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Climate Change Toolkit: A Middle School Science Unit
Recommended Grade Level: 8
Discipline: Earth/Environmental Science
Topic: Climate Change
Time Required: 13-Day Unit
Submitted by: Karen McCabe
Essential Question: What is climate change?
National Science Standards Addressed:
M.D.1 Structure of the earth system
j.
Global
patterns of atmospheric movement influence local weather. Oceans have
a
major effect on climate, because water in the oceans holds a large amount of heat.
H.D.1 Energy in the earth system
d. Global climate is determined by energy transfer from the sun at and near the earth's
surface. This energy transfer is influenced by dynamic processes such as cloud cover and the
earth's rotation, and static conditions such as the position of mountain ranges and oceans.
Objective: Students will examine climate change from various perspectives and utilize
primary resources to conduct research.
Teacher Notes: To open the climate change discussion, I have compiled a series of short
videos which highlight the different viewpoints regarding climate change. The first one
is a National Geographic production. It is an excellent example of a balanced approach
to explaining climate change. The second one was made by a group called
voteclimate.org. It is alarming and will evoke an emotional response in viewers. The last
one was produced by the Heritage Foundation. This group acts as a "front man" for big
oil and gas companies like Koch and Exxon/Mobile. Students should be able to discern a
difference in tone between the three videos and ultimately identify the purpose and
intended audience for each of them. Students will complete accompanying handout
while viewing videos. Classroom discussion will follow videos. Students will also
complete a climate change questionnaire. Students will interview at least two people
(one classmate and one parent/guardian). Data from interviews will be compiled and
discussed.
A Way Forward: Facing Climate Change
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAA7FEqYTjA
Vote Climate Info. Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSip5sJQ0ak
