Teaching Climate Change: Lessons from the Past

Topical Resources

Hi, and welcome to the workshop!
I set up this thread so you could try a test post - we'll be using discussion threads like this one throughout the workshop, so you'll want to get comfortable with this format.

Please take a moment to introduce yourself by posting to this discussion. You can include who you are, where you're from, your interests in teaching with climate data and models, and something you do to get your students excited about climate data and models.

To start things off, my name is Monica Bruckner and I am one of Cutting Edge's staff members. I work remotely from Lakeview, OR. I can help you with any technical questions you might have during the workshop. If you have any questions before, during, or after the workshop, please feel free to contact me at any time (mbruckne@carleton.edu).

Thanks and I look forward to hearing from you!

Hello! And welcome!

My name is Cindy Shellito and I am one of the conveners for this workshop. I am on the faculty in the Earth Science Program at the University of Northern Colorado, and I have been teaching students about issues related to climate change for the past 6 years. My research background is in paleoclimate modeling, so I've always had a keen interest in finding ways to bring my research into the classroom.

My primary motivation for convening this workshop is to gather a community of people also interested in finding effective and innovative ways to teach students about climate change and climate dynamics using numerical models and data. I'm looking forward to working with you all and exchanging ideas and resources!

Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have questions regarding the workshop!

Hello,
My name is Susan Kaspari and I'm in my second year as an assistant professor in Geological Sciences at Central Washington University in Ellensburg, WA. I teach a couple climate change and cryosphere courses, and I'm interested in learning how to incorporate climate models into my courses, particularly the lab portions. My background is in paleoclimate, but from an observational perspective. I work on climate reconstructions using ice cores predominantly from the Himalaya and Tibetan plateau, and my area of expertise is in black carbon measurements. In my courses I mostly integrate research from the observational side of things, but would like to include more with climate models- particularly for looking at projected changes in climate.
Susan

Hi,

I am Mark Horrell and I am Asst Prof of Earth Sciences at Northwest Florida State College, a "2 year" but trying to be a "4 year" college. Prior to that I taught at the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy for 16 years, but "retired" to move to a warmer climate than Chicago. My background too is in paleoclimatology, but includes both paleoclimatic reconstructions from climatic indicators (fossil floras, sediments, isotopes) and climate modeling. So, I am very familiar with EBM's and GCM's, although it has been many years since I worked with them from a research standpoint.

At my prior school I used EBM's in my courses to enable students to explore possible consequences of increasing CO2, changing poleward heat transport, and the role of positive and negative feedback mechanisms, like diminishing sea ice, changing cloud cover, and deforestation. I always dedicate a week in my classes to have students gather climate data from published sources and interpret it, making their own conclusions about the possibility of global climate change. However, I would like to do more.

I am currently teaching general Earth Science and Physical Geology courses. Next semester I will be taking over our Meteorology course, and am also planning on creating a new course entitled "Climate and Climate Change". So, I figured that I had better brush up on what's new and available in terms of models and data, as well as absorb some fresh ideas about how others, particularly at 2 year institutions, may already incorporate these into their courses.

Mark

Hi, I am Chris Sinton and I am an assistant professor of Environmental Studies at University of Redlands in Southern California. This is my third Cutting Edge workshop but my first virtual - glad to be back.

I teach a variety of courses including Intro, Physical Geography, Environmental Geology, Water Resources, and Energy and the Environment. I am hoping to create a module that I can use in one or more of these classes.


Chris

Hi, I am Suzanne Pierce and I am a Research Assistant Professor for the Energy and Earth Resources graduate program at The University of Texas at Austin.

My background is in hydrogeology and I am teaching my first class called, 'Decision Pathways' this semester. The class presents systems concepts for decision support and adaptive management of earth resources. At present, climate has only come up as an implicit stress condition for resource demands and availability. I would like to explicitly include climate information and concepts so that students can incorporate change scenarios into the class modeling project.

I teach a hands-on modeling approach to get students engaged with models early in the course. We are working through the construction of the model as a participatory modeling exercise this semester. I've been stepping the class through modeling as if it were a real-world participatory modeling exercise to demonstrate the methods and process.

Hello, I am Liz Gordon, an Assistant Professor at Fitchburg State University. I teach several different courses - Earth Systems Science, Oceanography, Meteorology, Climatology, and variations on those courses for educators.

My research background is isotopes and biomarkers in sediments, and their use for climate reconstruction. I have limited experience with models, and am looking forward to learning more about how to pull them into the classroom. I'm also excited to get new ideas for bringing climate data to students. I currently incorporate real data into class activities and labs, but I want to do more of this and make sure it's effective for student learning at a variety of levels - from my intro courses to the courses restricted to science majors. I will be teaching Climatology to science majors this spring, as well as an Honors Climate Change course (non-majors), so I will have the opportunity to put the ideas into practice soon.
Liz

Hello all. I am Laura Triplett, in my fourth year as an assistant prof at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, MN.

I teach a 200-level course called Global Climate Change, and would like to incorporate numerical modeling in lab activities and/or independent projects. My own research is focused on how human activities on the landscape have changed the water quality of rivers and lakes, and I often use paleolimnological techniques to answer those types of questions. I do not, however, have any personal experience with climate modeling (other than reading about it in journals!) so a lot of this will be new to me.

Hi everyone,

I'm Mea Cook, an Assistant Professor at Williams College in Massachusetts. This spring I'll teach a sophomore-level non-majors class on climate history and climate dynamics. It'll be my second time teaching the class and I'm adding a lab this year. I'd like to incorporate climate models into the lab.

My background is in paleoceanography. I am a geochemist and work with deep-sea sediments to reconstruct Pleistocene climate and ocean circulation. Outside of work, I play cello in the Berkshire Symphony, and I love hiking in the mountains around where I live.

This is the first online workshop I've ever done, I'm looking forward to it!

Hello,
my name is Maisa Rojas, and I am Assistante professor in the Geophysics department of the Univ.of Chile...in Chile!
I have started this position, so I have more research eperiene than teaching. I also work on paleoclimate and climate change modelling. This semester (started in August) I am teaching a course on the climate system, and next year I would like to offer a course in climate modelling...so I am just starting to think about what I would like to do there, so I thought this workshop would be handy....so I am really looking forward to learn more about teaching techniques.

Hi everyone,

I am Ben Laabs, an assistant professor at SUNY Geneseo. I have developed two geology classes on paleoclimate, mainly focusing on the Quaternary Period (in large part because I am a glacial geologist, and the Quaternary is what I know). I have used STELLA to teach students how to set up some simple models of climate processes, and am hopeful to get feedback on these and learn from your experiences with teaching about climate change.

Hi Everyone,

I am Caroline Davies, Associate Professor Geosciences at the University of Missouri Kansas City. I teach a wide range of geog/geol/environmental studies courses around climate change paleo and modern.

I am very interested in exposing students to the concept of models, using real data to demonstrate change over time across a range of time scales- geologic, abrupt, and projections into the future.

I have used a variety of exercises with which many of you are probably familiar- using NOAA Paleoclimate database for plotting CO2, O18, CH4, pollen, etc. compare these records to local and regional temp/precip. We use our fossil teaching collection to measure biometrics- although this is a very small and biased collection.

I look forward to learning from everyone the best ways to convey these concepts and find new sources of data. Thank you.

Hi Everyone,

I am Kristine DeLong at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. I teach intro level Physical Geography, Quaternary Paleoecology, Paleoclimate, and Time Series analysis. I want to incorporate data into my classes to enrich my students learning experiences.

Hello out there-
This is Dawn Cardace, writing in from the Department of Geosciences at the University of Rhode Island. I am building a climates course from scratch, for this spring, for three audiences: GEO majors, nonmajors who have had a semester of lab science, and also folks working on their teaching certifications.

Primarily I am looking for a fresh class, interactive, with very current takehome messages about our understanding of Earth's climate and what forces impact it. I prioritize working with real data and want to impart also a basic grasp of how climate models are constructed and how sensitive they are to inputs, and what our best guesses say about the future.

Help!?
And good luck to one and all,
Dawn