Earth's Changing Climate Sample Lessons - Teacher Guide

Teacher GuideEarth’s Changing Climate Sample LessonsAmplifyScience

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Teacher Guide © 2016 The Regents of the University of California

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Table of Contents

Lesson 1: Introduction to Climate Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Lesson Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Activity 1: Warm-Up: Anticipation Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Activity 2: Introducing Climate Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

Activity 3: Ice Scientist Video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Activity 4: Analyzing Climate Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Activity 5: Trend and Fluctuation in Climate Research . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Activity 6: Homework . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Lesson 2: Exploring Energy in the Earth System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Lesson Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Activity 1: Warm-Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Activity 2: Exploring Earth’s Changing Climate Simulation . . . . . . . . . . 30

Activity 3: Making a Claim About Melting Ice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Lesson 3: Testing Changes to the Atmosphere . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40

Lesson Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Activity 1: Warm-Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Activity 2: Introducing the Claims Chart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Activity 3: Testing Changes to the Atmosphere in the Sim . . . . . . . . . . 49

Activity4:UsingtheWordRelationshipsRoutinetoReflect . . . . . . . . 54

Activity 5: Homework . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

Article Set: The Effects of Climate Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

Article: “A Hole in Earth’s Ozone Layer” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

Earth’s Changing Climate Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67


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Lesson 1Introduction to Climate Change


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Lesson OverviewThis lesson introduces students to the topic of climate change and the question, Why is ice

on Earth decreasing? Students begin by reacting to statements in an Anticipation Guide that

are designed to help them access what they already know about climate change . Students

learn that the concepts of trend and fluctuation are important when analyzing data about

climate change . The purpose of this lesson is to introduce students to the phenomena they

will investigate, to establish that ice is indeed decreasing and global average temperatures

are increasing, and to help students distinguish trends from fluctuations .

Lesson at a Glance 1: Warm-Up: Anticipation Guide (10 min)

An Anticipation Guide allows students to access their prior knowledge, which sets up later

opportunities to review and revise their thinking .

2: Introducing Climate Change (3 min)

Students are introduced to the unit and the terms climate and climate change.

3: Ice Scientist Video (7 min)

Students learn about the role of climatologists in the study of climate change and, more

specifically,ice scientists .

4: Analyzing Climate Data (15 min)

Students analyze and evaluate evidence to see how Earth’s global average temperature and

ice cover is changing .

5: Trend and Fluctuation in Climate Research (10 min)

Students are introduced to the evidence criterion for the unit: stronger evidence is provided

bydatathatshowstrendsratherthanshort-termfluctuations.

6: HomeworkStudents read articles that explain the effects of climate change so they can gain a deeper

understanding of ways this phenomenon affects life on Earth .


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Students learn:• Ice on Earth has decreased and global average temperature has increased since

about 1880 .

• Data over a long enough time period to show a trend offers stronger, more

convincing evidence than data from a short time period that only shows

fluctuations.

• Althoughtherearemanyfluctuations,thereisatrendtowardincreasing

temperatures and decreasing ice on Earth since about 1880 .

Digital Resources (Teacher)• Ice Scientist Video

• Printable Melting Ice Evidence Cards

• Earth’s Changing Climate Projections: Lesson 1

Materials and Preparation

Materials

For the Class• 1 set of Melting Ice Evidence Cards

(3 cards/set, clipped together)

• paper clips*

For Each Pair of Students• 1 set of Melting Ice Evidence Cards

(3 cards/set, clipped together)

For Each Student• 1 Investigation Notebook

(pages 1–12)

*teacher provided

Vocabulary

climate

climate change

evidence

fluctuation

stability

temperature

trend


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Preparation

Before the Day of the Lesson

1. Familiarize yourself with the Unit Overview. The Unit Overview is a high-level overview of

the unit—what students learn, why it’s important, and how they learn it .

2. Print the Investigation Notebook and make one copy for each student. Encourage

students to use the Earth’s Changing Climate Glossary in the back of the notebook .

The Glossary is also included in the Appendix . If you have English learners in your class

whose native language is Spanish, make sure to point out this glossary to them .

3. Download the PDF document of Earth’s Changing Climate Projections and scroll to Lesson 1.Preparetousethisfiletoprojectinformationtostudentsduringthislesson.

4. Print the Melting Ice Evidence Cards and make one copy for each pair of students as well as one copy for teacher modeling. Cut apart the three cards and clip each set of

three cards together . Students will sort their evidence cards, using an Evidence Gradient

found in their Investigation Notebooks . You will model how to use the Evidence Gradient

by projecting it from the From the PDF of Earth’s Changing Climate Projections: Lesson 1 .

5. Review how to use the Evidence Gradient with the Melting Ice Evidence Cards. The

Evidence Gradient is a tool that provides concrete support for student discussions about

the quality of evidence . Students represent their evaluation of the quality of evidence by

physically placing cards on the Gradient

6. Read the Article Set: Effects of Climate Change.Youcanfindthisarticlesetinthe

Investigation Notebook or in the Appendix . Familiarize yourself with the articles students

will read for homework .

7. Preview introductory video. Watch the short video, Ice Scientist, which you will project

for students during this lesson . Prepare to project this video for students from Amplify’s

Earth Day website .

Immediately Before the Lesson1. Write the Unit Question on the board: “What causes climate change?”

2. Write the Chapter 1 Question on the board: “Why is ice on Earth’s surface melting?”

3. Have on hand the following materials:

• sets of Melting Ice Evidence Cards

• Investigation Notebooks

Between-Class Prep1. Gather card sets and make sure you are ready to distribute these items in your

next class.

At the End of the Day1. Leave the Unit Question and the Chapter 1 Question on the board for the next lesson


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Differentiation

Embedded Supports for Diverse Learners Explicit instruction and teacher modeling about evaluating and interpreting evidence. Analyzingclimatedataandreadinggraphscanbedifficultforstudents.Tosupportthis

challenging work, this lesson follows a supportive structure that includes teacher modeling,

followed by independent student practice and then whole-class discussion . The “I Do, We Do,

YouDo”progressionhasbeenshowninresearchtobeasupportivewaytoorganizedifficult

cognitive classroom activities .

Student-to-student discussion about the Evidence Gradient. The Evidence Gradient is a

tool that provides concrete support for student discussions about the quality of evidence .

Students represent their evaluation of the quality of evidence by physically placing cards on

the Gradient . Having these physical manipulatives makes the task accessible for all students

and supports student discussion, which in turn supports students’ autonomy while they do

complex cognitive work .

Potential Challenges in This Lesson Complex cognitive activities. Some activities in this lesson, especially those focused on

thepracticeofargumentation,mightbechallengingordifficultforsomestudents.Youmay

want to adjust the lesson to have more modeling or guided group practice if you feel that the

Evidence Gradient card sort needs to be more supported for your students .

Interpretation of visuals. Much of this lesson depends on students’ abilities to make

interpretations of line graphs . If you have students who may have trouble making such

interpretations, consider ways to adjust the lesson to support their participation . For

instance, you may want to extend the lesson and provide more whole-class time to talk

about each graph before completing the Evidence Gradient sort .

Specific Differentiation Strategies For English Learners

Bilingual glossary. Encourage students to use the Earth’s Changing Climate Glossary in the

back of the notebook . If you have English learners in your class whose native language is

Spanish, make sure to point out this glossary to them .

Promoting inclusion in discussions. Provide additional support during partner discussions

to help ensure that English learners are able to fully participate . As you circulate during the

independent activities in this lesson, check in with English learners and their partners and


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assist them as needed so they can have rich partner discussions . You might model how to

engage in a discussion about the data students are analyzing . Also, provide encouraging

feedback, highlighting connections to science ideas and use of science terms .

Specific Differentiation Strategies For Students Who Need More Support

Strategic partnering. SomestudentsmaybenefitfromstrategicpartneringduringtheMelting Ice Evidence Card Sort . Placing more capable readers with students who need more

support allows each student to share ideas and may provide assistance to students who

need more support with reading and interpreting the evidence cards .

Specific Differentiation Strategies For Students Who Need More Challenge

Extended thinking about fluctuations and trends. Students who need more challenge can

beaskedtothinkaboutotherexampleswherefluctuationsandtrendsmightbecommon,

butalsowheredependingonafluctuationtosupportaclaimmightbemisleading.Arethere

examples they can come up with about their own bodies and/or their lives that might work

this way? For example, taking your temperature on one day when you have a fever does

not give an indication of your normal body temperature . As appropriate, you can use the

examplesstudentscomeupwithtohelptheclassbetterunderstandfluctuationandtrend.


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Teacher Support

Rationale

Pedagogical Goals: Warm-Ups

The Warm-Up at the beginning of each lesson is meant to be a sponge activity that engages students

in ideas from the unit . This daily routine not only provides low-stakes opportunities for students to

reflectonandwriteaboutscienceconceptsinordertoprepareforthelesson,butitalsoprovidesa

structure for the beginning of each class to make transitioning into class easier for students and for

you . Explain that at the beginning of every lesson, there will be a prompt (a question or an activity) for

students to independently complete that will help them begin to think about science ideas they will

learn . Students should understand that this is a quick, yet focused, activity that you expect them to

complete independently .

1. Distribute Investigation Notebooks and introduce the unit. Give each student an

Investigation Notebook and explain that they will spend a few days investigating a new

topic, Earth’s changing climate.

2. Briefly discuss purpose of an Anticipation Guide. Have students turn to page 3 of the

notebook, Warm Up: Anticipation Guide. Explain that the statements in the Anticipation

Guide will help students track their learning and see how their ideas about Earth’s climate

develop and change as they learn.

“The expectation is that you will respond to the statements, using what you know

right now. You are not expected to know the right answers, and you will have a

chance to revisit each statement from this guide later and change your thinking.”

3. Students work independently. Allow a few minutes for students to individually respond to

the Warm-Up.

4. Have students discuss responses. Ask student pairs to briefly discuss the answers they

provided and explain why they answered the way they did.

Activity 1: Warm-Up: Anticipation Guide (10 min)Students complete and discuss their responses to prompts in an Anticipation Guide.


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Activity 1: Warm-Up: Anticipation Guide (continued)

Teacher Support

Possible Responses

Provided below are the correct responses for each of the statements in the Anticipation Guide . Please

note the students are not expected to know the correct responses at this point, and we recommend

that you do not correct students’ alternate conceptions now . After gathering evidence, students will

review some of these statements again, gaining an opportunity to revise their original responses and

to explain their current thinking .

Warm Up: Anticipation Guide

1 . Earth’s atmosphere is made of different gases that can affect Earth’s climate in different ways . Agree

2 . Climate has to do with how much energy is in the Earth system . Agree

3 . Earth’s atmosphere does not change . Disagree

4 . There have been times in the past when Earth’s climate was very different . Agree

5 . Energy from the sun that enters the Earth system does not leave . Disagree

6 . It is possible for gases in the atmosphere to change the behavior of energy on Earth . Agree

7 . Human actions cannot change Earth’s atmosphere . Disagree

8 . Human actions can lead to a decrease in Earth’s temperature . Agree


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1. Introduce the Unit Question. Point out the Unit Question written on the board, What

causes climate change? The Warm-Up that students just completed should have

triggered thinking about what factors might contribute to Earth’s changing climate .

2. Introduce vocabulary and project definitions. Using the From the PDF of Earth’s

Changing ClimateProjections:Lesson1,projectthedefinitionsfor climate and climate

change.Read(oraskastudenttoread)eachwordanditsdefinitionaloud.

“Climate is the weather patterns (temperature, rain, sun, wind) that occur over a

very long time. Climate change refers to ways the overall climate on Earth changes

over long periods of time.”

3. Remind students to look at the glossary in the back of their notebooks if they need more support.

Activity 2: Introducing Climate Change (5 min)

Students are introduced to the unit and the terms climate and climate change.


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1. Project and play Ice Scientist. Return to Amplify’s Earth Day website

(www.amplifyscience.com/earthday) and project the video player included on the site.

Explain that students will learn about the issues surrounding climate change by viewing a

documentary video that shows professional climate scientists at work.

2. Discuss the video and students’ role during these lessons. Invite students to share

comments and questions about the video. Conclude by explaining that, similar to the

scientists in the video, students will spend the next several lessons investigating climate

change.

3. Point out the Chapter 1 Question written on the board. Explain that over the next few

lessons, students will specifically be working to understand why the ice on Earth’s surface

is melting.

Activity 3: Ice Scientist Video (7 min)

Students view a video about climate change.


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1. Project Claim and explain the purpose of the next activity. Using the From the PDF of

Earth’s Changing Climate Projections: Lesson 1, project the claim about ice melting for

the class. Read the claim aloud. Explain that students’ first task is to review data collected

about ice melting, or decreasing, at the poles. Explain that although there was evidence

about climate change in the video, it is important to be skeptical and review data carefully.

2. Project Question and read polar researchers’ question aloud. Using the From the PDF

of Earth’s Changing Climate Projections: Lesson 1, project the question that the polar

researchers had. Explain that some researchers did not initially agree with the claim that

an increase in global average temperature caused ice to melt because, at first glance,

not all the evidence seemed to support this conclusion. Let students know that they will

look at the same data set the researchers looked at, with the goal of determining why all

researchers did not initially agree.

3. Discuss strength of evidence in climate change research. Explain that some climate

change data can help make strong arguments for what is occurring. Other data is weaker

and less convincing. Point out that in this activity, students will learn to use the same

criteria that scientists use when determining whether a set of data is strong enough to be

convincing.

4. Project Evidence Gradient and explain how to use it. Using the From the PDF of Earth’s

Changing Climate Projections: Lesson 1, project the Evidence Gradient for the class.

Students also have a copy of the Gradient in their Investigation Notebooks. Explain that

the shading will help them organize the value of the evidence they are considering.

5. Distribute Melting Ice Evidence Cards to pairs of students. Explain that students will

work in pairs for this card sort activity, and that each pair will receive a set of Melting Ice

Evidence Cards to use with the Evidence Gradients in their notebooks.

Activity 4: Analyzing Climate Data (15 min)

Pairs of students analyze evidence that shows ice on Earth has decreased and discover that

data trends offer stronger supporting evidence than fluctuations.

• The strongest evidence goes near the top (the darkest area) .

• Less strong evidence goes lower, either in the middle or at the

bottom of the Gradient .

• Evidence of equal strength can be on the same level .


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6. Project Evidence Card A and model how to read the graph. Using the From the PDF

of Earth’s Changing Climate Projections: Lesson 1, project Evidence Card A for the class.

Highlight that it is important to pay attention to titles and labels when reading graphs.

Activity 4: Analyzing Climate Data (continued)

• Point out and read the title .

“The title is an important feature on a graph. Here, it tells me that this graph

provides data about the amount of ice covering the Arctic Sea from the years

2002 to 2013, or 11 years.”

• Point out and read the labels on the axes .

“Next, I’m going to read the labels on each axis. The bottom label (x-axis) says

Year, and the side label (y-axis) says Million square kilometers of ice. These

labels tell me that I will be looking at how much ice there was in certain years,

and that will help me understand this graph.”

• Discuss reading the graph .

“With this information, I can begin to read the graph. I see the points, and the

lines that connect the points, show that the amount of ice measured during the

summer months changed a lot, since the graph moves up and down a lot. You

will discuss with your partner what you think this means, as well as any other

ideas you have about this data.”

7. Discuss next steps. Ask students to turn to the page, Analyzing Climate Data, in their

notebooks for instructions for the card sort. Point out that the Evidence Gradient is on the

following page in the notebook. Explain to students that they will work with their partners

to continue analyzing Card A, as well as the other two cards. Explain that after analyzing

the data on the cards in pairs, they will then choose where to place each card on the

Evidence Gradient.


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Activity 4: Analyzing Climate Data (continued)

• How is the evidence on each card different?

• Which evidence would be stronger or more convincing to climate scientists? Why?

• Where do you think we should place this card? Why?

8. Have student pairs work independently to analyze the cards and place them on the Evidence Gradient. Circulate and assist any pairs that are having trouble getting started.

Remind students to pay close attention to the year labels on the graphs. Provide students

with about five minutes to discuss and sort their cards. Ask students to consider the

following questions while they sort their cards:

Teacher Support

Instructional Suggestion

Going Further: Mathematical Thinking

Line graphs are much harder to interpret than they appear . Often, students don’t carefully examine

graphs or they draw incorrect conclusions . Taking time to emphasize elements of a graph, such as

title and axes labels, will ensure that students know how to read these graphs . Line graphs will act

as key pieces of evidence in students’ explanations of what causes climate change . Modeling and

practicing how to read a line graph now is worth the time investment .


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Activity 5: Trend and Fluctuation in Climate Research (10 min)

Students learn about the evidence criterion for data, long-term trends vs. short-term

fluctuations, and determine which evidence card is most convincing.

1. Project Global Average Temperature: Trend vs. Fluctuation. Using the From the PDF of

Earth’s Changing Climate Projections: Lesson 1, project Global Average Temperature for

the class. Point out that this is another piece of climate data, but it also explains a pair of

concepts that are important in Earth science. Highlight aspects of the projected image as

you discuss.

• Define trend and fluctuation. Read the embedded definitions on the slide. Explain that

in Earth science, it is important to have data from a long-enough time period to tell the

difference between a trend (overall tendency in a set of data over time) and fluctuation

(variations in a set of data). Further clarify the word tendency by explaining how students

can look at a set of data to see if it shows an overall increase, decrease, or no overall

change.

• Remind students of the glossary. Explain that the words trend and fluctuation are in the

glossary, along with other words used in the unit. They can refer to the glossary as needed.

• Model how to read the graph. As you did with Evidence Card A, attend first to the title,

then the labels of the x- and y-axes to see what information is contained in the graph.

• Model making an interpretation of the data represented on the projection. This is a

suggested interpretation:

• Introduce stability and change. Explain that stability and change are important concepts

in many science topics. Distinguishing fluctuations from trends will be an important part

of telling whether something is changing or staying mostly stable (unchanged over time).

“When looking at this graph that shows temperature changes since 1870, I see there

are many fluctuations—the temperature goes up and down a lot—but the tendency,

or overall change, is an increase in global average temperature. If you only looked

at data from a shorter time, for example from 1945 to 1950, you might conclude

that temperature decreased, but that is just a fluctuation. If you follow the larger

trend, which you can see by following the blue line on the graph, it shows an overall


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Activity 5: Trend and Fluctuation in Climate Research (continued)

2. Introduce criterion for evaluating evidence. Explain to students that determining

whether something is a trend or a fluctuation is an important way that climate scientists

determine the quality or strength of evidence. In this unit, they will focus on looking at

data and deciding if it is a trend or a fluctuation. Doing this will help them to decide how

strong and convincing a given piece of evidence is.

“When people only use data from a short time period as evidence in climate science,

it might seem like a certain fluctuation refutes the claim. However, longer trends

are much more powerful indicators of long-term changes, and they provide much

stronger, more convincing evidence.”

3. Project Evidence Criterion. Using the From the PDF of Earth’s Changing Climate

Projections: Lesson 1, project Evidence Criterion for the class. Read the criterion aloud.

“Data from a long-enough time period to show a trend offers stronger, more

convincing evidence than data from a short time period that only shows

fluctuations.”

4. Summarize thinking about fluctuation vs. trend. Reiterate that determining if something

is a trend or a fluctuation is extremely important for climate scientists. Highlight the

importance of using long-term data in climate science research.

“Remember, climate is the weather (temperature, rain, sun, wind) over a long

period of time, and climate change refers to the ways that climates in regions on

Earth change over long periods of time. Because climatologists are focused on long

periods of time, they don’t want to just look at the weather over a few days, months,

or even years. In order to explain something that is happening to Earth’s climate,

climatologists need to look at longer periods of time. Trends show what is happening

over long periods of time; fluctuations are just variations in the data.”


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5. Connect trend and fluctuation to the previous Evidence Card activity.

“If we hadn’t analyzed this evidence to decide which cards provide evidence of the

highest quality, Evidence Card A might have caused us to doubt the claim that ice is

decreasing. Because Card A only covers six years, the fluctuations are big enough

that we miss out on the trend of decreasing ice that we can see over longer periods


• Direct students to revisit the evidence from the Melting Ice Evidence Cards. Ask

students to consider the following questions: “Which evidence graphs show a long-enough

time period to tell if there is a trend?”, and “Which evidence graphs show such a short

time period that all you see are fluctuations?” Have partners discuss and adjust the card

placement on their Evidence Gradients, if needed. [Evidence Card C and B show trends,

while Evidence Card A shows only fluctuations.]

• Return to the question, Why did some scientists initially disagree that overall ice was

decreasing? Field student responses. [Scientists could have been looking at fluctuations

by only looking at short periods of time, not looking at overall trends.]

• Return to the claim: The amount of ice at Earth’s poles is decreasing significantly. Discuss which pieces of evidence can strongly support or refute the claim. Help the class

reject Evidence Card A (it does not cover a long-enough period of time to provide useful

evidence that will either support or refute this claim).

6. Project Key Concept. Using the From the PDF of Earth’s Changing Climate Projections:

Lesson 1, project the key concept for the class. Read the key concept aloud.

7. Point out the homework assignment. Explain that students should choose one of the

articles from the Article Set: Effects of Climate Change (located in their Investigation

Notebooks) to read for homework. Point out that they should annotate as they read.

“Now that we have looked closely at the evidence, we can be more certain that ice

and average global temperature have been changing, which leads us to this key

concept, Although there are many fluctuations, there is a trend toward increasing

temperatures and decreasing ice on Earth since about 1880. Tomorrow, we will

investigate why this might be happening.”


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8. Project Active Reading Guidelines for students to review. Using the From the PDF of

Earth’s Changing Climate Projections: Lesson 1, project the Active Reading Guidelines for

the class.

“Active Reading is an approach to reading science texts that is similar to how

scientists read. This approach is called Active Reading because you will think very

deeply as you read, so you can actively try to understand what you are reading.”

“Your goal is to read actively and thoughtfully. Active Reading is similar to having

a conversation with the text. Remember to think carefully while you read and

to record, or annotate, your questions and ideas about the text. Don’t forget to

annotate the visual representations in the articles, as well.”

Teacher Support

Background

Science Note: Trends and Fluctuations in Earth Science

Thepracticeofevaluatingtrendsvs.fluctuationsisanimportantskillinscience,anditisoftenthe

nature and scale of the question asked that determines which set of data is of interest . In Earth

science, because of the large scale of geologic time, it is often critical to use data sets that span long-

enoughtimeperiodsinordertodeterminewhetherthephenomenonisatrendorfluctuation.There

is an interesting caveat to this, however, as it could be tempting for students new to the concept to

believe that data over the longest time period is always better . One challenge for Earth science is

establishing the appropriate scale of data . For some questions, looking at data over too long of a time

scale would cloud what you are trying to observe, making it impossible to see any measurable impact .

The Evidence Criterion is one step toward supporting students in understanding this sophisticated

concept .

Background

Science Reading: About Active Reading

Many students go through the motions of reading, but they may not understand or retain what they

read. Active Reading is meant to combat this phenomenon by giving students ways to carefully think

through science texts. This is a challenging mental process that is likely new for students. Most

students respond positively to Active Reading, but some may struggle with either the text, the Active

Reading approach, or both. However, teaching students to read in this manner has a high payoff in

terms of their engagement and understanding of science texts. Students will have many opportunities

to practice this approach and to learn to use it to help them understand science texts.


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Activity 6: Homework

Students choose an article to read and annotate.

1. If needed, make additional time to explain homework.

Teacher Support

Rationale

Pedagogical Goals: Article Sets

Giving middle school students a choice in what they read can be more motivating for them . When

different students across the class read different information, it distributes expertise across the class,

which in turn provides students with an authentic reason to think about, share, and teach what they

learned to others who did not read the same article . This creates an authentic purpose for student-to-

student talk, which is important in students’ development of science ideas . Sharing of knowledge and

listening to others share fosters an environment where students are truly learning from one another .

Promoting Deeper Thinking: Effects of Climate Change

Reading about the effects of climate change provides students with a clear idea of why the unit

content is important to their lives . Establishing the relevancy of the topic supports greater student

engagement .


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Lesson 2Exploring Energy in the Earth System


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Lesson OverviewStudents explore the connection between energy, temperature, and ice melting and are

supported in making their own claims about the cause of the recent climate change . In this

lesson, students become familiar with the Earth’s Changing Climate Simulation, an app used

here to investigate ideas about the relationship between energy in the Earth system and

temperature . The purposes of this lesson are for students to connect energy absorbed by

the surface to temperature and surface ice changes, to introduce the Sim, and to counter a

common, inaccurate claim about the cause of climate change .

Lesson at a Glance 1: Warm-Up (7 min)

As a way of accessing background knowledge about the Earth system, students consider

what causes snow to melt during the day .

2: Exploring Earth’s Changing Climate Sim (23 min)

Students become familiar with the Sim by completing a mission to melt ice, which leads

them to connect energy absorbed by the surface with temperature and surface ice changes .

3: Debriefing the Sim Missions (15 min)

Students reject an erroneous claim and then generate claims of their own . This allows

students to make their initial thinking visible, which will help you support them in building an

accurate understanding .

Students learn:• Sources of energy other than sunlight are too small to affect global average

temperature .

• Every model is accurate in some ways and inaccurate in other ways .

• Global average temperature increases when energy absorbed by the surface

increases .

Digital Resources (Teacher)• Earth’s Changing Climate Projections: Lesson 2

• Ice Melting Claim copymaster

• Earth’s Changing Climate Simulation


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Digital Resources (Student)• Earth’s Changing Climate Simulation


Materials

For Each Group of Four Students• scratch paper*

For Each Student• digital device*

• Investigation Notebook

(pages 13–16)

• Ice Melting Claim student sheet

*teacher provided

Vocabulary

absorb

claim

climate

climate change

energy

evidence

model

temperature


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Preparation

Before the Day of the Lesson1. Locate or download the PDF document of Earth’s Changing Climate Projections and

scroll to Lesson 2. Preparetousethisfiletoprojectinformationtostudentsduringthislesson .

2. Familiarize yourself with the Earth’s Changing Climate Simulation in Activity 2 of this lesson. YoucanfindtheSimonAmplify’sEarthDaywebsite(www.amplifyscience.com/earthday) . Prepare to project the Sim for the class during this lesson . In the Sim,

try adjusting the amounts of different gases in the atmosphere, the amount of sunlight,

andthereflectivityofEarth’ssurface.ViewgraphsbypressingtheGraphicon.Ineach

activity in this lesson where the Simulation is used, there is information about expected

outcomes, listed under Possible Responses .

3. Review Making a Claim About Melting Ice in the Investigation Notebook. Students will

be asked to generate their own claims about why the ice on Earth’s surface is melting .

4. Locate scratch paper for groups of four students. Alternatively, students could use the

back of their notebooks .

5. Prepare students’ digital devices. Make sure students’ digital devices are charged

and can access the Internet . if needed, plan how you will distribute, add bookmarks to

Amplify Science’s Earth Day website, and collect devices .”

Immediately Before the Lesson1. Write the Investigation Question on the board. Write, “What could cause ice to melt and

temperatures to increase on Earth?”

2. Make sure the Unit Question and the Chapter 1 Question are still written on the board.3. Have on hand the following materials:

• Ice Melting Claim student sheets

• scratch paper

• Investigation Notebooks

• digital devices

At the End of the Day1. Leave the Unit Question and the Chapter 1 Question on the board for the next lesson.

You do not need to leave the Investigation Question on the board .


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Differentiation Embedded Supports for Diverse Learners Student-to-student discussion to support Simulation experience. Students are provided

brief teacher support before working in the Earth’s Changing ClimateSimulationforthefirst

time in this lesson, but they are ultimately encouraged to consult with their peers during this

exploratory activity . In our experience, students are quick to learn how to use technology,

such as the Sim, and they feel comfortable either trying things out independently or asking

their peers for support . Students have success sharing their own technological tricks and

discoveries and may be less engaged when they are “led by the nose” during technology

activities—especially for initial, low-stakes, exploratory activities, such as the one in this

lesson . This is also an opportunity for students who are not as strong in other subjects at

school, but who are tech savvy, to have a high-status role as they help their peers .

Student-to-student discussion to support accessing prior knowledge and making claims. This lesson provides time for students to access prior knowledge and think of claims about

why our planet is warming (causing ice to melt) . It is important for students to consider and

reveal their initial thinking about the possible causes for climate change in this early lesson

because doing so helps to surface misconceptions and triggers a beginning interest in and

curiosity about this subject . However, considering possible causes for climate change at this

earlystageintheunitcanbedifficultforstudents.Thisactivityissetupsostudentthinking

is mediated by purposeful, small group discussion . Student discussion promotes students’

abilities to both learn from one another and to explain their thinking . This approach can be

especially supportive of students who have less background knowledge about the concepts

associated with climate change (energy, gases in the atmosphere, etc .) or who might lack

experience with this type of thinking, since their peers can serve as mentors for providing

initialthinkingaboutthisdifficultconcept.

Potential Challenges in This Lesson Discussion-focused lesson. Since discussion is central to several parts of this lesson, you

might want to consider how you can support student participation for those who are not as

confidentintheirabilitytocommunicateorallyorforthosewhohavedifficultieswiththis

type of communication .

Simulation introduction. This lesson introduces students to the Earth’s Changing Climate

Simulation.IfyouhavestudentswhomightfindworkingwiththisSimchallenging—for

example, because it is dependent on clearly seeing the colors that denote various aspects of

the Sim, or because your students have trouble processing information in this way—you may


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want to think ahead about how you can offer these students alternative ways of participating

(e .g ., working consistently with a partner who would be supportive or offering more time to

complete the work) .

Specific Differentiation Strategies for English Learners

Provide additional support during oral discussions. Adjusting your speech to English

learners’proficiencylevelswillhelpthembetterunderstandoralinstructionsandengage

in class discussions . This lesson includes partner work and small-group work with

discussion.TohelpEnglishlearnersand/orotherstudentswhoarehavingdifficultywith

oral expression engage fully in discussions, have students periodically summarize key ideas

from the discussion . Having students summarize key ideas gives English learners multiple

opportunities to grasp important ideas they may have missed during the discussion and

helps them focus on what is most important as the discussion continues . You may also want

to allow English learners to share their ideas, either in English or their native language(s) .

Other adjustments to consider include providing at least 6–8 seconds of response waiting

time when asking questions, having students discuss ideas with a partner before having

them share with the whole class, and asking a range of questions, from those that require

fairly simple responses to those that require more in-depth explanations .

Additional sentence starters.Englishlearnersmaybenefitfromthesupportofsentencestarters in order to participate more fully in the the Sim activities and small group

discussions . You could write the following prompts on the board or distribute them on paper

tostudentsyouthinkwouldbenefitfromhavingthem.

• I notice . . .

• I observe . . .

• I think this is ________, and my evidence is _________ .

Specific Differentiation Strategies for Students Who Need More Support

Strategically choose partners for students who need support. Creating positive and

supportivestudentpartnershipsisacrucialfirststepindevelopingaclassroomculture

wherestudentsfeelconfidentandcomfortablesharingtheirthinking.Thisunitprovides

many opportunities for student learning to occur through paired or small-group discussion .

Creating good working partnerships will be an essential component to the success of these

types of lessons . You may want to offer support for students who are less comfortable

speaking in class by providing the following prompts as scaffolds and by encouraging

students to use them as needed:


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• I notice/observe . . .

• I think this is important because . . .

• I wonder . . .

Extra teacher modeling when exploring the Simulation. Students will be working with

the Sim many times in this unit . If needed, take time in this lesson to develop students’

proficiencybystoppingandmodelinghowtocarefullyexploretheSim.Ask,“Iwonderwhat

happens if I change ___ but keep ___ the same?” Or, “I wonder how this graph relates to what

I just observed in Live View . What do you think?”

Specific Differentiation Strategies for Students Who Need More Challenge

Connect articles (previous lesson’s homework) and the Simulation. You could challenge

some students to make connections between the article they read for homework and what

they observed in the Simulation . Ask students to write a list of connections between the

article and the Simulation .


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1. Project Warm-Up image; students work independently. Using the From the PDF of

Earth’s Changing Climate Projections: Lesson 2, project the Warm-Up image for the class.

Ask students to turn to the Warm-Up for Lesson 2 in their notebooks. Allow a few minutes

for students to individually respond to the Warm-Up.

2. Students share responses. After a few minutes of writing, have students share their

responses with a partner.

3. Review the connection between ice melting and energy. After five minutes, ask students

to share their ideas about the Warm-Up with the class. Prompt students with the following

questions:

4. Help students draw conclusions.

“Remember that Earth’s surface absorbs energy from sunlight, and this warms the

surface. We can conclude that the snow melted during the day because energy from

the sun was absorbed, or taken in, by the surface. This energy from the surface is

also transferred to the air just above, and that makes it warm. So, in the picture, the

temperature probably increased.”

Activity 1: Warm-Up (7 min)In order to prompt background knowledge about energy, temperature, and sunlight, students

consider what happens when the sun shines on snow.

• Why did the ice melt?

• How can you tell that energy was involved?

• Where did the energy come from that

melted the ice?

• What must have happened to the

temperature of this place?


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Teacher Support


Prerequisite Knowledge: Energy from Sunlight

This unit assumes that students have learned middle-school content about regional climate,

weather,andenergyfromsunlight.Specifically,itreliesonstudentsbeingfamiliarwiththeidea

that Earth’s surface (land and water) absorbs energy from sunlight, making the surface warm,

and that energy is transferred from the surface to the lower atmosphere, warming the air just

above the surface . It also assumes that students have learned that energy is the ability to make

something change or move . This Warm-Up is meant to review these concepts so students are

ready for the activities in this lesson . If students are not familiar with the relationship between

sunlight,energy,andtemperature,orthedefinitionofenergy, you may want to spend some

time reviewing this content .

Possible Responses

The snow is melting during the day because the sun is shining and warming the land and the

air . The ice absorbs energy from the sun, which makes it get warmer and melt .

Activity 1: Warm-Up (continued)


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1. Review the previous lesson’s key concept. Using the From the PDF of Earth’s Changing

Climate Projections: Lesson 2, project the key concept introduced in Lesson 1 for the class.

“In the previous lesson, we found evidence of a trend that has been happening since

about 1880—temperatures are increasing and ice is decreasing. Today, we are going

to investigate what could be causing this. We are going to pay particular attention to

energy, since we know temperature and melting ice are related to energy.”

2. Point out the Investigation Question written on the board. Read it aloud.

“What could cause ice to melt and temperatures to increase on Earth?”

Explain that the class will investigate this today.

3. Project definitions for energy and temperature. Using the PDF of Earth’s Changing

Climate Projections: Lesson 2, project the definition for energy and then the definition for

temperature for the class. Read the words and definitions aloud. Remind students to look

at the glossary if they need more support.

4. Project the Earth’s Changing Climate Simulation. Using the link on Amplify’s Earth Day

website (www.amplifyscience.com/earthday), launch and then pause the Sim so you can

introduce the app to students. Note that this app has similarities to digital tools used by

climatology professionals who study climate change.

“Digital models like this are especially important to scientists for observing effects

and understanding how things work, so they are able to explore what real changes

might look like without harming the Earth system.”

5. Set expectations for partner work. Distribute digital devices to each student and instruct

them about how to access the Sim. Explain that students will work in pairs while they

explore the Simulation. Each student will explore on their own device, but partners should

share interesting observations and show each other what they notice.

Activity 2: Exploring Earth’s Changing Climate Simulation (23 minutes)Students explore the Sim and complete a mission to melt ice.


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6. Give pairs several minutes of free-exploration time. Circulate as students explore,

encouraging them to discuss what they are observing with their partners. Listen for

student questions or alternate conceptions related to basic components of the Sim.

7. Project The Earth System and make connections between this image and the Sim. Using the From the PDF of Earth’s Changing Climate Projections: Lesson 2, project The

Earth System for the class. Remind them that this projection shows the interacting

spheres that create the Earth system. Ask students to share how those spheres are

represented in the Sim. Point out the following ideas if students do not bring them up in

discussion:

8. Discuss other visual aspects of the Sim. Make sure students understand the following

aspects of the Sim as these will provide them with enough information to complete the

Ice Melting mission in the next part of this activity.

Activity 2: Exploring Earth’s Changing Climate Simulation (continued)

• The Sim shows land and water on Earth’s surface, those represent the geosphere

and hydrosphere .

• The Sim shows Earth’s atmosphere, including the gases that are part of the

atmosphere .

• Outer Space: This is separated from the atmosphere by a dotted line .

• Energy travelling into and out of Earth’s atmosphere: This is represented by yellow

arrows .

• Energy Absorption: The yellow circles show when the surface absorbs or takes in

energy .

• Amount of energy absorbed by the surface: This is represented by a yellow glow

emanating from Earth . As the amount of energy absorbed by Earth’s surface

increases, the glow increases in brightness .

• Amount of ice on the surface: The white area represents ice, and that can increase,

decrease, or stay the same .


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9. Review the role of energy in the Earth system. “Energy travels from the sun to Earth and is absorbed, or taken in, when it reaches

Earth’s surface. This energy is transferred to the air just above the surface, affecting

the temperature. This Sim shows a large-scale view of the atmosphere, so it does not

show details about how the surface warms the air just above it, but looking at the

temperature will give us evidence of when energy is transferred to air.”

10. Discuss limitations/inaccuracies of the model. Remind students that models like this

Sim can’t show or include everything, and they often show some things inaccurately

in order to make them easier to observe. Ask students to point out any inaccuracies or

things that were left out of this Simulation. If students don’t mention them, bring up these

points:

11. Introduce melting ice with the Sim. Direct students to place their devices to the side while

you explain their mission to melt ice.


• The Sim doesn’t show the entire Earth at once—only one angle—but it represents

what happens across the planet .

• Gases and energy aren’t actually visible, but they are visible in the Sim .

• The thickness of the atmosphere is exaggerated .

• Wind and ocean currents are not included .

• Water vapor and clouds are not included .

• Focus on energy. Remind students that since energy and temperature are

connected, they will need to pay close attention to energy as they complete this

mission .

• Point out Sim features that might be helpful.Ifstudentswouldbenefitfrommoredirection, project the Sim and point out the controls in the right-hand toolbar that

allow them to change different aspects of the Sim . Explain that they should use those

controls to complete this short mission .


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12. Review instructions before students begin. Have students turn to Exploring Earth’s

Changing Climate Simulation in their Investigation Notebooks and point out the

instructions for the mission before they begin:

13. Provide time for pairs to complete the mission and answer the questions in the notebook. As you circulate, ask students how they can be sure they melted ice. Remind

students to shade in the second box on their notebook pages.

14. Regain attention for a group discussion. Have students help you demonstrate how they

used the Sim’s controls to melt ice. Invite students to explain what they did and to share

what they noticed about the controls and features as they tried to melt ice.

15. Return to Investigation Question. Prompt students to answer the question, What could

be causing ice to melt and temperatures to increase on Earth? Students should notice that

the energy absorbed by the surface increased when the ice melted. Remind students that

absorbed energy is represented by the glow on the surface—more absorbed energy has a

brighter glow; less absorbed energy means the glow is dimmer.

16. Introduce the vocabulary word absorb and project the definition. Using the From the

PDF of Earth’s Changing Climate Projections: Lesson 2, project the definition for absorb for

the class. Read (or ask a student to read) the word and its definition aloud.


• Reset the Sim. Use the reset button near the top right-hand corner of the screen to

ensure that all students start out with an adequate amount of ice to melt.

• Shade in the amount of ice on the surface before changes. Explain that they should

show how much ice is on the Earth’s surface (in the first box on the notebook page)

before they begin their mission.

• Review what students will complete after the mission. Point out the second box

on the notebook page and explain that students will shade in the amount of ice on

the surface after they try to melt some ice. Point out the questions students should

answer after they have completed the Sim mission.


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17. Project and introduce key concept. Using the PDF of Earth’s Changing Climate Projections:

Lesson 2, project the second key concept for the class. Read the key concept aloud.

“We don’t know the whole story yet, but from what we’ve learned today, we can

say that if ice is melting and temperatures are increasing, Earth’s surface must be

absorbing more energy.”


Teacher Support

Rationale

Pedagogical Goals: Importance of Exploration Time

ThefirsttimestudentsuseaSimulation,theyneedafewminutestofreelyexploretheSimulation’s

features . Students are generally quite facile in discovering these features independently or with

a partner . This type of open-ended exploration enhances student interest and provides students

with the opportunity to share their thinking and learn from their peers . Giving students this initial

exploration time reduces their distractibility in later Sim activities that have more focused goals .


Technology Note: Consistent Language for Describing Energy Representations

In the Sim, there are three visual representations of energy that show the path of energy in the

Earth system . To reduce confusion, it will help to develop consistent terminology around these three

representations .

While the energy arrows and the absorption circles may be straightforward, students could come up with

a variety of ways to describe the energy glow . Establishing this norm here will be helpful in future lessons .

• Moving arrows represent energy entering and exiting the Earth system. This energy can be

absorbed by Earth or by different gases, or it can get reflected.

• Small yellow circles at the point of contact represent the moment of absorption.

• A glow represents energy that has been absorbed by Earth’s surface. A more intense glow

denotes more absorbed energy, while a less intense glow denotes less absorbed energy.


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Possible Responses

What students should do and notice in the Sim

Before trying to melt ice, students should reset the Sim and sketch in their notebooks the

approximate amount of ice on the surface . Students may then use any of the controls to melt ice .

Increasing sunlight, increasing the amount of carbon dioxide and/or methane, decreasing the amount

ofsulfurdioxide,anddecreasingreflectivitywillcausethetemperaturetoincreaseandicetomelt.

Students will note that when temperature increases, there is more energy absorbed by the surface

(represented as a higher intensity glow at Earth’s surface) and less ice .

One possible student response is shown below. (Images from Sim before and after ice melt.)

What did you do to melt the ice?

Increased sunlight and/or carbon dioxide and/or methane. Decreased sulfur dioxide and/or reflectivity.

How did the global average temperature change when you made the ice melt?

Global average temperature increased.

How did the energy absorbed by the surface change when you made the ice melt?

Energy absorbed by the surface increased.


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1. Prepare students for evaluating claims. Explain that all scientists, including climate

scientists, constantly make and evaluate claims as new evidence comes along. When

scientists find new evidence to support their claims, it makes their arguments stronger.

However, scientists sometimes need to discard their claims. Explain that students will be

discussing some claims other people have made about Earth’s increasing temperatures;

they will also be making some of their own claims.

2. Project Claim some people make about why Earth’s temperature is rising. Using the

From the PDF of Earth’s Changing Climate Projections: Lesson 2, project the claim for the

class. Read it aloud, and then discuss how heat sources in one area might affect the entire

planet.

“Here is a claim that some people make about climate change, especially when

people first hear that temperatures are getting warmer. People might believe

the claim because it seems to make a lot of sense when you first examine it. For

example, we all know that an engine or a fire is hot, so maybe having more of those

things is causing climate change.”

3. Project Compare These Energy Sources and discuss how this evidence helps refute that claim. Using the PDF of Earth’s Changing Climate Projections: Lesson 2, project

Compare These Energy Sources for the class. Explain that the large red square represents

how much energy comes to Earth from the sun each day, and the tiny red dot represents

the total of all heat energy produced by other sources on Earth.

“Scientists realized that that claim couldn’t be true. They used many kinds of data,

but none of it supports that claim. The amount of energy that Earth’s surface gets

from sunlight is many, many times greater than any other source of energy.”

Activity 3: Making a Claim About Melting Ice (15 minutes)Students use evidence to reject a claim about what is causing Earth’s temperature to rise, and

then they create their own claims.


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4. Project Forest Fire, and discuss how this evidence also helps refute the claim. Using

the PDF of Earth’s Changing Climate Projections: Lesson 2, project Forest Fire for the class

“Even one of California’s largest forest fires, a fire that burned many square kilometers

of forest, didn’t change the global temperature enough to be measurable. A change to

the overall temperature of the whole Earth must be related to energy from sunlight.”

5. Share the need for other claims about why ice on Earth’s surface is melting. “Based on evidence, we can reject an increase in heat sources at Earth’s surface,

such as factories, cars, or fires, as a claim. What are some other claims that might

explain why Earth’s temperature is increasing and ice is decreasing?”

Let students know that they will now use their own prior knowledge, ideas from the Sim

mission, or other sources to come up with at least one claim that might answer the

Chapter 1 Question, Why is ice on Earth’s surface melting?

6. Have students open their notebooks to Making a Claim About Melting Ice and distribute scratch paper, if needed. Describe the activity’s two parts: (A) brainstorming

in groups of four with the goal of recording three possible claims and (B) individual work

on one of the group claims. Have students form groups of four.

Activity 3: Making a Claim About Melting Ice (continued)


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Teacher Support


Pedagogical Goals: Providing Students with an Opportunity to Express Initial Ideas

This activity serves two main purposes . First, students are provided with evidence to contradict the

commonmisconceptionthatsmall-scalewarmingactivities,likefiresorfactories,arethecause

of increased global temperature . Second, students have a chance to discuss other possible claims

for the increase in temperature and then represent their ideas by choosing one claim and drawing

a diagram . This activity allows students to make their current ideas explicit and visible, which will

help you support them as they move toward an accurate understanding of the causes of Earth’s ice

melting . In addition, this activity provides them with an opportunity to represent their ideas visually .

7. Transition from group work to individual work. When you feel that student groups

have brainstormed enough viable claims, stop them and provide a brief overview of the

independent activity.

8. Wrap up the lesson and review student work. Explain that you will look over students’

claims to see if there are any common themes or ideas. Collect the Investigation

Notebooks in order to review their claims, and return them during the next lesson.

Note: Examining students’ work will help you to set up the next lesson.


• Explain that each student should choose the claim from their brainstorm he thinks is

strongest and record it in his notebook.

• Then, each student should create a diagram that explains what she thinks is causing

Earth’s ice to melt.

• Describe how students can use symbols from the Sim (energy, gases, or other

symbols) or make up their own symbols. Circulate and offer support as needed.

• Note: Making a labeled key to explain these symbols is an option if students have extra

time. You may want to briefly model how to label or make a key that will help explain

their diagrams.


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Teacher Support

Possible Responses

Responses will vary and students are not expected to have an accurate understanding at this time .

The example below shows a common alternative conception that the hole in the ozone layer is

allowing more sunlight in .more sunlight in .


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Lesson 3Testing Changes to the Atmosphere


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Lesson OverviewStudents participate in a whole-class discussion of the ice-melting claims they generated in

the previous lesson . They move on to investigate claims about changes in the atmosphere

with the question, What kinds of changes to the atmosphere could affect how much energy

is absorbed by the surface? In the Sim, students manipulate amounts of different gases and

observe the results in order to learn how gases affect Earth’s temperature . A vocabulary

routinehelpsstudentsreflectonwhattheylearned.Thepurposeofthislessonisfor

students to gather initial evidence showing that increasing carbon dioxide and methane in

the atmosphere causes temperature to increase .

Lesson at a Glance 1: Warm-Up (7 min)

Students learn that the atmosphere is a mixture of different kinds of gases .

2: Introducing the Claims Chart (5 min)

Categorizing students’ claims about the cause of ice melting prepares them to consider

claims related to the atmosphere .

3: Testing Changes to the Atmosphere in the Sim (23 min)

Students gather evidence that increased carbon dioxide or methane in the atmosphere is

associated with increased temperature .

4: Using the Word Relationships Routine to Reflect (10 min)

Studentsusekeytermstoreflectontheirlearning.

5: HomeworkAn article counters the common misconception that the ozone hole is a cause of climate

change .


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Students learn:• The atmosphere is a mixture of many kinds of gases .

• When the amount of carbon dioxide or methane in the atmosphere changes, the

amount of energy absorbed by the surface also changes .

• When the amount of carbon dioxide or methane increases, energy absorbed by the

surface increases .

• When the amount of carbon dioxide or methane decreases, energy absorbed by the

surface decreases .

Digital Resources (Teacher)• Earth’s Changing Climate Projections: Lesson 3

• Earth’s Changing Climate Simulation

Digital Resources (Student)• Earth’s Changing Climate Simulation


Materials

For Each Student• digital device*

• Investigation Notebook

(pages 17–27)

Vocabulary

atmosphere

carbon dioxide

claim

climate

climate change

energy

evidence

methane

model

temperature


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Preparation

Before the Day of the Lesson1. Locate or download the PDF document of Earth’s Changing Climate Projections and

scroll to Lesson 3.Preparetousethisfiletoprojectinformationtostudentsduringthislesson .

2. Familiarize yourself with the Earth’s Changing Climate Simulation activity in this lesson.YoucanfindtheSimonAmplify’sEarthDaywebsite(www.amplifyscience.com/earthday) . Prepare to project the Sim for the class during this lesson .

3. Prepare students’ digital devices. Make sure students’ digital devices are charged

and can access the Internet . if needed, plan how you will distribute, add bookmarks to

Amplify Science’s Earth Day website, and collect devices .

4. Review the article “A Hole in Earth’s Ozone Layer” that students will read for homework. This article is included in the Appendix and in the Investigation Notebook .

Immediately Before the Lesson1. Write the Investigation Question on the board. Write, “What kinds of changes to the

atmosphere could increase energy absorbed by the surface?”

2. Make sure the Unit Question and the Chapter 1 Question are still written on the board.

3. Have on hand the following materials: • Investigation Notebooks

• digital devices


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Differentiation

Embedded Supports for Diverse Learners Student-to-student discussion and sharing evidence while using the Simulation. The

Simulation is intentionally complex because it is modeling a complex system . There are

manyvariablestothinkaboutanditissometimesdifficultforstudentstofocusonone

variable at a time . To help students collect data about the effects of individual gases and to

support collaborative learning, this data-collecting and sense-making Sim activity is set up

so that the responsibility for collecting the data is distributed between group members .

Supported vocabulary practice. This lesson ends with an opportunity for students to

purposefullyuseimportantvocabularyfromthelessontoreflectonwhattheylearned.This

activityhasseveralimportantaspects.Studentsareexpectedtofirstdiscusstheirideas

with a partner, which provides time for shared cognition and peer-to-peer learning . It also

requires students to use much of the important unit vocabulary they have encountered thus

far, providing a focused opportunity to apply these words and learn them more deeply . This

activityisalsosetupasareflectionontheSimworkstudentsjustparticipatedin;reflection

helpstoestablishmorefirmlythelearninggoalsofthislesson.

Potential Challenges in this Lesson

Several new vocabulary words. The Sim represents several common gases that are found in

the atmosphere . Some or all of the names of these gases might be new to students, as might

the concept of gases . In addition, the word (and concept) of Earth’s atmosphere might be

new to students . If you feel that your students need more context for understanding these

concepts you may want to build in time in the lesson to go over these ideas in more detail .

Group work: cooperation and focus. This lesson requires extensive partner work in which

students must collect data, discuss challenging concepts, and come to conclusions

together . You may want to take some time to emphasize partner or small group norms and

behavior before beginning this lesson .

Specific Differentiation Strategies For English Learners

Native language and cognates. Latin-based languages often have cognates that can

help support student learning when they are brought to their attention . For example, in

this lesson some cognates in Spanish that you might want to provide for students are:

atmosphere/atmósfera;dióxidodecarbono;andmethane/metano.Youcanencourage


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native Spanish-speakers to use these cognates if they are helpful . You can also encourage

students in general to use their native language when discussing the Sim if this is helpful for

engagement, developing a deeper understanding, and processing what they are seeing and

learning .

Specific Differentiation Strategies For Students Who Need More Support

Additional whole-class modeling of Simulation tests. If you feel that some or all students

could use more support in conducting the Sim tests in today’s lesson, you may want to test

another gas as a whole-class activity . Model how you are thinking about the data you are

analyzing and ask students to comment on what they notice, as well . This additional support

can help students complete the remaining tests independently .

Specific Differentiation Strategies For Students Who Need More Challenge

Test different amounts of increased carbon dioxide and methane. Students who need

more challenge can conduct additional trials, setting the levels of carbon dioxide and

methane to intermediate amounts between 0 and 500 . They can analyze the results to draw

more precise conclusions about the relationship between the levels of these gases and the

temperature on Earth .


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1. Project Warm-Up; students work independently. Using the From the PDF of Earth’s

Changing Climate Projections: Lesson 3, project the Lesson 3 Warm-Up image for the

class. Allow a few minutes for students to individually respond to the Warm-Up.

2. Project the Simulation and explain about the mix of gases in the atmosphere. Using

the link on Amplify’s Earth Day website (www.amplifyscience.com/earthday), launch the

Sim. Explain that the atmosphere is made of many gases, including the ones shown in the

Sim, but also including oxygen, nitrogen, and water vapor.

“The Sim does not represent all the gases in the atmosphere, just some that are

affected by human activity. The different types of gases are mixed together in the

atmosphere—in other words, there isn’t one area where you find oxygen and another

where you find methane. The Sim is accurate in that it shows the gases mixed

throughout the atmosphere.”

3. Project the vocabulary word atmosphere and its definition. Using the From the PDF of

Earth’s Changing Climate Projections: Lesson 3, project the definition of atmosphere

for the class. Read (or ask a student to read) the word and definition aloud.

4. Remind students to look at the glossary if they need more support.

Activity 1: Warm-Up (7 min)Students record their initial ideas about the atmosphere, and then learn that it is a mixture of

different gases.


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Teacher Support

Background

Science Note: About the Atmosphere

Theatmosphereisalayerofgasesthatsurroundstheplanet.Thereisnodefiniteboundarybetween

the atmosphere and outer space—the atmosphere simply becomes less and less dense as you travel

farther away from Earth’s surface, until the gas molecules are spread quite far apart . However, many

people consider the atmosphere to be about 480 kilometers thick . Beyond that, the atmosphere is so

sparse as to have little effect . The atmosphere is a mix of gases, with 78% nitrogen and 21% oxygen .

Argon makes up most of the remaining 1% . The other gases that make up the atmosphere are found in

relatively tiny amounts, yet changes to the amount of these gases can have very large effects on energy

passing through the atmosphere .

Possible Responses What is the atmosphere made of?

This question is designed to give students a chance to record their initial ideas before being introduced to

the definition of atmosphere. At this point, students may have different ideas.


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Teacher Support


Going Further: Connecting Claims Chart to Claims Made by Students

It is up to you how explicitly you want to connect the claims recorded on the Claims Chart to claims

proposed by students in Lesson 2 . You could spend a little extra time, projecting some of the claims

anddiagramsstudentsmadeandpointingouthowtheyfitunderthecategorieslistedontheClaims

Chart . Likewise, it is up to you to what degree you wish to include categories of claims that students

proposedthatdon’tfitneatlyintothecategorieswesuggesthere.Includingthefullrangeofstudents’

claims can provide a way to address alternate conceptions and help students connect their initial

ideas to the content . However, addressing these claims may take additional time or evidence that the

activities described in this unit do not provide .

1. Project and review the Chapter 1 Question. Using the From the PDF of Earth’s Changing

Climate Projections: Lesson 3, project the Chapter 1 Question: Why is ice on Earth’s

surface melting?

2. Project and introduce the Claims. Using the From the PDF of Earth’s Changing Climate

Projections: Lesson 3, project the Claims Chart for students. Note that the claims fall into

several categories: for example, claims about increased energy from sunlight and changes

to Earth’s atmosphere.

3. Describe today’s goal. Today, students will begin investigating claims about changes to

the atmosphere.

4. Introduce Investigation Question. In the previous lesson, students learned that if ice is

melting and temperatures are increasing, energy absorbed by Earth’s surface must also

be increasing. Point out and read aloud the new Investigation Question on the board: What

kinds of changes to the atmosphere could affect how much energy is absorbed by Earth’s

surface?

Activity 2: Introducing the Claims Chart (5 min)The teacher introduces categories of claims about the cause of melting ice, relating them to

the student-generated claims.


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1. Introduce testing changes to the atmosphere in the Sim. Explain that because the

atmosphere is composed of several different gases, it’s possible to use the Sim to change

the amount of each gas and see what happens to the atmosphere.

2. Propose a claim: All gases in the atmosphere have the same effect on energy absorbed by Earth’s surface. On the board underneath the Investigation Question, write:

“CLAIM: A change to any gas in the atmosphere affects energy absorbed by the surface in

the same way.”

“Some people might think that all gases in the atmosphere work the same; after all,

they are all invisible. As you run your tests in the Sim, consider whether the evidence

you find supports or refutes this claim.”

3. Project the Sim and model one test. Using the link on Amplify’s Earth Day website (www.

amplifyscience.com/earthday), launch the Sim. Increase nitrogen dioxide and emphasize

the following points:

Activity 3: Testing Changes to the Atmosphere in the Sim (23 min)In the Simulation, students test the effects of increasing or decreasing gases and observe the

effects on temperature, energy, and ice.

• Let the Sim run until the timer reaches 20 before starting the test. This will make it

easier to see the effect of the change.

• Change only one gas per test. Emphasize the importance of changing only one gas at

a time. Increase nitrogen dioxide to 550 ppm. Show students how they can toggle the

display so they see only the gas they are changing. Continue the test until the timer

reaches 40.

• Observe. Remind students that energy absorbed by the surface is represented by

a yellowish glow. Point out that students should also observe the temperature and

amount of ice.

• Switch and view the graphs. Show students the line graphs for Temperature, Surface

Ice, and Absorbed Energy. Point out that the graphs may fluctuate just like the graphs

they have seen before. Remind students to focus on trends and not short-term

fluctuations.


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4. Explain how pairs will work together to get data about all four gases.

5. Allow time for pairs to run tests and record results. Have students begin running their

tests and recording results. Circulate and assist as needed.

6. Ensure that each partner has found the appropriate set of instructions. Partner As

should be working on the page, Testing Nitrogen Dioxide and Carbon Dioxide in the Sim, in

the notebook, and partner Bs on the page, Testing Sulfur Dioxide and Methane in the Sim.

7. Remind pairs to share their test results and to enter their partners’ data in their own notebooks.

8. Once students complete their testing, have them turn to the page, Analyzing Evidence from the Sim Tests, in the notebook. This page provides the last set of questions for this

activity.

9. Have students answer questions, using their Sim evidence.

10. Refute the claim on the board. Invite students to share what they concluded about

this claim and their evidence. [The claim is not supported, increasing carbon dioxide or

methane causes more energy to be absorbed by the surface, causing temperatures to

increase and ice to decrease. Increasing sulfur dioxide causes the surface to absorb less

energy, causing temperatures to decrease and ice to increase. Changing nitrogen dioxide

has little or no effect.]

Activity 3: Testing Changes to the Atmosphere in the Sim (continued)

• Partner As test nitrogen dioxide and carbon dioxide, recording data on the page,

Testing Nitrogen Dioxide and Carbon Dioxide in the Sim, in the Investigation Notebook.

• Partner Bs test sulfur dioxide and methane, recording data on the page, Testing Sulfur

Dioxide and Methane in the Sim, in the Investigation Notebook.

• For each gas, students will do two tests: one where they increase the gas to 550 parts

per million and one where they decrease the gas to 0.

• Partners share and record each other’s results in their own notebooks.


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Teacher Support


Going Further: Including Drawings of Graphs as Evidence

If time permits, encourage students to include drawings of graphs from the Sim as part of their

evidence . Ask students to include a description of what the graph shows and how it is evidence for or

against the claim . Remind students to use the terms fluctuation and trend in their responses .

Teacher Support

Possible Responses

What students should do and notice in the Sim

Partner As investigate the effect of changing amounts of nitrogen dioxide and carbon dioxide on

absorbed energy, temperature, and ice. Partner As should obtain the following results:

1. When I increased nitrogen dioxide,

2. When I decreased nitrogen dioxide,

• energy absorbed by the surface did not change

• temperature did not change

• the amount of ice did not change.

• energy absorbed by the surface did not change

• temperature did not change

• the amount of ice did not change.


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Possible Responses (continued)

3. When I increased carbon dioxide,

4. When I decreased carbon dioxide,

Partner Bs investigate the effect of changing amounts of sulfur dioxide and methane on absorbed

energy, temperature, and ice . Partner Bs should obtain the following results:

1. When I increased sulfur dioxide,

2. When I decreased sulfur dioxide,

• energy absorbed by the surface increased

• temperature increased

• the amount of ice decreased.




• energy absorbed by the surface decreased

• temperature decreased

• the amount of ice increased.





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Possible Responses (continued)

3. When I increased methane,

4. When I decreased methane,

Analyzing Evidence from the Sim Tests:

Students should disagree with the claim at this point . When you increase either methane or carbon

dioxide, absorbed energy increases . But, when you increase sulfur dioxide, absorbed energy

decreases . And, when you increase nitrogen dioxide, there is no change in energy . These results are

different, so changes to gases in the atmosphere affect energy absorbed in different ways .








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1. Introduce the Word Relationships routine. Explain that students will now reflect on

the work they did in the Sim by working with a partner and answering the Investigation

Question, using the Word Relationships vocabulary routine. Have students turn to the

page, Answering the Investigation Question, in the Investigation Notebook, and review the

instructions. Point out the word bank and note that students should come up with more

than one sentence in their answers. Explain that the most important part of the Word

Relationships routine is the partner discussion.

2. Assign student pairs and have students begin their discussion about an answer to the Investigation Question. As pairs discuss, circulate and listen.

3. Remind students to record their ideas for sentences after the partner discussion.

4. Have a few volunteers share one of their sentences.

5. Project and introduce key concepts. Using the From the PDF of Earth’s Changing Climate

Projections: Lesson 3, project the new key concepts for the class. Read, or have a student

read, the key concepts aloud. Point out that their Sim missions provided evidence to

support these concepts.

6. Point out the homework. Ask students to turn to the article, “A Hole in Earth’s Ozone

Layer” in their Investigation Notebooks.

Some people claim that changes in the ozone layer might be related to Earth’s

increasing temperature. For homework, you’ll read an article that provides evidence

about whether or not the ozone layer is related to climate change.

Activity 4: Using the Word Relationships Routine to Reflect (10 min)Students reflect on the work they did in the Sim by participating in a vocabulary routine.


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Teacher Support

Rationale

Pedagogical Goals: Word Relationships Routine

WordRelationshipsisadiscourseroutinethatsupportsstudents’useofscientificlanguagewhen

discussing key science ideas or answering questions . Today, students will discuss possible answers

to the question, What are some changes in the atmosphere that seem to make temperature increase

(become warmer)? Working with a partner, students will use the given vocabulary words in their

discussion before independently writing their responses . Providing students with the vocabulary

words, time to discuss in a small group, and exposure to responses from their peers supports

students in their acquisition and utilization of academic language . In addition, students are being

provided with multiple experiences with the vocabulary and concepts, which will help them to gain a

deeper understanding . Possible Responses

Below are possible Word Relationships routine sentences that answer the Investigation Question:

• If carbon dioxide in the atmosphere increases, the energy absorbed by the surface and Earth’s

temperature will increase .

• If methane in the atmosphere increases, the energy absorbed by the surface and Earth’s


• If carbon dioxide in the atmosphere decreases, the energy absorbed by the surface and Earth’s


• If methane in the atmosphere increases, the energy absorbed by the surface and Earth’s


Activity 4: Using the Word Relationships Routine to Reflect (continued)


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Activity 5: HomeworkFor homework, students read a short article about ozone in order to counter alternate

conceptions about this concept.

1. If needed, make additional time to explain homework.


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The Effects of Climate ChangeEarth’s climate is changing. In the last hundred years, the average temperature of our planet has increased by at least 0.8 degrees Celsius (1.4 degrees Fahrenheit), and climate change scientists say that global temperature will continue to rise by at least a few more degrees in coming years. That may not sound like much, but even a small change in global temperature has a large effect on the atmosphere, biosphere, geosphere, and hydrosphere on our planet.

A warming climate changes the patterns of where living things on Earth can survive. By increasing the temperature of the planet, global

Even a small rise in global temperature can have a big impact on the entire planet..

This graph shows the change in global temperature in degrees Celsius between the years 1880 and 2009.


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warming forces many species to move, or risk dying out—and in some cases, species like the polar bear can be left with no habitat at all.

A warming climate also melts glaciers around the world, causing sea levels to rise. As the oceans take up more space, some coastal cities may end up under water. In addition, a warming climate increases the temperature of Earth’s oceans and puts more water in the atmosphere, causing more extreme weather around the globe. A wetter atmosphere means more large storms, droughts, and flooding, all of which threaten the way humans live. To learn more about the effects of global warming on Earth, choose one of the chapters that follow.


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Warming and Habitat Loss Changing global temperatures mean changing habitats—and this can be bad news for living things. A living thing’s habitat is more than just the place where it lives: habitat includes everything an animal or plant needs for its survival, such as food sources, shelter, and lots of other factors.

It’s easy to see how a warming climate trend would cause polar bears to lose their habitat. Warmer temperatures cause more ice to melt. Ice is an essential part of the polar bear habitat: the bears walk out onto ice that covers the Arctic Ocean in winter in order to reach the seals that they kill and eat. Less ice means less habitat for polar bears.

It’s harder to understand why a warming climate trend causes habitat loss for other living things, but it does. Temperature is an important part of habitat, and some species

As global temperatures rise and sea ice melts, polar bears have fewer places to live and hunt for food .

This graph compares how much of the Arctic Ocean was covered by ice in different years between 2002 and 2013. The measurements were all taken at the same time of year.


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are very sensitive to changes in temperature. For example, salmon depend on cold-water streams: young salmon die if the water in a stream becomes too warm for them.

Global warming causes habitat loss in other ways, too. For example, weather patterns change as the climate warms, making some places wetter and others drier. When habitats become wetter or drier than the animals and plants that live in them are used to, the habitats can become unlivable.

As their habitats change due to warming, some plants and animals have already begun shifting the areas where they live. Many are moving toward the poles, where temperatures are cooler. Others are moving higher up mountains. However, a mountain is only so high. Once they have reached the top of the mountain, there’s nowhere higher to go.

Young salmon need cold stream water to survive.

Pikas are small animals related to rabbits. They live in the mountains. As the climate warms, pikas are beginning to move higher up the mountain, where temperatures are cooler.


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Warming and Sea Level Rise One surprising effect of a warming global climate is rising sea levels. Sea level is the line where ocean water meets dry land: as sea level rises, more land becomes covered with water. Over the past hundred years, global sea levels have risen by 10 to 20 centimeters (4 to 8 inches). Rising sea levels can cause major problems for low-lying islands, as well as coastal cities like Miami and New York. If sea levels rise too high, some places where people now live will end up under water in the future.

How can warming cause sea levels to rise? The answer has to do with melting ice on land. Glaciers and ice sheets form when ocean water evaporates into the air, forms clouds, and falls on the land as snow. In cold areas, layers of snow build up year after year, compressing the layers below them and forming solid ice. When this ice melts, the water runs down from the land and into the ocean again. If glaciers and ice sheets melt faster than they are building up, more water ends up in the ocean. Adding water to the ocean causes sea levels to rise.

In 1910 (the photo on the left), this glacier was big enough to cover an entire valley. By 2012 (the photo on the right), the same glacier was much smaller. Much of it had melted.

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Due to rising sea levels, places where humans live now may be under water in the future.

In addition, water expands a little bit as it gets warmer. That means that warmer water takes up more space than colder water. As ocean water becomes warmer, it takes up more space and sea levels rise.

You might expect that sea levels would rise the same amount everywhere, but they don’t. Because of the shape of the land and other factors, sea levels are rising much faster in some places than in others.

This graph traces the rise of sea levels since 1993.

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Warming and Extreme Weather Even the most dire predictions of climate change predict a rise in global average temperature of only 8 degrees Fahrenheit. That doesn’t sound like much at first—it may even sound like we can look forward to nicer weather. However, rising global average temperatures lead to all kinds of weather changes...and some are not so nice. In fact, evidence shows that global warming leads to extreme weather: more severe storms, droughts, flooding, and other disasters.

As the climate warms, ocean water warms, too. Warm ocean water gives power to big storms such as hurricanes

A rise in global temperature makes severe weather events, like tornadoes, more likely.

This graph shows the number of tornadoes in the United States for each year from 1950 through 2010.


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ockA rise in global temperature increases precipitation

of all kinds, including snow.

As global temperatures rise and the patterns of wind and water currents change, droughts may become more common.

Extreme weather can cause damage to people’s homes, schools, and businesses.

and typhoons. With warmer water, these storms tend to become more severe.

Warming temperatures also cause more water to evaporate, putting more moisture into the air. More moisture in the air leads to more precipitation (rain and snow). It may seem amazing that global warming can cause more snowstorms, but that’s what happens. An increase in precipitation (whether rain or snow) can lead to dangerous flooding.

While warming causes more precipitation in some areas, it can also cause droughts--a lack of precipitation. The warming climate changes patterns of wind and water currents, making some areas drier than they were before.

There’s no way to look at one particular weather event and put all the blame for it on climate change. Weather is complicated, and lots of factors combine to make events happen. However, it is clear that a warming trend makes extreme weather more likely. Some people have compared extreme weather events to home runs hit by a baseball player taking steroids. You can’t say for sure whether steroids made him hit any particular home run, but you CAN say that steroids made home runs more likely. Global warming is like putting our weather systems on steroids, making extreme events more common.


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A Hole in Earth’s Ozone LayerEarth’s atmosphere is a layer of gases that surrounds the entire planet. Each gas in the atmosphere interacts differently with energy: each gas may absorb energy, reflect it back to where it came from, or let it pass through.

One of the gases in Earth’s atmosphere is called ozone. Ozone allows some kinds of energy to pass through to Earth, but it absorbs a type of energy from the sun called UVB energy. A layer of ozone about 10 km (6 mi) above Earth’s surface surrounds the planet, keeping UVB energy from reaching Earth’s surface. This layer of ozone protects humans from the harmful effects of UVB energy, such as skin cancer.

unreveal “atmosphere”

In the 1970s, scientists noticed that the amount of ozone in the atmosphere was decreasing all over Earth, but the change was especially noticeable over Antarctica.


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Beginning in the 1970s, scientists noticed that the amount of ozone in Earth’s atmosphere was decreasing. The change was taking place because of a chemical reaction between the ozone in the atmosphere and certain types of chemicals made by humans and used in refrigerators, aerosol spray bottles, and fire extinguishers. The ozone layer was becoming especially thin over Antarctica. As the ozone layer became thinner, scientists predicted that humans would see increased rates of skin cancer and other diseases.

The hole in the ozone layer has caused an increase in the amount of UVB light that reaches Earth. This increase has had health effects for humans and other species, but it hasn’t really increased Earth’s temperature. Since global warming is caused by energy that can’t escape Earth’s atmosphere and not by extra energy reaching Earth, global climate change is not caused by the hole in the ozone layer.

There’s good news about Earth’s ozone layer: after scientists began to study the growing hole in the ozone layer and identified the chemicals that were causing it, many countries agreed to ban the use of those chemicals. Companies were required to invent refrigerators, spray bottles, and fire extinguishers that didn’t use them. Today, most people don’t use those chemicals—and the combination of these efforts are working! The hole in the ozone has shrunk since 1989, when the chemical bans went into effect. The hole in the ozone layer was caused by human actions, but is also beginning to shrink because of human actions.

The thinning ozone layer was partially caused by the chemicals used in aerosol spray cans used for hairspray and spray paint. Companies that make those products now use different chemicals to make their spray cans work.


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absorb

to take in

absorber: retener o incorporar

atmosphere

the mixture of gases surrounding a planet

atmósfera: la mezcla de gases que rodea un planeta

carbon dioxide

a gas found in the atmosphere

dióxido de carbono: un gas que se encuentra en la atmósfera

change

when something becomes different over time

cambio: cuando algo se vuelve diferente con el tiempo

climate

general weather patterns over a long period of time

clima: condiciones atmosféricas típicas a largo plazo

climate change

changes in climate over large period of time that can be caused by natural or human activities

cambio climático: cambios en el clima durante un gran periodo de tiempo que pueden ser causados por actividades naturales o humanas

combustion

the process of burning fuels that produces carbon dioxide

combustión: el proceso de quemar combustibles que produce el dióxido de carbono

data

information collected in an investigation

datos: información recolectada en una investigación

deforestation

the process of clearing trees from land

deforestación: el proceso de quitar árboles de la tierra

energy

the ability to make things move or change

energía: la capacidad de hacer que las cosas se muevan o cambien

eruption

the sudden pushing out of something, such as lava from a volcano

erupción: la expulsión repentina de algo, como lava de un volcán

fluctuation

variations in a set of data

fluctuación: variaciones en un conjunto de datos

human activities

things people do that affect the Earth system

actividades humanas: cosas que hace la gente y que afectan al sistema Tierra

lux

a measure of how much light is present

lux: una medida de cuánta luz está presente

Earth’s Changing Climate Glossary


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model

an object, diagram, or computer program that helps us understand something by making it simpler or easier to see

modelo: un objeto, diagrama o programa de computadora que nos ayuda a entender algo al hacerlo más simple o fácil de ver

methane


metano: un gas que se encuentra en la atmósfera

redirect

send to a new or different place

redireccionar: enviar a un lugar nuevo o diferente

reflect

to bounce off without absorbing

reflejar: rebotar sin absorber

stability

when something stays the same over time

estabilidad: cuando algo permanece igual a lo largo del tiempo

sulfur dioxide


dióxido de sulfuro: un gas que se encuentra en la atmósfera

temperature

a measure of how hot or cold something is; the higher the temperature is, the more energy it has

temperatura: una medida de que tan caliente o frío es algo; a medida que la temperatura sube, la energía también sube

the Earth system

the living and nonliving components of the Earth, including the water, land and atmosphere

el sistema Tierra: los componentes vivos y no vivos de la Tierra, incluyendo el agua, la tierra y la atmósfera

trend

overall tendency (for example, a consistent increase) in a set of data over time

tendencia: el trayectoria general (por ejemplo, un aumento consistente) en un conjunto de datos durante un período de tiempo

volcano

a mountain that has an opening in the land where gas, lava, and/or ash is pushed out

volcán: una montaña que tiene una apertura en la tierra donde el gas, lava y/o cenizas salen

Earth's Changing Climate Sample Lessons - Teacher Guide

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Transcript of Earth's Changing Climate Sample Lessons - Teacher Guide