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Please note, the PDF lesson plans linked to from this page are temporarily unavailable as of 4-18-13. We hope to restore them soon, thank you for your patience in the meantime.

In lessons 1a-1e below, students learn how the greenhouse effect works and how increased levels of greenhouse gases entering the atmosphere are altering climate patterns worldwide. By the end of the strand, students will understand the evidence and models that suggest that climate change is occurring and that human activities are the predominant cause of this change.

Media Included in the Strand
At the Core of Climate Change
Climate Watch: Methane - The Other Greenhouse Gas
Regulating Greenhouse Gases
Climate Models
Forecasting Suitable Habitat for Redwoods from the Present to 2100

Lesson 1a - Carbon Dioxide and Climate Change (PDF)

Earth is warming because of an increase in greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide (CO2). In this lesson, students will explore how the level of CO2 has increased over time, hypothesize about why this is a concern, and begin to think about what can be done to slow or stop continued climate change.

Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide (PDF)

Lesson 1b - The Greenhouse Effect and Climate Change (PDF)

Increasing greenhouse gases are contributing to global warming, which is changing our climate. In this lesson, students will learn about the greenhouse effect and find out how scientists use data collected from ice cores to study climate change.

The Greenhouse Effect and Greenhouse Gases (PDF)

At the Core of Climate Change

A QUEST web extra

Lesson 1c - Methane and Our Changing Climate (PDF)

Although there are natural sources of methane, most of the methane that is contributing to global warming is produced through human activities, such as landfill use and raising cattle. In this lesson, students will learn about sources of methane and how methane affects climate. Prior to engaging in this lesson, students will need to have a general knowledge of greenhouse gases, the greenhouse effect, and global warming.

Climate Watch: Methane - The Other Greenhouse Gas

Lesson 1d - Greenhouse Gases and the Amazon (PDF)

Regulation of greenhouse gases happens naturally in forests. However, humans have greatly impacted this regulation through deforestation. In this lesson, students will learn about how destruction of the Amazon rain forest, our world's largest rain forest, affects global climate change. Prior to engaging in this lesson, students will need to have a general knowledge of greenhouse gases (particularly carbon dioxide), the greenhouse effect, and global warming.

Regulating Greenhouse Gases
Video Transcript (PDF)

From Jean-Michel Cousteau Ocean Adventures: Return to the Amazon

Projected Temperature Increases in California (PDF)

Lesson 1e - Climate Models: Predicting the Future (PDF)
Climate models are tools that scientists have developed to help predict the future climate of our planet based on different scenarios of human impacts to the atmosphere. The last ice age occurred because of a drop of only a few degrees in global temperatures, so even small temperature increases are a concern. In this lesson, students will learn about climate models, experiment with their own climate model, and investigate how climate models are used to predict how species distributions may change as the planet warms.

Climate Models
Video Transcript (PDF)

To see the full 23-minute version, visit Climate Watch: California at the Tipping Point on QUEST
Click here to download this video

Forecasting Suitable Habitat for Redwoods from the Present to 2100

 

Forecasting Suitable Habitat for North America’s Wolverines from the Present to 2090 (PDF)

These resources were developed in partnership with the Center for Applied Biodiversity Informatics at the California Academy of Sciences.

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