Global Climate Change Project
Are carbon dioxide emissions from the car, bus, or SUV that you recently rode in causing
glaciers to melt, oceans to rise, and coral to die? In this project, you will explore how humans
contribute to global climate change, analyze climatic variables related to global climate change,
relate the greenhouse effect to global climate change, and compare the greenhouse effect on
Earth, Venus, and Mars.
Project Research
Use the following articles to gain some background knowledge about global climate change.
Read the Global Climate Change by Daniel D. Chiras of Colorado College, Atmosphere and
Climate Change by Jerry Dennis, Global Warming by Richard A. Anthes of University
Corporation for Atmospheric Research and answer the following reflection questions:
1. Compare the nature greenhouse effect process with the human induced.
2. What are the greenhouse gases? Which one is the biggest concern?
3. What are scientists doing to collect data?
4. What role does the carbon cycle play in this problem?
5. What are the political and economic factors that complicate this problem?
6. Why is the study of global warming so scientifically complicated?
7. Are there skeptics? What are their arguments?
Project Activity Introduction:
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In 1957, before much of the research and widespread awareness of global warming began,
American oceanographer Roger Revelle who spent fourteen years either leading or sending out
oceanic expeditions from Scripps Institution of Oceanography, referred to global climate change
this way:
“humankind is engaging in an enormous geophysical experiment whose outcome
is in doubt. The doubt comes from uncertainties as to how human activities will
change and how the complex climate system, which is affected by human activities
as well as by natural processes, will respond.”
His statement has proven to be quite true today. There are so many variables both natural and
human-induced that some scientists have a difficult time clearly arriving at true cause-and-effect
relationships.
In this activity you will explore various scientific studies being conducted about global climate
change and its affects. As you watch the video segments, pretend you are an established scientist,
who is designing a scientific investigation dealing with climate change. The sampling of various
studies is provided to get you thinking about what to investigate in your study.
Part 1 – Scientific Studies about Climate Change
Use the links provided to watch the following Discovery Education™ streaming movies: Melting
Glaciers, Investigating Ancient Hurricanes, The Carbon Sink: Carbon Dioxide Fluctuations, The
Polar Bear’s Plight: Longer Swim between Floes, and Using Iron to Fight Global Warming,
Endangered Seafood.
You are an established scientist who studies _________________________________________.
You are starting a new scientific investigation studying _________________________ related to
global climate change. You are going to get your funding from __________________________.
You are going to need to team up with ______________________________________________.
Part 2 – Scientific Investigation Speech Application
Write a persuasive speech that briefly explains your scientific investigation, including your role,
team of scientists needed, equipment needed, and funding needed. Your speech should also
include how it can possibly help either further understand or solve the climate change problem,
and why donors and sponsors should help fund your project. Once you have your speech written,
record yourself giving the speech. This video will be your finished product that you submit to
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your teacher during lesson 16 along with a written copy of your speech. Please reference the
project rubric.
Part 3 – Beyond Earth Extension – Complete during lesson 16
Use the Grolier Online Resources link to search both Venus and Mars to read the articles
provided. Explore the atmospheres and the greenhouse affect on Venus and Mars. Compare them
to the Earth’s atmosphere and greenhouse effect by answering the following questions:
Venus
1. What is the atmosphere on Venus like? Describe the composition and compare it to
Earth’s.
2. Does Venus have the greenhouse effect? What is it like there? How is it different form
Earth’s greenhouse effect?
Mars
3. What is the atmosphere on Mars like? Describe the composition and compare it to
Earth’s.
4. Does Mars have the greenhouse effect? What is it like? How is different from the Earth’s
greenhouse effect?
5. How might comparing Earth going through global warming to Mars or Venus helps
project what might happen to the Earth? Would it be helpful or not?
© 2013 Connections Academy®, LLC. All rights reserved.