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Climate Change
Climate change is a change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns when that change lasts for an extended period of time (i.e., decades to millions of years). Climate change may refer to a change in average weather conditions, or in the time variation of weather within the context of longer-term average conditions. Climate change is caused by factors such as biotic processes, variations in solar radiation received by Earth, plate tectonics, and volcanic eruptions
Material
Day 1 – Introduction
Day 2 – Virtual Textbook
- Read Earth 41 – Climate change: How do we know?
- Read Earth 41 – Understand climate change
- Read Earth 41 – Climate change
Enrichment
- Activity 11 – Climate and Volcanoes
- Activity 20 – Venn diagram
- Activity 21 – Cross-cutting concepts
Videos
4:09 Climate Change 101 with Bill Nye | National Geographic
7:33 Why People Don’t Believe In Climate Science
11:19 A History of Earth’s Climate
Compare Contrast and Debate
Background: Climate change is a sometimes controversial topic. Varying positions and opinions are frequently communicated through modern media.
- Position A: Media emphasis on human-contributed (CO2) impacts to long-term climate should be continued.
- Position B: Media sources should not emphasize articles, programming, or distribution of information regarding the subject of climate change.
Instructor Resources
Standard Daily Material
- Day 1 – Standard material – introduction day
- Day 2 – Standard material – reading day
- Day 3 – Standard material – make a presentation
- Day 4 – Standard material – give a presentation
- Extra! – Enrichment and remediation options
Other Topic Specific Resources
Special Notes and Notices
Instructor Emphasis:
- Science & Engineering Practice: Engage in scientific argument from evidence.
- Cross-Cutting Concept: Cause and Effect: Mechanisms and explanations.
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