Teaching Activities

Modeling the carbon cycle of the anthropocene part of Quantitative Skills:Activity Collection
Heather Stoll, ETH Zurich
Students use an Excel sheet to complete forward and inverse models of changes in carbon distribution between atmosphere, ocean and the biosphere from 1751 to the present and several centuries into the future. The model is given as a mostly complete package, into which students input emissions data in various sensitivity tests.

Grade Level: College Upper (15-16)
Resource Type: Activities: Activities:Classroom Activity, Lab Activity
Subject: Environmental Science:Global Change and Climate:Climate Change, Environmental Science:Energy, Geoscience:Atmospheric Science:Climate Change
Activity Review: Peer Reviewed as Exemplary

Using a Mass Balance Model to Understand Carbon Dioxide and its Connection to Global Warming part of Quantitative Skills:Activity Collection
Bob Mackay, Clark College
Students explore the increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide over the past 40 years with an interactive on-line model.

Grade Level: College Lower (13-14):College Introductory, College Upper (15-16)
Resource Type: Activities: Activities:Problem Set
Subject: Geoscience:Atmospheric Science:Climate Change:Greenhouse gas emissions, Global change modeling, Environmental Science:Global Change and Climate:Climate Change:Global change modeling, Environmental Science:Global Change and Climate:Climate Change, Geoscience:Atmospheric Science:Climatology :Atmospheric gases, Environmental Science:Global Change and Climate:Climate Change:Greenhouse gas emissions
Activity Review: Peer Reviewed as Exemplary

What is the fate of CO2 produced by fossil fuel combustion? part of Quantitative Skills:Activity Collection
Paul Quay
A box model is used to simulate the build up of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere during the industrial era and predict the future increase in atmospheric CO2 levels during the next century.

Grade Level: College Lower (13-14)
Resource Type: Activities: Datasets and Tools:Datasets with Tools, Activities:Problem Set
Subject: Geoscience:Atmospheric Science:Climate Change:Global change modeling, Geoscience:Oceanography:Ocean-Climate Interactions, Geoscience:Atmospheric Science:Climate Change:Greenhouse effect, Climate feedbacks, Geoscience:Atmospheric Science:Climatology :Climate sensitivity and feedbacks, Geoscience:Oceanography, Biology, Environmental Science:Global Change and Climate:Climate Change, Climate Change:Global change modeling, Greenhouse effect, Climate feedbacks, Geoscience:Atmospheric Science:Climatology :Atmospheric gases, Atmospheric and oceanic circulation
Activity Review: Passed Peer Review, Peer Reviewed as Exemplary

Investigation: When will there no longer be glaciers in Glacier National Park? part of Quantitative Skills:Activity Collection
An Investigation Question activity developed by Carol Ormand, Wittenberg University.
Students use historical data on the extent of the Grinnell Glacier in Glacier National Park to estimate when the glacier will melt completely.

Grade Level: College Lower (13-14):College Introductory
Online Readiness: Online Adaptable
Resource Type: Activities: Activities:Lab Activity, Classroom Activity
Subject: Environmental Science:Global Change and Climate:Climate Change:Impacts of climate change, Global change modeling, Geoscience:Atmospheric Science:Climate Change:Global change modeling, Geoscience:Geology:Geomorphology:Landforms/Processes:Glacial/Periglacial, Geoscience:Atmospheric Science:Climate Change, Geoscience:Hydrology, Atmospheric Science:Climate Change:Impacts of climate change
Activity Review: Peer Reviewed as Exemplary