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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
- Giant Batteries Are Transforming the Way the U.S. Uses Electricity
- How Changing Ocean Temperatures Could Upend Life on Earth
- Will a carbon market happen?
- How Bad Is A.I. for the Climate?
- I’m a Doctor. I Was Unprepared When I Got This Disease.
- Are Flight Offsets Worth It?
- ¿Proteger los árboles de la Amazonía puede ser más rentable que la ganadería?
Climate Change News from The Guardian
- ‘I’ve never seen anything like it’: can Jamaica adapt to the Caribbean’s increasingly unpredictable weather?
- UN expert attacks ‘exploitative’ world economy in fight to save planet
- ‘I’ve only the clothes on my back’: lives swept away by floods in Kenya
- Belgian students occupy Ghent University building in climate and Gaza protest – video
- Ghent students occupy university building in climate and Gaza protest
- The synthetic coffee revolution: are ground date seeds really as delicious as the real thing?
- Poorer nations must be transparent over climate spending, says Cop29 leader
Climate Solutions from Union of Concerned Scientists
- Calling Out Climate Lies for a Living
- New California Legislation Would Help Us Better Understand Wildfire Health Impacts
- A Call for Climate Justice at the InterAmerican Court of Human Rights
- Justice40 Can Be Strengthened with These 3 Fixes
- The White House’s Justice40 is Good and Can Be Better
- Earth Day 2024: The Climate Benefits of the Inflation Reduction Act Are Worth Celebrating
- Earth Day Is a Day to Celebrate the Environmental Progress We’ve Made in Recent Years
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.