Chicago Botanic Garden
Historical Climate Cycles
What better way to make predictions about future weather and climate patterns than with actual climate data from the past? Young climatologists analyze data from 400,000 to 10,000 years ago to determine if climate has changed over time....
Curated OER
The Potential Consequences of Climate Variability and Change
Learners analyze the impact of climate variability and change utilizing a broad span of topics over a wide range of grade levels. This three lesson unit is easily adapted for the various instructional levels listed.
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Climate Change in My City
Young scholars investigate the climate changes occurring locally, regionally and globally over the last one hundred years. They brainstorm and predict whether the current year's weather was warmer or colder than last year then check the...
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Weather Watchers
Young scholars identify basic weather instruments and how they are used to record weather data. Students define several vocabulary terms as stated in lesson plan. Young scholars use basic instruments to record weather data in their area....
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Bringing Climate Change Into the Classroom
Students investigate the greenhouse effect and examine the potential effects of climate change in the Arctic. They construct a mini-greenhouse and test its effect on temperature, analyze historical climate statistics, and conduct an...
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Investigating the Climate System - Clouds
Here is a fabulous lesson on the Earth's radiant energy system. This amazing, 31-page document is chock-full of great activities, worksheets, lab sheets, quizzes, rubrics, and assessments. Learners model and explain cloud formation,...
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Weather
Students explore the earth's atmosphere, weather, and climate. They begin class with a discussion about weather patterns, atmosphere, and the layers of the earth. After the class discussion, students rotate through four stations to...
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The Day After Tomorrow: How is the Density of Water Related to Climate Change and Global Warming?
Science learners simulate what happens when ice breaks up and floats on water and how increased pressure on ice causes it to melt faster. They view a clip from the movie, The Day After Tomorrow, and relate their lab activities to what...
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Micro-Climate
Atmosphere aces investigate the microclimates that exist within a larger area. They use a thermometer to record the varying temperatures and identify the microclimates on a map that they have drawn. This exercise helps them to understand...
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Weather, Sea Level Rise and Climate Change Course
Students explain the impact of glacial melting to global climate change. In this environmental science lesson, students design an experiment to investigate the effect of salinity change to melting glaciers. They share their results to...
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Living in the Greenhouse
Students discuss the different types of climate zones found throughout the world. They participate in activities which relate to real events. They make observations and the consequences of their actions on the environment.
NASA
The Big Climate Change Experiment Lesson 3: Climate Change Lines of Evidence
Consider the preponderance of evidence when making a verdict. The third of five lessons in Unit 1: The Big Climate Change Experiment focuses on the evidence for climate change. Learners study graphs, diagrams, and pictures regarding...
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Evidence of Change Near the Arctic Circle
Students analyze graphs and make conclusions about climate change. In this climates lesson students produce graphs and identify relationships between parameters.
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Weather Forecasting
Students examine cold, warm, and stationary fronts. They also examine the roles of relative humidity and the way air masses move. They are to create forecasts based on the information they collect. Tapes are shared with the class.
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Differences between Climate and Weather
Learners collect weather data over weeks, graph temperature data and compare the temperature data collected with averaged climate data where they live.
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Classroom Meteorologists: An Experiential Approach to Learning about Seasons and Weather
Students examine several concepts about weather in the seven lessons of this unit. This year long activity helps students to gather data seasonally about wind, clouds, precipitation, and temperature. Earth's three climate zones are...
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Using Vegetation, Precipitation, and Surface Temperature to Study Climate Zones
Young scholars begin their examination of the climate zones found around the world. Using a software program, they identify the relationship between the vegetation, climate and temperatures of the different zones. They also plot...
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Climate Change
Students discuss problems associated with a world climate change. They examine how animals would be affected if the world heated up.
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Weather: It Works, or Not?
Students discover the techniques meteorologists use to examine the atmosphere. In groups, they build their own weather station and observe the various weather conditions. They identify the types of weather patterns that allow the...
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Is Grandpa Right, Were Winters Colder When He Was a Boy?
Students compare current weather data to historic data to see if there is a temperature change. In this weather lesson students complete a lab activity and determine average changes in temperature, precipitation and cloud cover.
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Weather, Sea Level Rise and Climate Change
Eighth graders compare and contrast weather and climate. In this earth science lesson plan, 8th graders research weather data site and analyze historical data. They present their findings in class and explain identifiable trends.
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Weather v. Climate
Ninth graders discuss the differences between climate and weather as a class. Using data they collected, they create a graph of the data to share with the class over a specific time period. They compare and contrast this data with...
American Chemical Society
Climate Change and the Keeling Curve
Global warming has long been in the making. A thorough review of decades of research helps pupils discover the weather patterns of global warming. Learners then connect the weather changes to data in the Keeling Curve that reveals trends...
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Climate Systems - Which Location Is Best For Me?
Students study the difference between weather and climate. In this climate systems lesson students search the Internet for the parts of the Earth's system, gather climate data and complete a challenge scenario.