Jane Zeng Return to Earth Science Lesson Plan Menu
Seward Park H.S., Manhattan
Summer 2001
Climate
Change, Global Warming, and Energy Choices for the 21st Century
Climate
change and energy choices for the future are one of the major issues in the
world. In the United State nearly
85% of total energy comes from fossil fuels.
Fossil fuels include petroleum, coal, and natural gas and one of their
final products of combustion is carbon dioxide (CO2). CO2 is one of greenhouse
gases; it traps the heat from emitted earth surface and cause climate change or
global warming.
Meteorology
is one of major parts of an earth science curriculum. In order to motivate students’ learning interest, address
state science standards, and build the connection between current climate change
science, math, technology content and other subjects, the following short-term
investigation plan has been designed.
Standards:
S3c:
Demonstrates an understanding of natural resource management
S4e:
Demonstrates an understanding of science’s impact
S5a:
Frames questions to distinguish cause and effect and identifies or
controls variables
Activities:
Find some articles from newspaper and scientific magazines and share them
with students.
Summery: because
of the light, motors, air conditioning, personal computers and the Internet, the
use of electrical power by high-tech devices continues to grow.
Effective energy supply system and greater focus on conservation are
necessary.
By Bob Herbert
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/08/09/opinion/09HERB.html?searchpv=day04
By Trevor Corson
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/08/11/opinion/11CORS.html?searchpv=day02
Procedures:
Global
warming is a problem we are now facing. What
causes the global warming? Why do we have to worry about it?
How can we solve the problem? We
can have students read the articles about global warming and the energy plan in
the U.S. and discuss those topics and issues.
Then we have students share their ideas, form questions and introduce the
basic scientific concepts of meteorology.
1.
Have
students read the articles, discuss their opinions, and form questions.
2.
Form
groups of four and each group should list five basic questions and five critical
thinking questions
3.
Discuss
the basic scientific concept: greenhouse
gases and greenhouse effect.
Standards:
S3a:
Demonstrates an understanding of energy transfer in the atmosphere
S8a:
Demonstrates scientific competence by completing a controlled experiment
After
students begin to realize the impact of global warming in society and the
importance of climate change, we can start to have students discuss the basic
concepts of climate formation and the structure of the atmosphere.
1.
Review:
the composition of the atmosphere and the structure of atmosphere.
2.
Introduce
the basic scientific concept: What
is climate? What is weather?
How does climate form?
Activities:
Insulation
and the earth’s surface – Angles of insulation
Use
three thermometers and set at equal distances from a light source.
Set the three thermometers at angles of 30 degree, 60 degree, and 90
degree. Read the temperature level
of each thermometer initially and after 15 minutes.
Record the observations in a data table and explain the relationship
between angle of insulation and rate of heating.
Have
students make a line graph that presents the relationship the temperate changes
as the angle of insulation increases.
Day
3: What
factors affect the temperature of the atmosphere?
Standards:
S3a:
Demonstrates an understanding of energy transfer in the atmosphere
S5c:
Uses evidence from reliable sources to develop explanation and
models-makes appropriate adjustments.
S5e:
Identifies problems, proposes solution, and evaluates the accuracy and
outcomes of investigations
1.
Have
students discuss how the atmosphere is heated
2.
Basic
scientific concepts: air
temperature and air pressure, energy balance in the atmosphere, greenhouse
effect and greenhouse gases, solar intensity and energy balance in the
atmosphere.
Activities:
Have
students to visit NASA climate site: http://icp.giss.nasa.gov/education
View
the section Mimi-GEEBIT Ver.A3 and B3.
According
to the computer model on the site we listed above, students can collect the data
of earth surface temperature changes when the concentration of greenhouse gases
change. This activity can help
students better understand the affect on greenhouse gases to the climate change
in the atmosphere and other basic science concepts.
By
visiting the site, students should be able to use the model to describe and
explain greenhouse effect and cause of global warming.
Day
4: How
do human activities affect climate changes?
Standards:
S4e:
Demonstrates an understanding of science’s impact
S5f:
Works individually and in teams to collect &share data and ideas
S6d:
Acquires information from multiple sources
After
students possess the basic knowledge about the climate literacy, we can go back
to the questions that students made from the articles we offered at the
beginning and have students begin to research those problems.
Procedures:
1.
Discuss
America Energy System.
2.
What are
fossil fuels?
3.
What is
the relationship between fossil fuel and greenhouse gases?
Activities:
work with students and design a lab about acid rain.
Day
6: What
is the relationship between climate changing and energy sources?
Have students work in groups of four. Based on the students’ previous knowledge in meteorology, they are able to state the relationship between global warming, climate changing, and the use of energy sources. Then the students can begin to set their own hypothesis about how to solve global warming problem – What strategies are you going to use to reduce CO2 emissions into the atmosphere?
Students
should search the choice of energy sources in the 21st century.
They can work on the following topics:
Topic
one: Energy conservation in
residential and commercial buildings.
Topic
two: Energy efficiency in
transportation.
Topic
three: Alternative vehicles and
alternative fuels
Topic
four: Batteries and their usage
Topic
five: Energy efficiency in natural
gas.
Topic
six: Renewable energy sources –
solar energy, wind, and hydro. electric power, geothermal, nuclear.
Standards:
S5e:
Identifies problems, proposes solution, and evaluates the accuracy and
outcomes of investigations
S5f:
Works individually and in teams to collect and share data and ideas
S8d:
Demonstrates scientific competence by completing secondary research
Activities:
library search, Internet search, and use resources in the community
Students
have the opportunity to observe the changes in the surroundings, gather data,
record information, make conclusions, and present their results and thoughts in
effective ways.
Standards:
S6b:
Records and stores data using a variety of formats
S6c:
Collects and analyzes data according to Math Standard 4
S6d:
Acquires information from multiple sources
S6e:
Recognizes and limit sources of bias in data
S7e:
Communicates in a form suited to the purpose and the audience
After
students determine the strategies of reducing CO2 emission and other greenhouse
gases from the atmosphere, teachers can guide them to form the data together,
calculate how much greenhouse gases can be reduced per year, and use Excel to
make tables and graphs. Students
should write a paper about their research and their result.
Procedures:
Activities: