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Unit Plan
American Geosciences Institute

American Geosciences Institute: Climate and Weather

For Students 6th - 8th
Eight hands-on lessons module in which students explore climate and weather. Inquiry-based investigations include observing weather, weather reporting, weather maps, weather satellites, causes of weather, and climate change.
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Unit Plan
Georgia Department of Education

Ga Virtual Learning: Air, Atmosphere, and Climate Change

For Students 9th - 10th
Sixteen essential questions lead student learning about Earth's atmosphere and global warming as they have to do with global climate change.
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Graphic
PBS

Pbs Learning Media: What's Up With the Weather: Graphs

For Students 9th - 10th
Examine this graph from FRONTLINE/NOVA: "What's Up with the Weather?" Web site to see dramatic increases in three greenhouse gases over the last two hundred years.
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Website
Smithsonian Institution

Smithsonian Magazine: Eco Center: The Oceans

For Students 9th - 10th
Students explore the potential problems and fascinating phenomena of the oceans. Some topics investigated are climate change, nutrient pollution, and fishing. The resource consists of a quiz, slideshows, articles, and video clips.
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Website
University of Colorado

University of Colorado: Learn More About Climate

For Students 9th - 10th
An extensive source of information about climate change and how it is affecting Colorado. Includes videos of interviews with scientists, lesson plans, links to 'green resources' and to sites with scientific information, and a climate...
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Unit Plan
TED Talks

Ted: Ted Ed: James Balog: Time Lapse Proof of Extreme Ice Loss

For Students 9th - 10th
In this video, James Balog describes how evidence for glaciers receding due to climate change can be seen through time-lapse photography. [19:20] Includes a brief quiz and a list of additional resources to explore.
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Unit Plan
TED Talks

Ted: Ted Ed: Lee Hotz: Inside an Antarctic Time Machine

For Students 9th - 10th
In this video, Lee Hotz describes research into greenhouse gas emissions and global climate change taking place at the South Pole in Antarctica. [9:46] Includes a brief quiz and a list of additional resources to explore.
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Website
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Polar Discovery: The Greenland Glacier Expedition: July 7 July 24, 2008

For Students 9th - 10th
This polar expedition took place in 2008, but you can still experience the thrill of following these scientists as they engage in research studying the changes in Greenland's ice sheet. Meet the research team and learn about the...
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Lesson Plan
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: Exploring Regional Differences in Climate Change

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students create a set of graphs that facilitate comparison of climate change predicted for various states. They also use Microsoft Excel to create a graph showing precipitation data.
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Lesson Plan
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: Is Greenland Melting?

For Teachers 9th - 10th
An activity where students monitor the thickness of ice sheets found in Greenland by looking at photographs, map views, and tabular data. During this activity, students will make a conclusion to whether the ice sheets are melting.
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Website
Smithsonian Institution

Smithsonian Learning Lab: Prehistoric Climate Change and Why It Matters Today

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Introduce students to environmental issues by studying a time of rapid global warming that occurred 50 million years ago. Lessons, video segments and interactive activities will engage students as they learn about average annual...
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Interactive
Smithsonian Institution

Smithsonian Education: Idea Labs: Prehistoric Climate Change

For Students 9th - 10th
Sort fossil leaves from 55 million years ago into groups with smooth or 'toothed' edges. Then, use a formula to calculate the percentage of each type and, from there, look at how high the temperature might have risen when global warming...
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Article
American Institute of Biological Sciences

Action Bioscience: Coping With Climate Change

For Students 9th - 10th
This article highlights the significance of responsible management of natural resources in an effort to curb the effects of our shifting climate.
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Unit Plan
Choices Program, Brown University

Choices: Teaching With the News Negotiating Climate Change: Paris 2015

For Students 9th - 10th
Multi-media learning module includes video, handouts and primary source material, from which students examine the need for world policy on climate change and identify key issues in the Paris climate change negotiations.
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Unit Plan
Geographypods

Geographypods: Theme 3: Economic Development: Environmental Risks and Benefits

For Students 9th - 10th
This learning module looks at the impact of economic development on the environment. It begins with a look at a serious pollution problem in China, then looks at waste reduction and climate change. Includes an animation, images, and videos.
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Graphic
PBS

Pbs Learning Media: Greenland Mass Variation Since 2002

For Students 9th - 10th
Scientists study ice sheets because they influence weather and climate, playing a role in atmospheric and ocean circulation. Ice sheets can also have huge impacts on global sea levels because they store so much water. Explore this...
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Whiteboard
PBS

Pbs Learning Media: What Is Albedo?

For Students 9th - 10th
When light strikes an object it can cause reflection or absorption depending on the wavelength of the light and the property of the material that makes up the object. Watch this whiteboard animation for a full explanation and to find out...
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Graphic
PBS

Pbs Learning Media: Albedo Decrease Linked to Vanishing Arctic Sea Ice

For Students 9th - 10th
Examine this visualization by NASA to understand how the warming of the Arctic region has caused the sea ice extent to decline by 40%, thereby throwing our earth's energy budget off balance. Extensive resources included are teaching...
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Graphic
PBS

Pbs Learning Media: Link Between Arctic Sea Ice and Solar Radiation Absorbed

For Students 9th - 10th
The Arctic plays an important role in regulating Earth's climate. The region reflects much of the Sun's energy and helps keep the planet cool. Data collected by NASA have revealed that sea ice in the Arctic has steadily declined over the...
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Unknown Type
BioEd Online

Bio Ed Online: Earth's Energy Sources (Pre Assessment)

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
A pre-assessment at the beginning of a unit on global atmospheric change. It checks understanding of issues around climate change and the impact it has on the environment and on human health. The lesson and accompanying slideshow can...
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Lesson Plan
BioEd Online

Bio Ed Online: Greenhouse S'mores

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students learn about climate change as they investigate how different materials are affected by a greenhouse effect. The lesson and accompanying PowerPoint can both be downloaded.
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Unknown Type
BioEd Online

Bio Ed Online: Everyone Counts (Post Assessment)

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
A post-assessment at the end of a unit on global atmospheric change. Students write persuasive letters about an issue related to it, e.g., the greenhouse effect or ozone loss. The letters encourage the recipient to protect the atmosphere...
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Lesson Plan
BioEd Online

Bio Ed Online: Using Heat From the Sun

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students investigate how solar energy can be harnessed to heat water. The lesson and accompanying PowerPoint can both be downloaded, and the student handout is provided in both English and Spanish.
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Website
Ohio State University

Osu: Beyond Weather and the Water Cycle: The Sun: Earth's Primary Energy Source

For Students 9th - 10th
Extensive article that discusses the first principle of climate science, i.e., that the Sun is the primary energy source for the climate system of the Earth. Presents five concepts for this principle and explains each, providing...