All resources in Environmental Literacy and Sustainability

Climate Around the World

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This activity introduces students to global climate patterns by having each student collect information about the climate in a particular region of the globe. After collecting information, students share data through posters in class and consider factors that lead to differences in climate in different parts of the world. Finally, students synthesize the information to see how climate varies around the world.

Material Type: Activity/Lab

Authors: Cindy Shellito, SERC Cutting Edge

Climate Change and Arctic Ecosystems

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In this activity, students learn about how climate change is affecting the Arctic ecosystem and then investigate how this change is impacting polar bear populations. Students analyze maps of Arctic sea ice, temperature graphs, and polar bear population data to answer questions about the impact of climate change on the Arctic ecosystem.

Material Type: Activity/Lab

Authors: Project Activities for Conceptualizing Climate and Climate Change, Purdue University

Climate History from Deep Sea Sediments

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This activity focuses on reconstructing the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) as an example of a relatively abrupt global warming period. Students access Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) sediment core data with Virtual Ocean software in order to display relevant marine sediments and their biostratigraphy.

Material Type: Activity/Lab

Authors: Cinzia Cervato, Doug Fils, Earth Exploration Toolbook Chapter, Michael Taber, Robert Arko, Victor Fitzjarrald, William Ryan

Climate and Weather

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This video discusses the differences between climate and weather by defining and presenting examples of each. When presenting examples of weather, the video focuses on severe events and how meteorologists predict and study the weather using measurement, satellites, and radar. The climate focus is primarily on an overview of climate zones.

Material Type: Activity/Lab

Author: National Geographic

Compact Fluorescent and LED Cost-Benefit Analysis

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In this activity, students collect data and analyze the cost of using energy in their homes and investigate one method of reducing energy use. This activity provides educators and students with the means to connect 'energy use consequences' and 'climate change causes.' Through examining home energy use and calculating both pollution caused by the generation of electricity and potential savings, students can internalize these issues and share information with their families.

Material Type: Activity/Lab

Author: Connecticut Energy Education

Comparison of the Effects of Increased CO2 in the Air to Seawater and Distilled Water

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This well-designed experiment compares CO2 impacts on salt water and fresh water. In a short demonstration, students examine how distilled water (i.e., pure water without any dissolved ions or compounds) and seawater are affected differently by increasing carbon dioxide in the air.

Material Type: Activity/Lab, Simulation

Authors: Annika Sabrowski, CarboSchools.org, Patrick Silva, S. Soria-Dengg

Cool Cores Capture Climate Change

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This Earth Exploration Toolbook chapter is a detailed computer-based exploration in which students learn how various climatic conditions impact the formations of sediment layers on the ocean floor. They analyze sediment core data from the Ross Ice Shelf in Antarctica for evidence of climate changes over time. In addition, they interact with various tools and animations throughout the activity, in particular the Paleontological Stratigraphic Interval Construction and Analysis Tool (PSICAT) that is used to construct a climate change model of a sediment core from core images.

Material Type: Activity/Lab

Authors: Earth Exploration Toolbook/TERC, Jean Pennycook

Coral Bleaching: A White Hot Problem

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This teaching activity addresses environmental stresses on corals. Students assess coral bleaching using water temperature data from the NOAA National Data Buoy Center. Students learn about the habitat of corals, the stresses on coral populations, and the impact of increased sea surface temperatures on coral reefs. In a discussion section, the connection between coral bleaching and global warming is drawn.

Material Type: Activity/Lab

Authors: Bridge Project - NOAA Sea Grant and National Marine Educators Association, Laura Rose, Lisa Ayers Lawrence

Dendrochronology - Trees: Recorders of Climate Change

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In this activity, students are introduced to tree rings by examining a cross section of a tree, also known as a 'tree cookie.' They discover how tree age can be determined by studying the rings and how ring thickness can be used to deduce times of optimal growing conditions. Next, they investigate simulated tree rings applying the scientific method to explore how climatic conditions varied over time.

Material Type: Activity/Lab

Author: NCAR - National Center for Atmospheric Research

Detecting El Niño in Sea Surface Temperature Data

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This multi-part activity introduces users to normal seasonal sea surface temperature (SST) variation as well as extreme variation, as in the case of El Niño and La Niña events, in the equatorial Pacific Ocean. Via a THREDDS server, users learn how to download seasonal SST data for the years 1982 to 1998. Using a geographic information system (GIS), they visualize and analyze that data, looking for the tell-tale SST signature of El Niño and La Niña events that occurred during that time period. At the end, students analyze a season of their own choosing to determine if an El Niño or La Niña SST pattern emerged in that year's data.

Material Type: Activity/Lab

Authors: Betsy Youngman, David Smith, Earth Exploration Toolbook Chapter from TERC