Initial Publication Date: December 12, 2005

Name of Resource: Global Warming Facts and Our Future
Climate Change Theme: General Information
Sponsoring Organization: National Academy of Sciences
Intended use: Background information
Intended audience:Educator and Learners
URL: https://koshland-science-museum.org/explore-the-science/earth-lab#.Ud26uT5NZ-E
Average Review Ratings (Poor to Excellent, 1-5 scale): 4 stars

Description: Excellent use of graphics in the tutorial section. Very little gratuitous visual decoration (although the screen is pleasant to view and navigate)—diagrams and photos are well-integrated into the conceptual content. Some graphs could use more explanation/support to ensure that learners interpret the meaning of the graph appropriately. But overall, the best use of graphics I have seen in a while. · Explanations are very well written and easy to understand. The tutorials seem most appropriate for a beginning but older learners (teenagers and adults). (KB)

Summary of Reviews

Reviewer: Carrie Morrill 4 stars
Comments: Standard (though well-presented) background information on the greenhouse effect, carbon cycle, past climate changes, predictions of future change, and impacts. Two aspects of the site are less standard and could be particularly useful: (1) animations of projected future change and (2) interactive calculators that emphasize the tough decisions that will need to be made to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
Read entire review: link text (Acrobat (PDF) 60kB Jun20 05)

Reviewer:Jack Ganse 4 stars
Comments: This site is the online companion to the Koshland Museum exhibit on global warming. The site provides comprehensive information on the green house effect, the carbon cycle, causes of change, past change, predicted change, impacts of change, and responses to change. The information and graphics are extensive, but well-designed. Buried within the site are several interactive activities for students (but not enough) as well as links to activities for teachers (mainly from UCAR's Project LEARN).
Read entire review: link text (Acrobat (PDF) 60kB Jun20 05)

Reviewer: Kirsten Butcher 4 stars
Comments: Some presentation choices could be improved. For example, in the "Century of Change" activity, the graph is only scrollable when the optional map is present . Although the entire graph is viewed when the map is removed, this also removed the component of interactivity for the exercise. It is also unclear what value the overlaid maps are providing to the student learner without more extensive content support in its interpretation.
Read entire review: link text (Acrobat (PDF) 62kB Jun20 05)