InTeGrate Modules and Courses >Earth's Thermostat
 Earth-focused Modules and Courses for the Undergraduate Classroom
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These materials are part of a collection of classroom-tested modules and courses developed by InTeGrate. The materials engage students in understanding the earth system as it intertwines with key societal issues. The materials are free and ready to be adapted by undergraduate educators across a range of courses including: general education or majors courses in Earth-focused disciplines such as geoscience or environmental science, social science, engineering, and other sciences, as well as courses for interdisciplinary programs.
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Summary

Climate change is one of the most critical issues facing society today. The 2013 IPCC report states that warming of the climate system is unequivocal, yet the the underlying solar, atmospheric, cryospheric, and oceanic processes governing Earth's climate remain poorly understood by the public at large. Our module seeks to bridge this gap in knowledge by helping students understand Earth's energy balance and climate, its sensitivity to changes in its drivers, and how it interacts with Earth's other systems with a data- and model-driven approach.

Strengths of the Module

  • Students work with with real geoscience data to investigate changes in Earth's climate and the factors affecting Earth's energy balance.
  • Students build a conceptual model to predict how Earth's climate would respond to a catastrophic volcanic eruption in the module capstone.
  • Students interpret and create graphs and maps of key climate variables to evaluate patterns, trends, and physical processes.
  • Students become truly engaged in group work, looking at real data, and developing stories/explanations of what the data suggest.
  • The interactive engagement encouraged by these activities make them exciting learning experiences for both students and instructor.
Next Generation Science Standards Logo. A purple, orange, and green triangle to the left of the words, Next Generation Science Standards.

These materials have been reviewed for their alignment with the Next Generation Science Standards. At the top of each page, you can click on the NGSS logo to see the specific connections. Visit InTeGrate and the NGSS to learn more about the process of alignment and how to use InTeGrate materials to implement the NGSS.

NGSS in this Module

This module includes six units and an optional activity in which students use systems and systems models to develop concepts about Earth's energy balance and how it influences climate systems. Students analyze and interpret authentic data from a variety of sources to develop concept digrams, infer cause and effect, and communicate information. A final capstone project tasks students with designing a conceptual model that estimates the climatic and societal implications of a future, large scale volcanic eruption.

A great fit for courses in:

  • Atmospheric Science
  • Earth Science
  • Environmental Science
  • Environmental Studies
  • Global Change
  • Meteorology
  • Physical Geography
  • Sustainability Science


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These materials are part of a collection of classroom-tested modules and courses developed by InTeGrate. The materials engage students in understanding the earth system as it intertwines with key societal issues. The collection is freely available and ready to be adapted by undergraduate educators across a range of courses including: general education or majors courses in Earth-focused disciplines such as geoscience or environmental science, social science, engineering, and other sciences, as well as courses for interdisciplinary programs.
Explore the Collection »