Curated OER
The Little Ice Age - Understanding Climate and Climate Change
Fourth graders receive data about tree ring records, solar activity, and volcanic eruptions during the Little Ice Age (1350-1850). From this data, they draw conclusions about possible natural causes of climate change
NASA
Earth and Space—Climate and Seasons
Why does Earth have so many seasons? Learn about the importance and changes of our planet's climate with a series of learning activities, which focus on connecting seasons to past experiences, making scientific observations, and...
National Wildlife Federation
Branching Out – Exploring Dendrochronology
Tree rings from North America give a continuous history of El Nino intensity over the last 1,100 years. Scholars learn how scientists use tree rings to create timelines demonstrating variations in weather patterns. The cumulative...
Curated OER
Global Warming Part 2: Climate Change
Learners examine natural climate fluctuations of the Earth and compare climate change in last 100 years to earlier climate changes. From this data students will begin to define current issues related to global warming.
Curated OER
Climate Change
Ninth graders compare the Arctic and Antarctic. For this climate lesson students work in groups, research and complete an oral report or a poster.
Curated OER
PLATE MOVEMENTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Students label three geological maps with continents provided to analyze the relationships between the movement of tectonic plates and the changes in the climate. In small groups, they discuss their findings and form hypotheses about the...
Curated OER
Trees: Recorders of Climate Change
Middle schoolers study cross sections of trees or tree "cookies" to discover how the rings on tree sections give clues to the climate during the time the ring was produced. They study simulated cross sections of trees to determine the...
US Environmental Protection Agency
Getting to the Core: The Link Between Temperature and Carbon Dioxide
Polar ice samples provide scientists with valuable information about the condition of the atmosphere for hundreds of thousands of years in the past. Of particular interest is the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and its...
Curated OER
A Changing Planet
Students describe climate change and the future impact it could have on our physical environment. They identify the regions of the world that would encounter the most significant effects of a global warming.
Curated OER
History's Thermometers
Learners explain the concept of paleoclimatological proxies. In this oxygen isotope lesson plan, students interpret data and make inferences about climate changes in the geologic past.
K20 LEARN
The Parched Plains: Weather And Climate
How do meteorologists differentiate between droughts and dry spells? Introduce the concepts of weather forecasting and prediction with an insightful research-based lesson from the K20 series. Partners synthesize individual research from...
Curated OER
Volcanic IntEruptions
Seventh graders research about a devastating eruption of a certain volcano. In this earth science lesson, 7th graders discover the climate changes that occurred due to a volcanic eruption. They create a presentation about their findings...
Curated OER
How can deep-water corals be used to determine long-term patterns of climate change?
Students explore the concept of paleoclimatological proxies. In this paleoclimatological proxies lesson, students explain isotope ratios in deep water coral samples. Students write a paragraph about global climate change as it effects...
Curated OER
Global Warming Statistics
Learners research and collect data regarding temperature changes for a specific location and find the mean, median, and mode for their data. In this climate change lesson, students choose a location to research and collect data regarding...
Curated OER
Natural Records of Change: Working with Indirect Evidence of Past Climates
Students take part in a dice game to better explain the differences between direct and indirect evidence. They apply this knowledge to how scientists have used both types of evidence to determine how climate has changed over time.
Polar Trec
Global Snow Cover Changes
Snow is actually translucent, reflecting light off its surface which creates its white appearance. Pairs or individuals access the given website and answer questions about snow cover. They analyze graphs and charts, examine data, and...
NOAA
Climate, Corals and Change
Global warming isn't just an issue on land; deep ocean waters are also showing troubling signs. Young scientists learn more about deep water corals and the many recent discoveries researchers have made. Then they examine data related to...
Towson University
Looking Backwards, Looking Forward
How do scientists know what Earth's climate was like millions of years ago? Young environmental scholars discover how researchers used proxy data to determine the conditions present before written record. Grouped pupils gain experience...
Curated OER
Thermal Expansion and Sea Level Rise
Placing a thermometer and a glass tube into a flask of cold water and sealing it, you can expose it to heat and very visually demonstrate thermal expansion to your earth science class. Follow it with a discussion about how the increasing...
Curated OER
Adapting to Seasonal Changes in the Environment
Fourth graders discuss how plants and animals, including humans, adapt to climate and seasonal changes. They research the Colville people, and create dioramas that represent life during different seasons for Colville people.
Chicago Botanic Garden
Recognizing Change (Observation vs. Inference)
What is the difference between making inferences and making observations? Young climatologists refer to a PowerPoint to make observations on each slide. They record their observations in a provided worksheet before drawing a...
Curated OER
Paleoclimates and Pollen
Students analyze soil for types of pollen to determine the probably climate conditions. In this earth science lesson, students make conclusions on what a climate is like based on soils samples. Students use a model soil...
Curated OER
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.
Curated OER
Weather, Climate and Environmental Change
Young scholars study the complexities for getting definitive answers for past and present happenings in our environment. They discover past global changes on earth and the evidence for why these changes took place before believing...