Global Warming and Climate Change

Global Warming and Climate Change

By Marissa Brown

Learning Target

SWBAT analyze and interpret evidence related to the effects of rising global temperatures over the past century.

Success Criteria

• Identify the effects of rising global temperatures due to global warming.

• Analyze graphs and textual evidence.

• Interpret evidence through multiple-choice questions.

Multiple Choice

Greenhouse Gases

Gases in the atmosphere that absorb heat from the Sun and send it back towards Earth.

These gases act similar to glass in a greenhouse…

Which of the following best describes the role of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere?

• They block all sunlight from reaching the Earth.
  

• They absorb heat from the Sun and send it back toward the Earth.
  

• They help cool the Earth by releasing heat into space.
  

• They provide nutrients to plants for faster growth.

  
  

Multiple Choice

How is the heat trapped inside a car similar to the heat and gases trapped in the Earth's atmosphere?

• Heat and gases trapped in the Earth's atmosphere because both situations involve the trapping of heat by certain substances.

• Heat and gases trapped in the Earth's atmosphere because both situations involve the letting the heat escape by certain substances.

Multiple Choice

Visible light reaches Earth’s surface while infrared light is trapped as heat. Which characteristic of Earth’s atmosphere causes this to happen?

• the hole in the ozone
• the greenhouse effect
• atmospheric pressure
• the inversion layer

Open Ended

Our Earth's atmosphere works just like these steps in the diagram, which is why it is called Greenhouse Effect, how does the sun benefit us by warming up our Earth?

Multiple Choice

The average temperature of the surface of Earth has increased approximately 1°C in the past century. Which reason best explains this increase in temperature?

• lower levels of ozone in the atmosphere
• lower levels of nitrogen in the atmosphere
• higher levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere
• higher levels of oxygen in the atmosphere

​

The sun heats our planet in a naturally occurring process.

But Earth is warmer than it was in the past.

Turn and Talk-
​So what is
going on?

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is the best conclusion that can be made from this graph?

• atmospheric carbon dioxide levels have been decreasing since 1960
• Hawaii has a lot of carbon dioxide
• humans have been working hard to decrease carbon dioxide levels
• atmospheric carbon dioxide levels have increased steadily since 1960

Open Ended

Burning fossil fuels adds extra carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. 

This intensifies the natural greenhouse effect, causing temperatures to rise.

What are the three fossil fuels that humans are contributing of the earth's atmosphere absorbing?

Climate Change

What is climate?

When we talk about climate, the first thing that usually comes to mind is the temperature in an area. Africa typically has a high temperature and therefore, we think of it as having a hot climate. Antarctica is usually cold so it has a cold climate. Climate is an area’s average weather, including temperature, precipitation (rain, snow, etc.), humidity, wind and even seasons. The problem we face now is human-made climate change. What we are doing is changing our climate much faster than Nature intended and that's what’s causing the problems.

Multiple Choice

What is climate?

• The daily weather changes of an area.

• The average weather of a specific area.

What's the big deal?

NASA has reported a global average temperature increase of 1.4° Fahrenheit since the 1880s, and stated that nine out of the ten warmest years have happened since the year 2000. These records date back 134-years.

The greenhouse effect

One of the most significant ways we affect our environment is the large amount of greenhouse gases we emit, mainly carbon dioxide (CO2). How does this create global warming and climate change? It all comes down to the greenhouse effect. The greenhouse effect is when the layer of gases in the atmosphere absorbs heat from the Earth to keep it warm like a blanket or sweater keeps you warm. The gases that do this (including carbon dioxide) are called greenhouse gases. They are very important, without them, most places on Earth would be too cold to live in. But when there’s too many of them, it can cause the surface temperature of the Earth to rise.

Multiple Choice

What is the main gas responsible for causing global warming?

• Oxygen

• Carbon Dioxide

• Hydrogen

• Helium

What is the greenhouse effect?

What’s causing all this carbon dioxide?

The biggest way we create carbon dioxide is by burning fossil fuels to make energy to run our cars, light our homes, charge our phones, etc.

Why are we so concerned about 1.4◦F?

As we increase the temperature on Earth, we start to melt the ice at the poles. There is so much water trapped there, that when the ice melts, it causes sea levels to rise and extreme weather events like hurricanes and tornadoes to occur. Also, when the ice melts, many animals lose their homes and can die.

Open Ended

What are some of the things that could happen due to global warming?

What can we do to help?

Some of the things we can do to help include: 

Using energy-efficient light bulbs.

Carpooling and using public transportation or walking.

Turning down our air conditioner in the summer and furnace in the winter.

Using green energy sources like wind and solar power to create electricity.

Recycle products to save energy.

Using less electricity at your house to conserve fossil fuels

What are 2 things that can be done to slow down global warming?