Chapter Challenge Newsletter Writing Frames
Article 2: Causes of Climate Change
Name:
Below is a guide for writing article 2. There is a bulleted list of
the topics to be addressed in that section followed by a frame to
help you structure the writing.
Other factors that affect climate besides humans
 Milankovitch Cycles / Orbital Variations
o Obliquity
o Eccentricity
 Plate tectonics
 Ocean currents
 Carbon Dioxide Levels
Many factors affect climate beside human activity. In this article I will explain how
____________________________________, __________________________________, and
_____________________________________ affect climate.
Milankovitch Cycles
Insolation is _________________________________________________________. A scientist
named Milutin Milankovitch studied how variations in insolation relate to climate. Variations in
insolation are now known as _________________________________. Climate scientists agree
that these cycles ________________________________________________________ (how these
cycles relate to climate).
Two factors—obliquity and eccentricity—largely determine these cycles.
Obliquity
Obliquity is ____________________________________________________________. Today,
the earth’s tilt is _____________, but in the past, it has varied from ______________ to
_________________. Obliquity affects climate because
_____________________________________________________________________________.
Chapter Challenge Newsletter Writing Frames
Article 2: Causes of Climate Change
Eccentricity
Eccentricity is ________________________________________________. Today, the earth’s
perehilion—the point the earth is __________ to the sun—occurs on _________________ (date)
while the aphelion—the point the earth is _____________ from the sun—occurs on
_______________ (date). This makes winters in the northern hemisphere __________________
while making summers in the northern hemisphere _______________.
Plate Tectonics
Plate tectonics refers to ____________________________________________________. Plate
tectonics can affect climate by ____________________________________________________.
Ocean Currents
Ocean currents are ______________________________________________________________.
They play an important role in regulating global and regional climates by __________________
______________________________________________________. These ocean currents can
change when __________________________________________________________________.
Carbon Dioxide Levels
Carbon dioxide levels are correlated to global climate. The ______ (more / less) carbon dioxide
there is in the atmosphere, the _____________________ the average global temperature
becomes. Carbon dioxide levels can be affected by: ___________________________________
and _______________________________________________.