This unit consists of five activities, all of which focus on the response of plant life-cycle events to climate change. Students participate in discussions, field observations, data collection and analyses, plant identification, seed dispersal... (View More) comparisons, and graphing and analyses of plant phenology (timing of life-cycle events). Project BudBurst, a citizen science project which studies the impact of climate change on phenology, is integrated into this unit. The unit is one of four under the Chicago Botanic Garden curriculum entitled, "Climate Change in My Backyard." (View Less)

In this unit, students investigate temperature cycles, tree rings, CO2 records, and the effects of CO2 on temperature, precipitation and cloud cover to determine the impacts of changing climate on forests. After gathering and analyzing local data,... (View More) students examine regional impacts and differences. The unit is one of four under the Chicago Botanic Garden curriculum entitled, "Climate Change in My Backyard." (View Less)

Unit two of the "Carbon Connections: The Carbon Cycle and the Science of Climate" curriculum examines the role of carbon and the carbon cycle in current climate. Students discover how carbon in Earth's system is monitored and also investigate the... (View More) roles of photosynthesis, cellular respiration, and humans in the carbon cycle and climate. The unit contains five lessons entitled: Moving Carbon, Exploring Limits, The Breathing Biosphere, Carbon Cycling, and Earth Takes a Breath. Each of the five lessons includes focus questions, hands-on activities, virtual field trips, and interactive models. (View Less)

Unit one of the "Carbon Connections: The Carbon Cycle and the Science of Climate" curriculum introduces the role of carbon (as carbon dioxide) as an atmospheric indicator. Students examine the impact of geologic and climatic history on current... (View More) climate by using computer models, measurements and the geologic record of past climate indicators. The unit contains five lessons entitled: Carbon Fizz, Carbon from the Past, Carbon Forcing, Global Connections, and Core Connections. Each of the five lessons includes focus questions, hands-on activities, virtual field trips, and interactive models. (View Less)

Unit three of the "Carbon Connections: The Carbon Cycle and the Science of Climate" curriculum examines the role of carbon and the carbon cycle in future climate. Students discover how scientists determine Earth's average temperature and the role of... (View More) climate models in understanding the size of some forcings on temperature. Students are challenged to reduce their electrical energy usage and to critically evaluate claims about carbon and climate. The unit contains five lessons entitled: Your Temperature Connections, Testing Forcings, Future Forcings, It Starts at Home, and Climate Claims. Each of the five lessons includes focus questions, hands-on activities, virtual field trips, and interactive models. (View Less)

This problem-based learning module places learners in the role of researchers analyzing carbon monoxide's environmental impact. Both vehicle emissions and biomass burning are cited as events producing carbon monoxide that impact the environment.... (View More) Instructions for accessing NASA data from four different sources are provided along with suggested resources and investigations for classroom use. This module was developed to be used in the Earth System Science Education Alliance (ESSEA) courses for middle and high school teachers and is also available to teachers to adapt for general classroom use. (View Less)

Since the Industrial Revolution, atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration has risen from ~280ppm (parts per million by volume) to ~390ppm in 2010. The rate of increase for the last decade (2001-2010) has been 2.04ppm/yr, more than double the rate... (View More) for the 1960's. Most scientists agree that human actions are the primary cause of the increase, the rise in Earth's average temperature since the mid-1900's and recent climate change. In this problem-based learning activity, learners develop a carbon mitigation strategy to address climate change issues. This module was developed to be used in the Earth System Science Education Alliance (ESSEA) courses for middle and high school teachers and is also available to teachers to adapt for general classroom use. (View Less)

This chapter describes the technique of preparing GIS-ready data and shows how to map that data and conduct basic analyses using a geographic information system (GIS). First, the user will download and format near real-time and historical earthquake... (View More) data from the USGS. Using latitude and longitude fields, they will then plot these data in a GIS. Next, they will analyze patterns by querying records and overlaying datasets. Finally, they will examine earthquake distributions, monitor current earthquake activity, and try to predict where the next big earthquake will occur on Earth. Includes teaching notes, step-by-step instructions, case study, tools and data, and going further. This chapter is part of the Earth Exploration Toolbook, which provides teachers and/or students with direct practice for using scientific tools to analyze Earth science data. Students should begin on the Case Study page. (View Less)

In this activity, users examine satellite images from NASA's Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) that show how much ozone is in the atmosphere over the Southern Hemisphere. They interpret the images to identify ozone thinning that develops over... (View More) this region each summer, and compare its size from year to year. Using freely-available image analysis software, ImageJ, users quantify the area of the Antarctic ozone hole each October from 1996 to 2004. Finally, they bring their measurements into a spreadsheet program and create a graph to document changes in the size of the ozone hole. This chapter is part of the Earth Exploration Toolbook, which provides teachers and/or students with direct practice for using scientific tools to analyze Earth science data. Students should begin on the Case Study page. (View Less)

In this problem-based learning activity, learners explore the significance of sunspots on the Earth's climate. Sunspots are temporary phenomena on the photosphere of the Sun that appear visibly as dark spots compared to surrounding regions. During... (View More) periods of low sunspot activity, the sun’s irradiance decreases. Although this decrease is small, it appears that various feedback mechanisms can amplify the impact. Instructions to access NASA data are provided along with additional resources and activities. This module was developed to be used in the Earth System Science Education Alliance (ESSEA) courses for middle and high school teachers and is also available to teachers to adapt for general classroom use. (View Less)