Global Warming Activities
These activities have been selected by master teachers as follow-up activities to reinforce the concepts learned during a visit to the Koshland Science Museum or a Virtual Field Trip.
They are designed for middle and high-school students and adhere to the National Academies' National Science Education Standards.
Carbon Cycle: EPA Global Warming Kids Site
Students use an animated guide to learn the vocabulary and key concepts associated with global warming and Earth processes. They can choose from three sections on the greenhouse effect, the water cycle, or the carbon cycle.
There is a quiz for students to take at the end of the section.
Level of Difficulty: Introductory
Differences Between Climate And Weather
This exercise helps students understand the difference between climate and weather by comparing daily weather data with average data for their hometown.
Level of Difficulty: Introductory
Time & Cycles: Dendrochronology
Students use pre-marked paper strips that simulate tree ring patterns to explore how data about past climate change can be gathered without direct observations.
Level of Difficulty:
Introductory
What Factors Impact A Greenhouse?
Students learn about different factors that can affect the heat-trapping ability of the greenhouse effect by observing the effect of different factors on the temperature of six model greenhouses.
Level of Difficulty:
Intermediate
What Do Concentrations Mean?
Students perform a series of serial dilutions in order to understand parts per million and parts per billion.
Level of Difficulty: Intermediate
Where In The World Is Carbon Dioxide?
Students observe the presence of CO2 from various sources in order to gain a greater understanding of atmospheric CO2.
Level of Difficulty: Intermediate
Human Activity And Climate Change
Students calculate their personal contributions to greenhouse gas emissions.
Level of Difficulty:
Intermediate
Carbo And Hydro
Students follow either Carbo, the carbon atom, or Hydro, a water molecule, through the carbon or water cycle in order to learn about the cycles.
Level of Difficulty:
Intermediate
Greenhouse Gas Lab
In this classroom activity, students compare the ability of carbon dioxide to absorb heat as compared to air.
Level of Difficulty:
Intermediate
EPA's Personal Greenhouse Gas Calculator
This on-line interactive site allows students to enter lifestyle information to determine their personal contribution to the greenhouse gases in the Earth’s atmosphere. This activity can be used as a method of getting the whole family involved in a discussion of the human impact on global warming.
Level of Difficulty:
Advanced
How Many Automobiles?
Students use motor vehicle registration data to calculate the fuel consumption and the amount of carbon dioxide generated by the vehicles in their state.
Level of Difficulty:
Advanced
Time Capsule
Students write a letter to a relative living in the year 2100 explaining their choice of how to respond to global warming.
Level of Difficulty: Advanced
The Drowning Of New York
Students investigate the evidence behind a newspaper story about sea level rise in New York City. In this activity, students learn about evaluating the evidence for the potential effects of global warming.
Level of Difficulty:
Advanced
Stabilization Wedges: A Concept & Game
Students learn about the importance of taking action now in order to mitigate the effects of global climate change in the future. They participate in an activity modeling how different steps can be taken to achieve these results today in order to decrease the future impacts of global warming.
Level of Difficulty:
Intermediate
The National Academy of Sciences and the organizations formed under its Congressional Charter, the National Academy of Engineering, the Institute of Medicine, and the National Research Council (collectively referred to herein as the "National Academies") provides hyperlinks or "links" to other websites on the World Wide Web ("Independent Sites") solely as a convenience to its users. The material and information available on the Independent Sites have been produced or provided by persons or organizations who are not affiliated with the National Academies, and the National Academies has no responsibility or liability for such material. Any facts, opinions, or recommendations expressed on any Independent Site are solely those of the Independent Site and are not necessarily endorsed, adopted, or verified as accurate by the National Academies.
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