A collection of resources for middle school students to learn about the earth science aspects of the climate and climate change. Cover image credit Government of Canada.
This question is addressed through a series of questions and answers, each …
This question is addressed through a series of questions and answers, each providing related introductory information such as how climate change is studied, the history of Earth’s climate, and the effects of climate change on Earth’s geology and biology. The Climate Kids website is a NASA education resource featuring articles, videos, images and games focused on the science of climate change.
The movement of Arctic air, known as the Arctic oscillation, can and …
The movement of Arctic air, known as the Arctic oscillation, can and will cause periodic extreme winter weather outside the Arctic region - the harsh winter experienced in many parts of the U.S. in 2010 is a recent example. This article explains the connection between the two events. This article is part of the Climate Kids website, a NASA education resource featuring articles, videos, images and games focused on the science of climate change.
A question and answer format is used to differentiate between weather and …
A question and answer format is used to differentiate between weather and climate, and to provide a brief overview of global warming. This lesson is part of the Climate Kids website, a NASA education resource featuring articles, videos, images and games focused on the science of climate change.
The greenhouse effect is explained in this series of related questions and …
The greenhouse effect is explained in this series of related questions and answers. This lesson is part of the Climate Kids website, a NASA education resource featuring articles, videos, images and games focused on the science of climate change.
This video is part of the Climate Science in a Nutshell video …
This video is part of the Climate Science in a Nutshell video series. This short video looks at the effects of climate change happening right now around the globe, including: more extreme weather events, droughts, forest fires, land use changes, altered ranges of disease-carrying insects, and the loss of some agricultural products. It concludes with a discussion of the differences between weather, climate variability, and climate change.
This is a simulation that illustrates how temperature will be affected by …
This is a simulation that illustrates how temperature will be affected by global CO2 emission trajectories. It addresses the issue that even if global emissions begin to decrease, the atmospheric concentration of CO2 will continue to increase, resulting in increased global temperatures.
This series of four animations shows how some of the key indicators …
This series of four animations shows how some of the key indicators of climate change (average global temperature, sea level, sea ice extent, carbon emissions) have changed in Earth's recent history.
This video provides background information and teaching tips about the history and …
This video provides background information and teaching tips about the history and relevance of phenology and seasonal observations of plants and animals within the context of rural Wisconsin.
This video highlights a variety of climate change research initiatives from scientists …
This video highlights a variety of climate change research initiatives from scientists at the University of Colorado, Boulder. It describes the changing dynamics of Antarctic ice sheets and the impacts of reduced Arctic sea ice. The video illustrates the excitement of this research through interviews and video clips of scientists in the field.
This video features CU Boulder Professor Jeff Mitton and his research team, …
This video features CU Boulder Professor Jeff Mitton and his research team, who study the effects of mountain pine beetle infestations on the forest ecology in the Rocky Mountains. They explain the pine beetle life cycle and how they attack trees. An outlook into the future is also provided.
This well-designed experiment compares CO2 impacts on salt water and fresh water. …
This well-designed experiment compares CO2 impacts on salt water and fresh water. In a short demonstration, students examine how distilled water (i.e., pure water without any dissolved ions or compounds) and seawater are affected differently by increasing carbon dioxide in the air.
This web page from the National Snow and Ice Data Center contains …
This web page from the National Snow and Ice Data Center contains two related visualizations and supporting information about them. The first visualization gives an estimate of the percent contribution to sea level change since the 1990s from three contributors - small glaciers and ice caps, the Greenland Ice Sheet and the Antarctic Ice Sheet. The second visualization shows the cumulative contribution to sea level from small glaciers and ice caps plotted with the annual global surface air temperature anomaly.
This Earth Exploration Toolbook chapter is a detailed computer-based exploration in which …
This Earth Exploration Toolbook chapter is a detailed computer-based exploration in which students learn how various climatic conditions impact the formations of sediment layers on the ocean floor. They analyze sediment core data from the Ross Ice Shelf in Antarctica for evidence of climate changes over time. In addition, they interact with various tools and animations throughout the activity, in particular the Paleontological Stratigraphic Interval Construction and Analysis Tool (PSICAT) that is used to construct a climate change model of a sediment core from core images.
This 10 minute video builds connections between topics that are important in …
This 10 minute video builds connections between topics that are important in climate science such as: the impact of variations in Earth's orbit and wobble on it's axis on climate; how the cores being sampled fit into the bigger climate picture; connecting greenhouse gases to melting ice and sea level changes; the sensitivity of the ice melt / sea level rise relationship; and computer model simulations showing connections between ice sheets and sea level. The companion website provides resources, an extensive list of activities, teacher guides, posters, and more.
In this lesson, students learn how climate change and deforestation are linked …
In this lesson, students learn how climate change and deforestation are linked to the water cycle.
Step 1 - Inquire: Students view an Indigenous perspective on deforestation and learn how climate change can lead to deforested areas.
Step 2 - Investigate: Students complete a hands-on activity to investigate the effects of deforestation on erosion and watch a video on deforestation and climate change.
Step 3 - Inspire: Students create a cause and effect diagram about erosion and the water cycle.
This video provides a good introduction to the field of attribution science. …
This video provides a good introduction to the field of attribution science. Beginning with an introduction to weather and climate, it describes how severe weather might be linked to climate change and the science behind attribution studies. It gives a good explanation behind how scientists use climate models to study whether severe weather events were influenced by climate change. It also discusses the question, "does climate change cause extreme weather?" and provides an introduction to the concepts of probability, causation, and correlation in regards to attribution science (how much climate change influenced an event verses normal variations in weather).
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