offers a simple and easy-to-understand overview of climate change. It poses basic questions such as 'What is it?' and 'How will it effect us?' and effectively answers those questions.
Climate Change Impacts on Biodiversity
(View Complete Item Description)This video documents the effects of increasing global temperatures on biodiversity (changes in distribution, range, and numbers) and human populations. Adaptations to climate change are also outlined.
Climate Change Indicators: US and Global Temperature
(View Complete Item Description)This resource is part of a collection of visualizations that illustrate observed changes in temperature, precipitation, storms, floods, and droughts. This resource focuses on US and Global temperature. Rising global average temperature is associated with widespread changes in weather patterns. Scientific studies indicate that extreme weather events such as heat waves and large storms are likely to become more frequent or more intense with human-induced climate change. The larger collection includes climate change indicators within the oceans, snow and ice, and other ecosystems and the effects on humans and our society.
Climate Change, Wildlife, and Wildlands: A Toolkit for Teachers and Interpreters
(View Complete Item Description)Use this site to learn about the science of climate change and its potential effects on our nation's wildlife and their habitats.
Material Type: Activity/Lab, Lesson Plan
Climate Change and Arctic Ecosystems
(View Complete Item Description)In this activity, students learn about how climate change is affecting the Arctic ecosystem and then investigate how this change is impacting polar bear populations. Students analyze maps of Arctic sea ice, temperature graphs, and polar bear population data to answer questions about the impact of climate change on the Arctic ecosystem.
Material Type: Activity/Lab
Climate Heroes: Stories of Change
(View Complete Item Description)This documentary film takes the viewer on a virtual trip around the world to visit communities in different countries (Asia, Africa, Central America, Australia) taking action on climate change. The documentary weaves together nine inspiring stories, showing that action on climate change is creating jobs, improving lives and turning dreams of a better future into reality.
Climate Science in a Nutshell: Climate Change Around the World?
(View Complete Item Description)This video is part of the Climate Science in a Nutshell video series. This short video looks at the effects of climate change happening right now around the globe, including: more extreme weather events, droughts, forest fires, land use changes, altered ranges of disease-carrying insects, and the loss of some agricultural products. It concludes with a discussion of the differences between weather, climate variability, and climate change.
The Ecology of Climate Change
(View Complete Item Description)This video focuses on the conifer forest in Alaska to explore the carbon cycle and how the forest responds to rising atmospheric carbon dioxide. Topics addressed in the video include wildfires, reflectivity, and the role of permafrost in the global carbon cycle.
Energy Choices and Climate Change
(View Complete Item Description)This interactive provides two scenarios for students to look at issues related to energy and climate change: from the perspective of either a family, or a monarch.
Material Type: Simulation
Envisioning Climate Change Using a Global Climate Model
(View Complete Item Description)This long classroom activity introduces students to a climate modeling software. Students visualize how temperature and snow coverage might change over the next 100 years. They run a 'climate simulation' to establish a baseline for comparison, do a 'experimental' simulation and compare the results. Students will then choose a region of their own interest to explore and compare the results with those documented in the IPCC impact reports. Students will gain a greater understanding and appreciation of the process and power of climate modeling.
Material Type: Activity/Lab
The Water Cycle and Climate Change (Water Cycle, Deforestation, and Climate Change #1)
(View Complete Item Description)In this lesson, students learn about the water cycle and how climate change impacts its patterns. Step 1 - Inquire: Students contemplate their relationship with water and observe a demonstration to determine if shifting climates may affect the water cycle. Step 2 - Investigate: Students explore an interactive diagram about the water cycle. Step 3 - Inspire: Students watch a video and complete a series of questions in their student journals.
Material Type: Lesson, Lesson Plan
Transpiration and Climate Change (Water Cycle, Deforestation, and Climate Change #2)
(View Complete Item Description)In this lesson, students learn about transpiration and how transpiration plays a role in cooling cities that experience extreme heat due to climate change. Step 1 - Inquire: Students explore the idea of transpiration through a hands-on experiment. Step 2 - Investigate: Students learn about trees' connection to urban heat island. Step 3 - Inspire: Students create a proposal to improve tree equity in their neighborhoods.
Material Type: Lesson, Lesson Plan
Putting It All Together (Water Cycle, Deforestation, and Climate Change #4)
(View Complete Item Description)In this lesson, students learn about extreme weather, create an infographic, and educate others on the knowledge gained from this unit. Step 1 - Inquire: Students watch videos to understand why weather is becoming more extreme. Step 2 - Investigate: Students create an infographic about extreme weather impacts in their area. Step 3 - Inspire: Students educate others on the knowledge gained from this unit.
Material Type: Lesson, Lesson Plan
Physical Change: The State of the Ice Caps
(View Complete Item Description)SYNOPSIS: In this lesson, students engage in activities and experiments to explore the concept of physical changes, and apply their learning to understand climate change-induced sea level rise. SCIENTIST NOTES: The lesson introduces students to the physical changes of state from solid-liquid-gaseous phase. All materials, including artcicles and simulations, are well-sourced and relevant to improve students' ability in understanding the impact of physical changes in ice caps and its ambient environment and how they could take action to limit these changes. This lesson has passed our science credibility process and is recommended for teaching. Positive -Students work collaboratively in groups and with partners to share diverse ideas and perspectives. -Students participate in hands-on learning to aid in understanding and participation. -Students learn through a variety of pathways including kinesthetic, auditory, visual, etc. to engage with different learning. -Students are given a variety of optional extensions to create the most meaningful change in their communities. ADDITIONAL PREREQUISITES: -It is recommended that teachers use this as a multi-day lesson in 5 parts. Use the Multi-Day Schedule Visual to determine appropriate stopping points for each day. -Materials needed for the Physical Change Activity include the following: -Ice -Cup -Playdough (one container per group) -Different shaped cookie cutters (two per group) -Materials needed for each group for the Investigate section experiment include the following: -Two identical, clear, plastic containers (e.g., 6x6 inches) -Clay, playdough, or small rocks -Tray of ice cubes -Ruler -Cold water -Piece of paper -Permanent marker (optional) -Materials may be substituted as necessary -Students must create free accounts on the CK-12 website to participate in the simulations. DIFFERENTIATION: -All activities, experiments, and simulations can be completed in differentiated groups or as demonstrations at the discretion of the teacher. -The article may be read aloud in groups or as a class to aid in understanding at the discretion of the teacher. -Student Document questions may be completed individually, in mixed ability groups, or as a whole group led by the teacher. -Videos may be paused and discussed in short segments. -As noted in the TED video, the economic influences on climate change cannot be ignored. An extension to this lesson may be to include a social studies educator to teach students about the local economic elements and issues that contribute to climate change.
Material Type: Lesson, Lesson Plan