Introduction to Climate Change & Carbon Cycle Modeling
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Summary
This classroom activity introduces students to the concept of global warming caused by humans disrupting the natural carbon cycle, moving stored carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and creating a blanket of greenhouse gas that is warming the Earth. Students will engage through data exploration and a carbon cycle modeling activity.
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Context
Audience
Upper elementary or lower middle school, aligned with Next Generation Science Standards for Middle School.
Skills and concepts that students must have mastered
Graph-reading skills (knowledge of axes and what they represent), pre-existing knowledge of Photosynthesis, Respiration, Weathering, and Decomposition are helpful
How the activity is situated in the course
Part of a series of exercises that were taught as supplementary environmental education curriculum, other lessons can also be found on SERC
Goals
Content/concepts goals for this activity
Students can explain that scientists have documented a rise in Earth's temperature in the last fifty years,
Students can explain how the element carbon naturally cycles through the atmosphere, ocean, and land,
Students can explain that through the use of fossil fuels, humans are moving stored carbon into the atmosphere much faster than what would be natural, creating a heat-trapping blanket of greenhouse gas that is warming the Earth
Higher order thinking skills goals for this activity
Developing and using models, interpreting data
Description and Teaching Materials
Lesson plan outlines learning goals, appropriate NGSS standards, and step-by-step instructions for facilitating the lesson.
Slides have visuals and prompting questions that should be presented as the lesson is taught.
Carbon Cycle modeling slides should be printed out and used to scaffold students' participation in the activity.
Introduction to Climate Change Lesson Plan (PowerPoint 2007 (.pptx) 2.1MB May14 26)
Introduction to Climate Change Lesson Plan (Acrobat (PDF) 74kB May14 26)
Carbon Cycle Modeling Handouts (PowerPoint 2007 (.pptx) 2.5MB May14 26)
Teaching Notes and Tips
When initially providing "carbon" in the modeling activity (playing cards, any other small manipulatives), the distribution can follow how carbon is naturally distributed--ex. the most carbon is stored in the oceans, so the ocean group should start with more manipulatives than the other groups. Trees and rocks/sediments should have the second most, and all other groups should be equal. When the second phase of the activity is over (humans taking all the carbon from rocks/sediments and trees and giving it to the atmosphere), the atmosphere should have more carbon than it started with.
Assessment
Ask the discussion questions listed at the end of the activity