Carol Schwendener
Module overview
Summary
My module is designed for a four week elective class on the local impacts of climate change. The table below outlines the sequence of lessons
within the module. The lessons incorporate current data and information from a variety of sources, are designed to keep student engagement
high, and include a variety of instructional approaches, from jigsaw readings to online interactives to hands-on simulated ice core analysis.
The unit is themed around countering skeptics’ statements, and the final product emphasizes clear written communication around climate
change and its impacts.
Big Goal:
Students understand and can communicate how climate is changing, how we know it is changing, what local impacts it will have, and how
people can mitigate for or adapt to the changes.
Student outcomes:
● Students will understand how heat-trapping gases work in the atmosphere (greenhouse effect).
● Students will understand how carbon moves through the carbon cycle, including carbon sources and sinks.
● Students will be able to analyze a variety of graphs and maps on past, present, and future climate change.
● Students will have a basic understanding of how we know what we know about historic and current climate change.
● Students will understand why models are reliable and how they are used to predict future climate.
● Students will analyze data to understand how climate is changing in Colorado.
● Students will evaluate how potential future climate changes in Colorado will impact them.
● Students will evaluate actions they can take to reduce their impact on climate change.
● Students will use their scientific background knowledge to communicate the impacts of climate change through writing.
Content Topics
Lesson (number of 60 min
classes)
Gallery Walk (1)
Pre-assessment of students’
knowledge and perspective of
climate change
Skeptic
Statement (if
applicable) or
guiding
statement
Is climate
changing?
Assessment and
writing connection
Students share their current understanding/perspective of
climate change.
Student notes and
responses to
headlines and
statements
Students share any questions or wonderings
Part 1
Students will understand how heat-trapping gases work in the
atmosphere and why they and carbon dioxide are necessary for
life on Earth.
 Structure of atmosphere
 Greenhouse effect
 Heat trapping gases in atmosphere
Greenhouse Effect and
Carbon Cycle (2)
Part 1:
Overview of atmosphere, heattrapping gases, and greenhouse
effect
Part 1: Students
respond to the
statement:
Greenhouse gases
are always bad for
the environment.
Part 2: Assessment
Students write a
Part 2:
description of
Students will identify sources and sinks of the carbon cycle.
carbon cycle from
point of view of
Student will link carbon cycle dynamics to the greenhouse
effect, i.e. students will make a connection between increasing carbon molecule.
atmospheric CO2 and increasing temperature.
Part 2:
Carbon Cycle
Data Analysis (1-2)
Using Data to Respond to
Skeptic Statements
Students will interpret a variety
of data in response to skeptic
statements. The purpose is to
introduce students to the climate
changes occurring and build
Learning Outcome
"CO2 is not
increasing"
“Humans only
contribute a
small percent to
CO2”
"It's a natural
cycle"
Students will analyze different data sources, including graphs, Short written
maps, and charts, to observe changes in extreme weather
response countering
events, temperature, and CO2 in atmosphere, and precipitation. skeptic statement.
Students will understand the correlation between
anthropogenic forcings and increasing temperature.
Students will observe the correlation between CO2 emissions
data interpretation skills.
“Extreme
and temperature increase.
weather isn't
caused by global Students will write a conclusion supported by evidence in the
warming"
form of data.
“Sea level isn’t
rising”
"It’s cooling”
Paleoclimate Proxies
How do we know about
climate of the past? (2-3)
Part 1
Discussion
Students will be able to define proxy data and provide specific questions
examples of sources of proxy data.
Part 1 includes an overview of
different paleoclimate proxies.
In part 2, students simulate an
ice core analysis and look at
actual ice core data.
(adapted from NASA lesson)
Students will understand that proxy data provides historical
information about climate.
Part 2
Students will make observations and gather data about
simulated ice core samples.
Students will make inferences about climate change based on
their data.
Students will analyze historical climate data (specifically CO2
levels) to identify trends, patterns, and outliers.
Understand how current data on atmospheric gases is collected.
Atmospheric Data Collection
(HIPPO) (1)
Understand the uniqueness of HIPPO’s altitudinal data
sampling.
This lesson introduces students
to how current data on
atmospheric gases is collected.
Modelling Climate (1-2)
This lesson is adapted from a
“Models are
unreliable”
Students will be able to explain why models used for climate
predictions are reliable.
Journal response to
skeptic statements.
very simple climate model.
Students learn about model
calibration and use a model to
analyze different scenarios of
CO2 emissions
"There is no
consensus"
Students will use the very simple climate model to compare
future climate temperature based on different CO2 emissions
scenarios.
“It’s not us”
"The science
isn't settled"
Global Impacts of Climate
Change (1)
"It's not
happening"
Facing the future lesson 6:
making climate connections
“It’s not that
bad”
Students consider the impacts of climate change on different
environments and people around the world and explore connections
among these changes.
Students consider the impacts of
climate change on different
environments and people around
the world and explore connections
among these changes.
Revisit skeptic
statement: It’s not
that bad
Concept map of
different impacts
Reflection on:
What does climate
change mean to
you?
Climate Changes in Colorado
(1)
"Glaciers are
growing"
Students look at different data
that shows climate changes in
Colorado
Future Climate Changes and
Impacts in Colorado (1-2)
"It's not
happening"
Students will understand how climate is changing in Colorado. Eyewitness report
Or newspaper
Students will understand that multiple sources of data are
article
needed to show change and not all changes are represented in
Colorado.
“It won’t affect
me”
Students will analyze future projections of climate change in
Colorado.
Students look at future
projections of climate change
for Colorado and analyze the
potential impacts.
Local and Global Actions (12)
This provides an overview of
"The science
isn't settled"
Students will analyze the impacts of such changes on
themselves and their families.
“It’s not us”
Students will review actions people are already taking at the
local and global levels.
"It's not urgent"
Letter or news
article describing
the change and
potential impacts.
Add to letter
potential mitigation
or adaptations
what people are doing.
What can you do?
Shopping Heats Up Activity
from Facing the Future.
This activity shows what
actions students can take.
Students will compare different purchasing/consumption
choices and their social and environmental impacts.
Describe the relationship between socioeconomic status and
impact on climate change.
Discuss personal choices to reduce negative environmental and
social impacts.
Communicating climate
change (2-3+)
Students will use their
background research on local
impacts and mitigation to
communicate a message of their
choice around climate change.
Final Reflection (1)
Students retake the preassessment.
Students revisit skeptic and
gallery walk statements and
reflect on what they learned
about climate change.
Any skeptic
Students will communicate a clear, scientifically accurate
statement would message about climate change through writing.
apply
Students will describe the climate change occurring, projected
future changes and impacts, and suggest a mitigation or
adaptation action people can take.
Students will reflect on what they learned about climate
science and climate change.
Final writing
product, either a
letter to a family
member, local or
state government,
or a local
organization or
business.
Post test
Here are some general references for additional information. Specific references and sites are included within the powerpoint
presentations. The chart below includes some additional references for specific lessons.
General Resources
Climate Change Data and General Climate Change Information
http://www.realclimate.org/index.php/data-sources/
http://www.ucsusa.org/global_warming/
http://www.realclimate.org/
Climate Science Background (greenhouse effect, carbon cycle, and more background science)
https://www.planetseed.com/node/15223
http://www.windows2universe.org/earth/Atmosphere/overview.html
Overview of impacts reports
Climate change in Colorado Western Water Resources Report 2008 http://wwa.colorado.edu/climate_change/ClimateChangeReportFull.pdf
Climate Impacts in the US Report http://www.globalchange.gov/publications/reports/scientific-assessments/us-impacts
http://www.npr.org/series/9657621/climate-connections
Economic impacts of climate change in Colorado
http://www.cier.umd.edu/climateadaptation/Colorado%20Economic%20Impacts%20of%20Climate%20Change.pdf
Global impacts http://www.npr.org/books/titles/138601286/the-weather-of-the-future-heat-waves-extreme-storms-and-other-scenes-from-aclim
Health impacts http://www.climate.gov/#dataServices/climateAndYou/health
Curriculum
http://www.facingthefuture.org/Curriculum/ClimateChangeGrades68/tabid/453/Default.aspx
http://www.worldwildlife.org/climate/curriculum/item5944.html
http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/462950main_RW5-GlobalClimateChange_508.pdf
Also see additional references in the powerpoint presentations.
Lesson
Gallery Walk
Pre-assessment of students’ knowledge and perspective
of climate change
Additional Resources
Nsf video for climate change overview
Greenhouse Effect and Carbon Cycle
Atmosphere poster from NCAR
Carbon cycle game http://reti.ucar.edu/mod/resource/view.php?id=290
WWF: Lesson 1 pre-assessment questions
WWF lesson 2: our unique atmosphere
Facing the future lesson 1: The carbon link
Carbon cycle diagram
http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/earth/Water/co2_cycle.html—
importance of carbon http://www.npr.org/news/specials/climate/video/ see video 5
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDYqlTsZfgw&feature=PlayList&p=D7BEC537
1B22BD (8 min overview of climate change and gases role in increasing temp)
https://www.planetseed.com/node/15226 (interactive of carbon cycle)
https://www.planetseed.com/node/15223 (CO2 interactive)
Part 1:
Overview of atmosphere, heat-trapping gases, and
greenhouse effect
Part 2:
Carbon Cycle
http://www.dailyclimate.org/
http://www.cgd.ucar.edu/cas/
Data Analysis
Using Data to Respond to Skeptic Statements
Students will interpret a variety of data in response to
skeptic statements. The purpose is to introduce students
to the climate changes occurring and build data
interpretation skills.
http://climate.nasa.gov/ClimateTimeMachine/climateTimeMachine.cfm
http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=2545850&affil=kmgh (short
video on change that is happening and what will we do)
Paleoclimate Proxies
How do we know about climate of the past?
Ice core lab
http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/462950main_RW5-GlobalClimateChange_508.pdf
(ice core simulation)
http://eo.ucar.edu/educators/ClimateDiscovery/LIA_lesson5_9.28.05.pdf
(tree ring)
Part 1 includes an overview of different paleoclimate
proxies.
In part 2, students simulate an ice core analysis and look
at actual ice core data.
(adapted from NASA lesson)
Atmospheric Data Collection (HIPPO)
http://climate.nasa.gov/keyIndicators/
http://www.ucsusa.org/global_warming/
www.ipcc.ch
www.skepticalscience.com
http://hippo.ucar.edu/
This lesson introduces students to how current data on
atmospheric gases is collected.
Modelling Climate
This lesson is adapted from a very simple climate model.
Students learn about model calibration and use a model
to analyze different scenarios of CO2 emissions
HIAPER video: http://youtu.be/BjMFvZWjE1g (16 min) could show first
6-10 min)
1:40 min http://www.3news.co.nz/Scientists-in-Christchurch-to-sample-ouratmosphere/tabid/1216/articleID/129273/Default.aspx
HIPPO Video: HIPPO IV flight plan http://youtu.be/hP5tCE7fueo
http://chemistry.beloit.edu/Warming/pages/molecule.html
(shows a graph of different CO2 concentrations from different research
stations)
http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/education/intheair.html (13 minutes about
gases in the atmosphere, focuses on NOAA)
http://www.windows2universe.org/teacher_resources/teach_climatemodel.ht
ml
http://eo.ucar.edu/staff/rrussell/climate/modeling/ipcc_sres_scenarios.html
example of code
http://www.cgd.ucar.edu/~shea/zm_conv.F90
http://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/degree/?WT.mc_id=USNSF_51
(see video on CO2 and temp)
Global Impacts of Climate Change
http://climatecommunication.org/projects.html (see southwestfactsheet.pdf)
Facing the future lesson 6: making climate connections
Students consider the impacts of climate change on different
environments and people around the world and explore
connections among these changes.
http://abcnews.go.com/2020/Video/playerIndex?id=2377291 (16 minutes,
discusses changes, skeptics, makes a few suggestions)
Students look at different data that shows climate
changes in Colorado
http://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/degree/?WT.mc_id=USNSF_51
IPCC projections
http://wwa.colorado.edu/climate_change/ClimateChangeReportFull.pdf
http://www.globalchange.gov/publications/reports/scientific-assessments/usimpacts
http://www.wunderground.com/severe.asp (current severe weather alerts)
Future Climate Changes and Impacts in Colorado
Colorado water resources (including drought potential, decreased snowpack,
Climate Changes in Colorado
Students look at future projections of climate change for
Colorado and analyze the potential impacts.
time of snowmelt, flash increased runoff and flashfloods, mudslides)
http://learnmoreaboutclimate.colorado.edu/blog/view/id/79/researchers-seeunusually-rapid-decline-in-water-source-for-western-rivers
Denver Post, January 6th 2011 (Big Winter Springs Concern)
http://learnmoreaboutclimate.colorado.edu/blog/view/id/79/researchers-seeunusually-rapid-decline-in-water-source-for-western-rivers
www.globalchange.gov (southwest impacts)
Carbon negative feedback loop of dying trees (advanced)
http://cires.colorado.edu/science/spheres/ecology/noHelpFromTrees.html
West Nile (historical maps of distribution of incidences)
http://diseasemaps.usgs.gov/wnv_historical.html
also see ppt of change in West Nile over time
Lyme disease (increase in US)
http://www.cdc.gov/lyme/stats/chartstables/casesbyyear.html
Pika: http://cires.colorado.edu/science/spheres/ecology/pikas.html
Pine Beetle:
http://wwa.colorado.edu/ecology/beetle/mpb_symposiumApr2011.html
Beetle damage maps from the USDA Forest Service:
http://www.fs.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsinternet/!ut/p/c4/04_SB8K8xLLM9MSS
zPy8xBz9CP0os3gjAwhwtDDw9_AI8zPwhQoY6BdkOyoCAPkATlA!/?ss=
110299&navtype=BROWSEBYSUBJECT&cid=FSE_003853&navid=09100
0000000000&pnavid=null&position=BROWSEBYSUBJECT&ttype=main&
pname=Rocky%20Mtn.%20Bark%20Beetle-%20Home
Climate Change and extremes images:
http://www.cgd.ucar.edu/ccr/climate_change_gallery_test/
(future projections on a national level, includes heat waves, temp, precip,
warm nights, frost days and more)
This is a USGS portal for fire management
http://frames.nbii.gov/portal/server.pt?open=512&objID=205&PageID=0&ca
ched=true&mode=2
(broader impacts)
http://www.skepticalscience.com/global-warming-positives-negatives.htm
Local and Global Actions
This provides an overview of what people are doing.
What can you do?
Shopping Heats Up Activity from Facing the Future.
This activity shows what actions students can take.
Show end of HBO video “Too Hot to Handle”
http://www.panda.org/climatewitness
http://www.npr.org/news/specials/climate/interactive
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5368452289665474330
https://www.planetseed.com/node/15248
http://www.windows2universe.org/modules/energy/index.html (Joule family
as a reference for information on which actions reduce co2 emissions)
http://www.windows2universe.org/modules/energy/index.html
https://www.planetseed.com/node/15246 (tragedy of the commons idea)
Communicating climate change
Students will use their background research on local
impacts and mitigation to communicate a message of
their choice around climate change.
Final Reflection
Students retake the pre-assessment.
Students revisit skeptic and gallery walk statements and
reflect on what they learned about climate change.
http://www.climatecommunication.org/media.html
Susan Joy Hassol talk and list of words on wiki
http://www.clicker.com/web/hungry-beast/i-m-a-climate-scientist-extendedversion-clean-1775277/