Lesson Outline
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Explanation of lesson structure to teach the
objectives (5 minutes)
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Explanation of activity (10 minutes)
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Perform activity (25 minutes)
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Discussion on answers for activity (15 minutes)
Lesson Structure
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Explain an issue
Present two or more competing claims with “supporting”
information that deals with a specific aspect of that issue.
Students perform a task that involves:
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Interpreting and evaluating information.
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Deciding to support one of the claims based only
on the information that was provided to justify
each claim.
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Explaining what additional information would be
needed for them to fully believe the claim they
supported.
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What information would be needed for them to
believe the claim they refuted
Global Warming Lesson
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GLCE standards that could be covered:
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P.EN.06.41 Explain how different forms of energy can be transferred
from one place to another by radiation, conduction, or convection.
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L.EC.06.41 Describe how human beings are part of the ecosystem of
the Earth and that human activity can purposefully, or accidentally, alter
the balance in ecosystems.
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P.EN.07.62 Explain how only a tiny fraction of light energy from the sun
is transformed to heat energy on Earth.
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E.ES.07.12 Describe the relationship between the warming of the
atmosphere of the Earth by the sun and convection within the
atmosphere and oceans.
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E.ES.07.13 Describe how the warming of the Earth by the sun produces
winds and ocean currents.
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E.ES.07.42 Describe the origins of pollution in the atmosphere,
geosphere, and hydrosphere, (car exhaust, industrial emissions, acid
rain, and natural sources), and how pollution impacts habitats, climatic
change, threatens or endangers species.
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E.ES.07.72 Describe how different weather occurs due to the constant
motion of the atmosphere from the energy of the sun reaching the
Global Warming Lesson
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HSCE standards that could be covered:
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E5.4A Explain the natural mechanism of the greenhouse effect,
including comparisons of the major greenhouse gases (water vapor,
carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone).
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E5.4C Analyze the empirical relationship between the emissions of
carbon dioxide, atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, and the average
global temperature over the past 150 years.
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E5.4D Based on evidence of observable changes in recent history and
climate change models, explain the consequences of warmer oceans
(including the results of increased evaporation, shoreline and estuarine
impacts, oceanic algae growth, and coral bleaching) and changing
climatic zones (including the adaptive capacity of the biosphere).
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E5.4g Compare and contrast the heat-trapping mechanisms of the major
greenhouse gases resulting from emissions (carbon dioxide, methane,
nitrous oxide, fluorocarbons) as well as their abundance and heattrapping capacity
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B3.4C Examine the negative impact of human activities.
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B3.4d Describe the greenhouse effect and list possible causes.
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B3.4e List the possible causes and consequences of global warming.
Global Warming Lesson
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A contentious debate exists surrounding the earth's
climate since the industrial revolution.
Some people believe the earth has been warming.
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Solar radiation powers the earth's climate system.
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The radiation balance of the earth could change due to the:
1.
Amount of incoming solar radiation (by changes in Earth’s orbit or
in the Sun)
2.
Fraction of solar radiation that gets reflected instead of absorbed
(by changes in cloud cover or atmospheric particles)
3.
Amount of thermal radiation sent from Earth back towards space
(by changing greenhouse gas concentrations).
People have made claims for each of these as the cause of
global warming.
Claims
1.Global warming has not occurred since the time of the
industrial revolution.
2.The main cause of global warming from the time of the
industrial revolution to the present has been natural
changes in the amount of solar radiance from solar
flares.
3.The main cause of global warming from the industrial
revolution to the present has been an increase in
greenhouse gases in the atmosphere during that time.
Activity with worksheet
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Consider three claims regarding global warming.
Examine information as it relates to these claims,
which includes:
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Interpreting the information
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Evaluating the relevancy of the information
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Evaluating the reliability of the information
Decide which claim to support based on the given
information.
Determine what additional information is needed (if
any) to convince you to believe that claim.
Class discussion at conclusion of activity