Student Critiques of “The Day
After Tomorrow” and “An
Inconvenient Truth”
Kira T. Lawrence
Lafayette College
Geology 115: Earth’s Climate:
Past, Present and Future
• An introductory lab science course that partially
satisfies a science distribution requirement. (~50
students; Lecture 3x/ week, 50min; Lab 1/week, 2 hr 50min, 3
sections)
• Course Objectives:
– Gain knowledge about and understanding of the Earth, its
processes, climate and evolution through time
– Learn to collect/ analyze/ synthesize/ and evaluate scientific
information and apply the knowledge you have gained to new
situations
– Be able to effectively communicate what you have learned
– Enjoy learning the material in this course
Lab#9 A Hollywood Depiction of Abrupt Climate
Change – “The Day After Tomorrow”
Lab#9 A Hollywood Depiction of Abrupt Climate
Change – “The Day After Tomorrow”
Objective:
• Allow students to use new expertise to critically evaluate the
scientific validity of the climate concepts and events shown in
the movie: “The Day After Tomorrow.”
Motivations:
• Allow students to apply new scientific understanding to a new
situation.
• Help students think more critically about how science is
presented in popular culture.
• Improve students’ skills in communicating what they have
learned.
Prelude:
• Several in-class lectures on abrupt climate change. Textbook
reading as well as short articles.
In-Lab Assignment
•
Introduction - provide handout; ask them to pay specific
attention to:
–
the following topics:
1)
2)
3)
4)
–
•
any errors as well as valid representations of scientific concepts
View movie
–
–
•
Proposed mechanism for climatic change
Events that signal a change in climate
Characteristics of the storm
Rates of climate change
students take notes on handout
I serve popcorn and soda
Conclusion of the movie: instructor led discussion
Take Home Assignment
• Using their notes from the film as well as the inlab discussion, student write a short paper
summarizing and analyzing the scientific strengths
and weaknesses of the movie.
• Part 1 summary of the climate concepts and
events in the movie.
• Part 2 assessment of the accuracy of the science
presented.
Evaluation
• Accuracy of Summary of Movie:
–
–
–
–
Mechanisms (10)
Storm Characteristics (5)
Climate Events (10)
Rates (5)
Concisely summarize?
• Accuracy of Explanation of Reality:
–
–
–
–
Mechanism (10)
Events (10)
Storm Characteristics (10)
Rates (10)
Apply knowledge?
• Writing:
– Organization (10)
– Clarity (10)
– Grammar (10)
Effectively Communicate?
What I’ve Found
Kump,
Kasting &
Crane, 2004
• Most are able to solidly critique the depiction of thermohaline
circulation in the movie: both the accuracy of the mechanism
as well as rates of change.
• Struggle with evaluating the storm and the “events” which are
primarily related to weather.
• Good teachable moment about the difference between
climate and weather.
Some Other Candidate
Movies
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Dante’s Peak
Volcano
The Core
Jurassic Park
Evolution
Armageddon
Deep Impact
Lab#11 “An Inconvenient Truth”
Lab#11 “An Inconvenient Truth”
Final Lab of the Semester
• Prelude: all previous climate related course materials.
(This is a capstone lab).
• Objective:
• Allow students to use new expertise to critically
evaluate the scientific validity of the climate
concepts presented in: “An Inconvenient Truth.”
• Motivations:
• Allow students to apply scientific understanding/
skills acquired in this course to a new situation.
• Help students recognize that what they have learned
is directly relevant to understanding a major modern
day environmental problem.
In-Class Activities
•
Introduction: ask them to respond to the following and
assess whether or not Al Gore portrays them accurately:
1.
2.
3.
4.
•
•
•
Mechanisms for climatic change/ climate concepts invoked in
the movie
Climate records & observations you recognize and what Al
Gore says about them
According to Gore, what are the current and potential impacts of
climate change?
According to Gore, how has the climate change issue been
treated by media / government?
View movie
Instructor led discussion
Students answer questions:
1.
2.
3.
List 3 messages you have taken away from this movie.
List 3 questions you have about climate change after watching this
movie.
Do you think climate change is a moral issue? Why or why not?
Relevant Resources
• Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change (IPCC):
http://www.ipcc.ch
• Real Climate (Climate Science
from Climate Scientists):
http://www.realclimate.org/
“Convenient Untruths”
Amazon.com ~$12
Ice Core Records
400
300
200
100
0
-50
400
350
-60
2
300
CO (ppm)
Vostok Temperature (ºC)
-55
250
-65
200
-70
400
300
200
Age (ka)
100
0
Petit et al. 1999
Range of sensitivity to
2x CO2 :
1.5ºC to 4.5ºC
•Sensitivity to CO2
non-linear; greater
response for given
change at colder
temps
180ppm
280ppm
380ppm
Ruddiman, 2001
Hurricane Katrina
Louisiana
http://www.geo.arizona.edu/dgesl/r
esearch/other/climate_change_and
_sea_level/sea_level_rise/sea_leve
l_rise.htm
Florida
http://www.geo.arizona.edu/dgesl/r
esearch/other/climate_change_and
_sea_level/sea_level_rise/sea_leve
l_rise.htm
Sea Level Change
IPCC, 2007
IPCC SPM 2007
Polar Ice Caps
www.nasa.gov
IPCC 2007