Name ______________
Due: Fri. Jan. 11
Academic Goal ____
Learning Skills Goal (Initiative) ____
Learning Skills Goal (Responsibility) ____
Parent’s initials
Science unit: Heat in the Environment
Climate Change. The Science
Task: Read the ebook about climate change and answer the questions. You will have
several periods to work on the assignment in class. You may need to spend more time
working on the assignment at home in order to reach your goals.
Please fill in your goals for this assignment at the top of the page and get them
initialed on Monday night.
Academic goal: Display an understanding of the science of climate change by reading
the ebook and completing the questions.
Level 4: mastery is displayed by carefully completing all layers.
Level 3: solid understanding is displayed by mastering the C and B layers.
Level 2: satisfactory understanding is displayed by mastering the C layer.
Learning Skills Goal (Initiative): Sets daily goals and works hard to reach them in
order to reach his/her desired academic goal by the due date.
Level 4: always on task and making excellent progress
Level 3: usually on task and making strong progress
Level 2: sometimes on task and making progress with reminders
Learning Skills Goal (Responsibility): Remembers to bring the assignment home and
work on it for 15-20 minutes on Monday night.
Level 4: Significant progress is made on the homework
Level 3: Solid progress is made on the homework
Level 2: Some progress is made on the homework
How to find the ebook online.
1. Google my.abdodigital.com. When logging in at home you will need to enter the
username:kprdsb and password: library
2. Scroll down to Browse Your title by Grade Level.
3. Click on Middle Grades.
4. Click on the Science title, located on the bottom row, second from the left.
5. Click Open eBook, located above the Description.
6. Read the book and answer the questions in the assignment.
C Layer (Answer any 10)
1. What is the main idea on page 4?
2. List three things on page 6 that can contribute to an increase in the earth’s
temperature.
3. What do you call the type of warming that is unrelated to normal or natural
temperature changes?
4. What is the name of the most common greenhouse gas?
5. What is the name of the most harmful greenhouse gas?
6. Why is there so much of this harmful greenhouse gas in the atmosphere?
7. What is the measurement called that scientists use to measure the amount of carbon
dioxide in the atmosphere?
8. What has been the common range of concentration for carbon dioxide in the
atmosphere?
9. How much carbon dioxide has been found in the atmosphere in 2009?
10. Study the map of mid-tropospheric (8 km) carbon dioxide from 2003.
a) What colour represents the highest concentration of carbon dioxide?
b) What colour represents the lowest concentration of carbon dioxide?
11. What is methane?
12. What is soot?
13. How is soot removed from the atmosphere after only a few months?
14. Two other greenhouse gasses are carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide.
a) How is carbon dioxide produced?
b) How is nitrous oxide produced?
15. List three effects of global warming.
16. What happens to a coral reef if the water gets too warm?
17. By how much has the average global temperature increased over the past century?
18. List four ways that scientists can study past climates.
19. List three ways in which the environment was different during the time of the
dinosaurs.
B Layer (Answer any 7)
1. How does the air inside a special type of building known as a greenhouse stay so
warm?
2. Briefly explain in your own words how the greenhouse effect works to keep our
planet warm?
3. Why is carbon dioxide the fastest growing greenhouse gas?
4. Why is a carbon dioxide level of 350 parts per million (ppm) an important number?
5. Study the map of mid-tropospheric (8 km) carbon dioxide from 2003. Where are
concentrations of mid tropospheric carbon dioxide the highest?
6. Why is methane a gas becoming more of a concern?
7. What is another name for soot?
8. How does soot harm glaciers?
9. How can global warming lead to food shortages?
10. Why are coral reefs important to the marine ecosystems?
11. Is the photograph on page 23 real or photo-shopped? How do you know?
12. How are tree rings used to study past climates?
13. How is carbon dioxide removed naturally from the atmosphere?
A Layer (Answer any 4)
1. Is it easy to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere? Explain your answer.
2. Why is methane gas burned off at landfills? Include two reasons in your answer.
3. Soot only stays in the atmosphere for a few months. How does it contribute to global
warming?
4. How might rising sea levels caused by climate change affect developed nations and
poorer nations differently?
5. How do scientists use ice cores to get information about carbon dioxide levels that
existed thousands of years ago?
7. Why is the carbon cycle out of balance?