Student Name:
Date:
ELA Grade 4
Research Project (RBK)
Student Quizlet
“Global Warming”
August 2015
A fifth grade class learned in their study of the environment that global warming is
creating changes in climate all over the world. Global warming is a result from large
amounts of greenhouse gases that are emitted into the atmosphere.
The research question for this project is:
What are the results of global warming?
Create an infographic or poster with the information you have discovered about an
aspect of global warming. Present the infographic to your classmates.
DIRECTIONS: Conduct your research project by completing the following steps:
1
Step 1: Gather information on global warming results by:


summarizing what you already know, find at least one other source,
and fill in the research graphic organizer.
creating a research question about one (1) aspect of global warming.

reading “Tomorrow’s Weather.”

reading “Getting a Handle on Extreme Weather to Help Farmers
Handle Climate Shifts.”

choosing important information to include in the “Print Source
Organizer.”

choosing important information to include in the “Online Source
Organizer”.
Step 2. Prepare your infographic or poster by:

selecting important information that will help you answer your research
question.
3

showing facts and details by adding diagrams or illustrations.

including your list of three resources.
Step 3. Present your infographic or poster to your classmates by:

speaking clearly, in complete sentences.

using formal English that is appropriate for a presentation.

answering any questions that your classmates may have.
Page 2
1
Step 1: Gather information on global warming results by:


summarizing what you already know, find at least one other source, and fill in the research graphic
organizer.
creating a research question about one (1) aspect of global warming.
Research Graphic Organizer
People
The Environment
Other
Create a more specific research question about one (1) aspect of global warming.
1

Step 1. Checklist: Research
summarize what I already know, find at least one other source, and fill in the research graphic organizer?
Did I…
create a research question about one (1) aspect of global warming?
Page 3
1
Step 1. Gather information on global warming results by:

reading “Tomorrow’s Weather.”
Tomorrow's Weather
In the movie The Day After Tomorrow, twisters topple buildings, waves wash out cities,
and snow blankets streets. Could rapid climate change really happen?
Could global warming turn Earth's climate upside down?
Thunderous tornadoes demolish Los Angeles. Bowling-ball size hailstones
rain down on Tokyo. Why the sudden onslaught of deadly weather? Global
warming has triggered a series of natural disasters—including a monster
storm that’s racing south from the Arctic. And when the behemoth hits in 96
hours, beware: It will turn New York City into a frozen wasteland.
Panicked? Don’t be—this is just the plot of The Day After Tomorrow, a blockbuster movie of 2004.
Even though scenes from the fast-paced flick are more Hollywood fiction than science fact,
researchers have long been sounding a similar alarm: Earth has been gradually warming for decades.
Could global warming (an average increase in Earth’s temperature) really turn Earth’s climate
(weather conditions of an area) upside down as it did in The Day After Tomorrow? According to
Michael Molitor, an earth-systems scientist and senior technical adviser for the movie, “The basic idea
of the film—that human activity leads to an abrupt climate-change event with nasty consequences—is
based on robust science. Where the film is less than accurate is the speed at which these changes
would occur.” Rather than battling surprise storms or waking up to an ice age, we’d more likely feel
changes over a decade.
TOO MUCH OF A GOOD THING
On the silver screen and in real life, global warming is the villain. What’s to blame for this rise in
mercury? An out-of-whack greenhouse effect. After sunlight hits Earth’s surface, waves of infrared
radiation, or heat energy, radiate back up toward the atmosphere. But this energy doesn’t make a
quick getaway into space. Instead, it collides with molecules of greenhouse gases such as water
vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, and ozone.
Some of the heat energy radiates back toward Earth, and some radiates higher into the atmosphere,
eventually escaping into space. The energy that returns to Earth heats the planet’s surface and gets
recycled over and over before finally escaping into space. Do we need the greenhouse effect? You bet
your thermal pj’s we do. Without it, Earth’s average temperature would be a nose-numbing 60 degrees
Fahrenheit colder.
Page 4
The trouble starts when unusually large amounts of greenhouse gases build up in the atmosphere.
Then the heat cranks way up. Human activities—such as the burning of fossil fuels, like coal and
petroleum—release billions of tons of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere every year. And
deforestation (clearing of forests) removes the trees that would otherwise absorb carbon dioxide. Most
climate scientists agree: The accumulation of gases is causing warming on a global scale.
In The Day After Tomorrow, rising global temperatures lead to a big freeze. How? The key is a natural
ocean pump most people take for granted
GO WITH THE FLOW
The North Atlantic Ocean would be a lot colder if it weren’t for the great ocean conveyor belt, an
ocean-current system that slowly wends its way around the globe. It carries warm water to the North
Atlantic. As this water reaches the Arctic, it cools and increases in density—its molecules pack
together so it has more mass, or amount of matter, per unit volume. The surface saltwater freezes.
And because salt can’t fit into the ice crystals’ structure, it gets released into the water below the icy
surface. This increase in salinity (saltiness) makes the water even denser. The dense saltwater sinks
deep below the ocean surface and flows southward. Warmer water flows north to replace it and the
cycle begins again. This movement of the ocean conveyor is called thermohaline circulation, because
the water’s density depends on temperature (therm, Greek for heat) and salinity (hal, Greek for salt).
Scientists fear global warming could weaken or shut down the ocean’s conveyor. “Melting glaciers
would put more freshwater into the higher latitudes of the North Atlantic. When the water is fresher, it’s
less dense and doesn’t have as much salt in it, and it doesn’t sink,” explains Warren Washington,
senior scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado. That means
warmer water doesn’t flow north to replace it.
If the great conveyor were to shut down, scientists say the temperature drop could create abrupt
climate change. In the movie, that change takes place in a few days. Could it happen that suddenly?
HOW FAST IS FAST?
Research shows abrupt climate changes in the distant past. But Inez Fung, director of the Berkeley
Atmospheric Science Center, reminds us, “In geologic time, ‘abrupt’ could mean decades to centuries.”
The ocean holds so much heat that a shutdown of the conveyor wouldn’t cause an instant temperature
drop.
As for whether or not a shutdown could trigger the weather catastrophes that flash across the screen in
The Day After Tomorrow, Molitor says, “Changes in thermohaline circulation would lead to changes in
the climate regime globally. You’d see effects everywhere, but we don’t know how big, or how bad they
would be.”
Page 5
REAL-LIFE DRAMA
Climate change might not come in the form of mammoth storms and widespread destruction. Even so,
the changes could alter your way of life. Residents of the island village of Shishmaref, Alaska, know
firsthand. Over the past century, the average global temperature has risen one degree Fahrenheit. But
in Alaska, the mercury has soared four degrees. That might not sound like much, but it’s caused a 4- to
10-inch rise in sea levels. That’s because as seawater warms, it expands. Water from melting glaciers
also adds to the ocean’s volume.
The upshot? Shishmaref is eroding into the sea. Rising sea levels, melting sea ice, and warmer air that
holds more moisture are a recipe for brutal sea storms that have already washed away chunks of
shoreline. Residents hope their island village can hang on until they find funds to relocate. But that’s not
their only problem. The native population’s way of life depends on the sea freezing over at the right
time. With warming temperatures, “we don’t freeze up until about two months later now,” says Vice
Mayor Stanley Tocktoo. “By that time, the fish that we subsist on are way up in the river and we’re not
able to catch many.”
IS IT TOO LATE?
Even if humans were to stop releasing additional greenhouse gases, global warming would continue
while the oceans slowly respond to the buildup of gases already in the atmosphere. But Washington
believes action now could help avert future disasters, such as coastlines lost to rising sea levels and
extreme shrinkage of the polar ice caps.
What can you do to curb global warming? Since most of our home energy is generated by power plants
that burn fossil fuels, we can cut down on our share of greenhouse-gas emissions with simple energysaving measures. Turn off the TV, computer, and other electrical devices when you’re not using them.
And if you plug these devices into a surge protector strip, make sure to switch it off too. Otherwise, the
vampire-like gadgets continue to suck electricity from the lines. And flick out the lights when you leave a
room. You can even help slow global warming by taking shorter showers. Remember: It takes energy to
heat water. “We all have an individual responsibility to deal with this problem [of global warming],” says
Washington.
Reprinted from Science World, April 5, 2004
1

Step 1. Checklist: Research
Did I…
read “Tomorrow’s Weather.”
Page 6
1
Step 1. Gather information on global warming results by:

choosing important information to include in the “Print Source Organizer.”
Print Source Organizer
What I learned from reading "Tomorrow’s Weather":
1

Step 1. Checklist: Research
Did I…
choose important information to include in the “Print Source Organizer.”
Page 7
1
Step 1. Gather information on global warming results by:

reading “Getting a Handle on Extreme Weather to Help Farmers Handle
Climate Shifts.”
Getting a Handle on Extreme Weather
to Help Farmers Handle Climate Shifts
By Kansas City Star, adapted by Newsela staff
Ted Guetterman, pictured Aug. 8, 2013, farms about
10,000 acres in southern Johnson County and northern
Miami County, Kan. Photo: Fred Blocher/Kansas City
Star/MCT
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Farmers can’t change the weather,
of course. But perhaps now they will be able to outwit
Mother Nature.
New technologies like those from a California company called Climate Corp. are combining agriculture
with math formulas. They offer farmers a way to handle severe weather patterns.
These days more and more farmers are seeing crops wilt from overheating, drought and increasingly
wild weather swings. Climate Corp. is among those offering help.
“We’re moving into a period of very unstable weather, and that’s what producers need to be prepared
for,” said Jerry Hatfield, a scientist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Mountains Of Data
Scientists believe they know the cause of the crazy weather: climate change, or global warming caused
by humans when they burn fuels like gas.
There are still many people who don't believe that climate change is real. And this is perhaps especially
true in an industry as tradition-bound as farming.
Still, scientists and farmers are increasingly planning ahead. They are trying to figure out ways to have
a bountiful harvest if rain is less dependable and temperatures shift.
Enter Climate Corp. Started six years ago, the company uses huge amounts of data and numbers to
develop hyper-local weather forecasts.
Page 8
Climate Corp. produces its forecasts from weather readings at 10 million locations. These readings are
matched with 40 years of national crop-yield data.
The company can provide detailed information for about 29 million fields in the United States. Farmers
receive field-specific forecasts for rain, soil conditions and wind speed.
The service can also give farmers a range of details about their land. For example, farmers can get
information about projected yields, the amount of soil moisture and how well their crops are growing.
Climate Corp. promises a new way for farmers to adjust to extreme weather. And, it adds, even farmers
who can’t stomach the words “climate change” or “global warming” will find it useful.
“Farmers still face a tough battle out there every year. Hopefully this helps them,” said Climate Corp.
vice president Jim Ethington. “It’s by no means a silver bullet.”
Weather Increasingly Unpredictable
But some farmers don't just question global warming. They are also doubtful about the new forecasting
methods.
Ted Guetterman farms about 10,000 acres with his dad and three brothers.
Guetterman, 45, said he’s willing to look at high-tech farming methods. Still, he thinks he’s his own best
judge of what needs to be done.
“Nobody knows my land better than I do,” Guetterman said. “I’ve been farming it all my life.”
Guetterman said he would take some advice from an outside company. But, he added, “I’m not going to
do my whole farm that way.”
The emergence of farm number crunchers comes as global climate change is worsening. Rising
temperatures and increasingly unpredictable weather patterns are altering the outlook for the country’s
$300 billion agriculture industry. And they are changing the way crops are grown.
A USDA report this year warned of increasing fluctuation in weather patterns and the effect on crops.
Agriculture will be able to adjust to climate change in the near term, the report asserts.
But in the long run, changing environmental conditions present “unprecedented challenges.”
Those shifts will likely cause serious problems for Kansas and other Great Plains states, including
Oklahoma, Nebraska and South Dakota.
Page 9
Crops Yields Will Drop
The USDA estimates that wheat production across the Great Plains will drop 6 percent by 2050
because of warming temperatures. And corn yields will fall 4 percent over the same period.
A study by Kansas State University researchers also points to serious problems ahead. It estimated
that for every 1 degree Celsius increase in average temperature, the state’s wheat yield would drop 21
percent. This translates to a loss of 10.6 bushels per acre.
It’s a startling number considering that temperatures are expected to rise. Much of the middle of the
country is expected to see temperatures increase by 2 to 3 degrees Celsius in the next 40 years.
Few in Kansas believe climate change is going to push wheat or corn out of the state. But it could make
growing them more risky.
“The variability from year to year is going be greater than it has been in the past,” said soil scientist
Charles Rice. “The producer is going to have to have money in the bank to pay for those poor years.”
Rice and others emphasize the need for better ways to adapt. Areas of focus include better weather
forecasting, new plant-breeding methods and better soil management.
For instance, scientists are looking at how to develop a type of wheat that holds up better against the
warming effects of climate change.
Hatfield, the USDA expert, said farmers will need to adjust to climate change.
“Climate has changed, climate is changing,” he said, “and climate is going to change in the future.”
1

Step 1. Checklist: Research
Did I…
read “Getting a Handle on Extreme Weather to Help Farmers Handle
Climate Shifts .”
Page 10
1
Step 1. Gather information on global warming results by:

choosing important information to include in the “Print Source Organizer.”
Print Source Organizer
What I learned from reading “Getting a Handle on Extreme Weather to Help Farmers Handle Climate Shifts ":
1

Step 1. Checklist: Research
Did I…
choose important information to include in the “Print Source Organizer.”
Page 11
1
Step 1. Gather information on global warming results by:

choosing important information to include in the “Online Source Organizer”.
Online Source Organizer
What I learned from reading an online source:
My research question:
1

Step 1. Checklist: Research
Did I…
choose important information to include in the “Online Source Organizer.”
Page 12
Step 2. Prepare your infographic or poster by:




selecting important information that will help you answer your research
question.
showing facts and details by adding diagrams or illustrations.
including your list of three resources.

Checklist: Prepare
select important information that will help you answer my research question?
Did I…
show facts and details by adding diagrams or illustrations?
include my list of three resources?
Page 13
3
Step 3. Present your infographic or poster to your classmates by:



speaking clearly, in complete sentences.
using formal English that is appropriate for a presentation.
answering any questions that your classmates may have.

Checklist: Present
3
Did I…

speak clearly, in complete sentences?

use formal English that is appropriate for a presentation?

answer any questions that my classmates have?
Page 14