Human Climate Change

Open Ended

Choose 3 questions to answer

​Lesson Objectives

​To understand the greenhouse effect
To identify how humans are contributing to climate change.
To analyse the effect of rapid population growth on carbon emissions

Open Ended

Study the 4 photographs below. Use them to identify the 4 sectors that produce the most greenhouse gases.

Extra: Rank the sectors in order of highest to lowest contribution. Give examples of how they produce greenhouse gases.

Drag and Drop

Incoming ​

Placeholder

radiation enters the Earth’s atmosphere. It passes through because it is ​

Placeholder

wave, electromagnetic radiation. 

The Earth’s atmosphere and surface ​

Placeholder

the electromagnetic radiation and ​

Placeholder

this into ​

Placeholder

Drag these tiles and drop them in the correct blank above

solar

short

absorb

convert

heat.

long

reflect

block

dissipate

cool

Drag and Drop

This is then rereleased into the atmosphere as ​

Placeholder

wavelength ​

Placeholder

heat. 

Infrared heat is absorbed by ​

Placeholder

gases. The more greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, the more radiation is ​

Placeholder

and the ​

Placeholder

the temperature will become.

Drag these tiles and drop them in the correct blank above

greenhouse

long

higher

infrared

absorbed

ozone

ultraviolet

reflected

short

lower

Multiple Choice

ACTIVITY: Hinge question: which of the following is correct? Select one answer only.

1. a)The greenhouse effect started with the industrial revolution and it states that there are more gases in the air. Some gases raise the temperature whilst others reduce it.

b) The greenhouse effect is a natural process. However, it is being enhanced by the burning of fossil fuels that create gases such as water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone.

c) The greenhouse effect results in none of the incoming solar radiation being allowed to escape back into space. This is due to humans burning coal, oil and gas.

d) The greenhouse effect destroyed the world’s ozone layer. This let in more of the sun’s energy and results in much higher surface and atmospheric temperatures.

• a

• b

• c

• d

Open Ended

Read this story and fill in your grid.

1) work out the anagrams

2) Find examples of each in the story

3) Explain how they cause global warming.

Let me know when you are done.

Open Ended

Which of the 4 sectors has the biggest negative impact on the whole natural environment (not just the production of greenhouse gases)? Explain your answer.

​Which of the 4 sectors has the biggest negative impact on the whole natural environment (not just the production of greenhouse gases)? Explain your answer

There are no right or wrong answers.                        

Agriculture- also leads to deforestation, habitat destruction, eutrophication (water pollution) through use of fertilisers and pesticides, soil erosion etc.

Transportation- also creates local air pollution, smog, noise, loss of nature due to building of networks etc.

Electricity production- waste from the process, huge use of water, visual.
Industry- similar to electricity- also is responsible for some of the electricity that is produced.

Open Ended

Which of the 4 sectors would find it the most difficult to reduce their greenhouse gas emission?. Explain your answer.

​Which of the 4 sectors would find it the most difficult to reduce their greenhouse gas emission?. Explain your answer.

Agriculture- Food is a basic human need and therefore agriculture will always be required. This is likely to increase with population growth and wealth.
Transportation- Similar to agriculture- increases in disposable increase are likely to lead to more personal transportation (cars).
Electricity- Wealth results in citizen purchasing more appliances that require more energy to be generated.
Industry- similar links to increases in population and wealth.

Open Ended

Which of the 4 sectors should be able to reduce their gas emissions the quickest? Explain your answer.

​Which of the 4 sectors should be able to reduce their gas emissions the quickest? Explain your answer.

Agriculture- Increasing crop yields through GM crops, improvements in technology and education may result in increased productivity. Reducing food packaging and food miles may also help.
Transportation- electric cars (if electricity is renewable), self driving cars that reduce the need for personal ownership, improvements to public transportation.
Electricity production- increasingly moving to renewable sources- wind, wave, solar etc.
Industry- reducing packaging, the use of plastic, using renewable energy, responsible with waste.

​Lesson Objectives

​To understand the greenhouse effect
To identify how humans are contributing to climate change.
To analyse the effect of rapid population growth on carbon emissions

Draw

How many climate change words can you find?

​Homework

​ Work out your carbon footprint: https://footprint.wwf.org.uk/
How many tonnes do you use a year?
Visit https://mapmaker.nationalgeographic.org/home
and use the human footprint layer. Answer the following questions:

1. Based on what you see in the MapMaker Interactive, which world region have the highest human footprint? Which region have the lowest?

2)Why is it important to monitor CO2 emissions?

3. Between 2006 and 2010, Canada and the Caribbean island chain of St. Vincent and the Grenadines emitted the same amount of CO2 per capita—about 17 metric tons person. However, during the same time, Canada emitted more than 2,000 times as much total CO2 as St. Vincent and the Grenadines. How is this possible?