th
Climate Change
8th
Research and Critical Thinking – Middle School
11 days
Students should have basic background knowledge of atomic structure, including the parts of an atom and how to read the periodic table of elements. Student knowledge of the water cycle will be used to connect to the carbon cycle; therefore, they should have a good understanding of the water cycle.
Through activities, interactive websites and class discussion students will gain an understanding of the Carbon Cycle and its relationship to the greenhouse effect. Further research will provide students with data regarding the changes in carbon dioxide and temperature over time as related to human activities. After analyzing the data, students will look at their personal activities and determine their carbon output. As a culminating activity students will create a public service announcement on the topic of climate change.
Carbon Cycle: the organic circulation of carbon from the atmosphere into organisms and back again
Carbon Dioxide: two oxygen atoms covalently bonded to a single carbon atom. It is a gas at standard temperature and pressure and exists in Earth's atmosphere at trace levels.
Carbon Footprint: the total set of greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions caused by an organization, event or product. For simplicity of reporting, it is often expressed in terms of the amount of carbon dioxide, or its equivalent of other GHGs, emitted.
Climate Change: a change in the statistical distribution of weather over periods of time that range from decades to millions of years
Compound: a chemical substance consisting of two or more different chemical elements that can be separated into simpler substances by chemical reactions
CO
2
Sink: a carbon sink is a natural or artificial reservoir that accumulates and stores some carboncontaining chemical compound for an indefinite period
Global Warming: the increase in the average temperature of Earth's near-surface air and oceans since the mid-20th century and its projected continuation
Greenhouse Effect: heating at the surface of the planet caused by gases trapping heat within the surface-troposphere system
8th Grade” Carbon & You” Module – Overview Page 1

Molecule: a group of at least two atoms in a definite arrangement held together by strong (covalent) chemical bonds
Background information on climate change at: http://climate.nasa.gov/keyIndicators/ http://climate.nasa.gov/evidence/ http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/ccgg/trends/ http://library.thinkquest.org/11226/index.htm
This is a Carbon Cycle game – very extensive, may be too in depth for most students but good as an extension for advanced students or as a teacher resource http://rst.gsfc.nasa.gov/Sect16/Sect16_4.html
Great source about cycles in nature, from the water cycle to the carbon cycle
DAY 1
Lego blocks or any blocks of 3 different sizes or colors
Science notebook
Colored pencils or markers
Bag of gumdrops or squishy candy (if possible three bags of one color each)
Toothpicks
DAYS 2-3
Computer with Internet access
DAY 4
1 ice cube tray with 10 spaces
Pipette or eye dropper
Food coloring (10 drops per group – any color)
Rinse water
DAYS 5-6
Copies of article
Crushed chalk (do not use dustless chalk) – 1
stick per class demonstration
Vinegar – 20 ml per class demonstration
Beaker or glass jars – 1 per demonstration
DAYS 7-8
Computer with Internet access
DAY 9
Computer with Internet access and projector
(or copies of articles)
DAY 10
Projector for computer presentation
For lab–per group:
Two 2-liter plastic soda bottle "experimental chambers" (instructions to follow)
Two 14-16-oz. plastic containers at least 4 ½
inches in diameter at the top (sour cream, cottage cheese, or deli containers work well)
Knife or scissors
Tape
Two thermometers
One 150-watt floodlight and stand
DAY 11
Students will utilize their timelines from days 6-
7 and their completed homework from
that same day
8th Grade” Carbon & You” Module – Overview Page 2

Big Idea 1: The Practice of Science
SC.8.N.1.1 Define a problem from the eighth grade curriculum using appropriate reference materials to support scientific understanding, plan and carry out scientific investigations of various types, such as systematic observations or experiments, identify variables, collect and organize data, interpret data in charts, tables, and graphics, analyze information, make predictions, and defend conclusions.
SC.8.N.1.2 Design and conduct a study using repeated trials and replication.
SC.8.N.1.3 Use phrases such as "results support" or "fail to support" in science, understanding that science does not offer conclusive 'proof' of a knowledge claim.
SC.8.N.1.4 Explain how hypotheses are valuable if they lead to further investigations, even if they turn out not to be supported by the data.
SC.8.N.1.5 Analyze the methods used to develop a scientific explanation as seen in different fields of science.
SC.8.N.1.6 Understand that scientific investigations involve the collection of relevant empirical evidence, the use of logical reasoning, and the application of imagination in devising hypotheses, predictions, explanations and models to make sense of the collected evidence.
Big Idea 2: The Characteristics of Scientific Knowledge
SC.8.N.2.1 Distinguish between scientific and pseudoscientific ideas.
SC.8.N.2.2 Discuss what characterizes science and its methods.
Big Idea 3: The Role of Theories, Laws, Hypotheses, and Models
SC.8.N.3.1 Select models useful in relating the results of their own investigations.
SC.8.N.3.2 Explain why theories may be modified but are rarely discarded.
Big Idea 4: Science and Society
SC.8.N.4.1 Explain that science is one of the processes that can be used to inform decision making at the community, state, national, and international levels.
SC.8.N.4.2 Explain how political, social, and economic concerns can affect science, and vice versa.
Big Idea 8: Properties of Matter
SC.8.P.8.1 Explore the scientific theory of atoms (also known as atomic theory) by using models to explain the motion of particles in solids, liquids, and gases.
SC.8.P.8.2 Differentiate between weight and mass recognizing that weight is the amount of gravitational pull on an object and is distinct from, though proportional to, mass.
SC.8.P.8.3 Explore and describe the densities of various materials through measurement of their masses and volumes.
SC.8.P.8.4 Classify and compare substances on the basis of characteristic physical properties that can be demonstrated or measured; for example, density, thermal or electrical conductivity, solubility, magnetic properties, melting and boiling points, and know that these properties are independent of the amount of the sample.
8th Grade” Carbon & You” Module – Overview Page 3

SC.8.P.8.5 Recognize that there are a finite number of elements and that their atoms combine in a multitude of ways to produce compounds that make up all of the living and nonliving things that we encounter.
SC.8.P.8.6 Recognize that elements are grouped in the periodic table according to similarities of their properties.
SC.8.P.8.7 Explore the scientific theory of atoms (also known as atomic theory) by recognizing that atoms are the smallest unit of an element and are composed of sub-atomic particles
(electrons surrounding a nucleus containing protons and neutrons).
SC.8.P.8.8 Identify basic examples of and compare and classify the properties of compounds, including acids, bases, and salts.
SC.8.P.8.9 Distinguish among mixtures (including solutions) and pure substances.
Big Idea 1: (Linear Functions& Equations)
Analyze and represent linear functions, and solve linear equations and systems of linear equations.
MA.8.A.1.2 Interpret the slope and the x- and y-intercepts when graphing a linear equation for a realworld problem.
MA.8.A.1.3 Use tables, graphs, and models to represent, analyze, and solve real-world problems related to systems of linear equations.
Atoms.pdf teacher-created
Atoms_TN.pdf teacher-created
CarbonBath.pdf http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/big-idea/05/carbon-bath
Carbon Cycle Article.pdf http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/C/CarbonCycle.html
Carbon Cycle Summary.pdf http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/earth/Water/co2_cycle.html
Carbon dioxide source or sink.pdf
Carbon footprint calculators http://www.nature.org/initiatives/climatechange/calculator/ http://www.carbonfootprint.com/calculator.aspx
http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/ind_calculator.html
http://www.pge.com/carbonfootprint/ http://www.zerofootprintkids.com/kids_home.aspx
Carbon Story Rubric.pdf
Created utilizing: http://rubistar.4teachers.org/index.php
8th Grade” Carbon & You” Module – Overview Page 4

Climate Gate Explained Article.pdf http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/science/12/07/climategate.emails.facts/index.html
Climate Gate Scientists Cleared Article.pdf http://articles.latimes.com/2010/apr/15/world/la-fg-climate-data15-2010apr15
CO2 Sinks Article.pdf http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/oco/news/oco-20090123.html
Comparing Concentrations Student Lab.pdf http://www.ucar.edu/learn/1_4_2_14s.htm
Comparing Concentrations TE.pdf http://www.ucar.edu/learn/1_4_2_14t.htm
Dinosaur breath.pdf http://www.ucar.edu/learn/1_4_2_16t.htm
Greenhouse Lab.pdf http://www.ucar.edu/learn/1_3_2_12s.htm
Greenhouse Lab TE.pdf http://www.ucar.edu/learn/1_3_2_12t.htm
How big is your Carbon Footprint.pdf teacher-created
Misleading data activity.pdf, Misleading data excel.pdf http://www.northcanton.sparcc.org/~technology/excel/files/misleading_graphs.html
MoleculeLab.pdf
Modified from an activity found at: http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/en/kids/tes/gumdrops/index.shtml
MoleculeLab_TN.pdf
Modified from an activity found at: http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/en/kids/tes/gumdrops/index.shtml
Timeline Rubric.pdf http://rubistar.4teachers.org/index.php
Timeline WS.pdf teacher-created
Vostok Ice coreTE.pdf http://serc.carleton.edu/introgeo/mathstatmodels/examples/Vostok.html
Vostok IceLab.pdf http://eesc.columbia.edu/courses/ees/climate/labs/vostok/
Watercycle.pdf http://neptune.gsfc.nasa.gov/index.php?section=31
8th Grade” Carbon & You” Module – Overview Page 5