Energy Absorption and Climate Change

This lesson, part of a unit on Earth's changing climate for sixth-grade students, explores energy in Earth's system. It reviews key concepts from the previous lesson, such as the trend of rising temperatures and decreasing ice since 1880. The lesson introduces vocabulary related to energy and demonstrates the use of a digital model to simulate changes in Earth's climate. Students are guided to explore the model, make observations, and understand the relationship between energy absorption, temperature, and ice melting. The lesson concludes with a discussion of findings and introduces a new key concept: the global average temperature increases when energy absorbed by the surface increases.

What trend has been observed on Earth since 1880?

• Decreasing temperatures and increasing ice

• Fluctuating temperatures with no clear trend

• Increasing temperatures and decreasing ice

• Stable temperatures and ice levels

What does the term 'absorbed' mean in the context of energy?

• To reflect energy

• To release energy

• To take in energy

• To block energy

What is the purpose of using a digital model in climate studies?

• To predict weather patterns

• To safely experiment with climate changes

• To replace real-world observations

• To create virtual reality experiences

In the sim, what do the yellow arrows represent?

• Energy flow from the Sun

• Wind currents

• Magnetic fields

• Water currents

How can you make the ice melt in the sim?

• Decrease the global average temperature

• Increase reflectivity

• Increase the amount of gases in the atmosphere

• Decrease the amount of sunlight

What happens to the global average temperature when energy absorbed by the surface increases?

• It increases

• It fluctuates randomly

• It remains the same

• It decreases

What is the relationship between energy absorption and ice levels on Earth?

• Less energy absorption leads to less ice

• More energy absorption leads to more ice

• More energy absorption leads to less ice

• Energy absorption does not affect ice levels

What is the significance of the Earth's surface glowing more yellow in the sim?

• It indicates more energy absorption

• It shows a decrease in temperature

• It indicates less energy absorption

• It shows an increase in ice levels

What is the main focus of the next lesson?

• Exploring the impact of different gases on energy absorption

• Studying the effects of ocean currents on climate

• Learning about renewable energy sources

• Analyzing historical climate data

What is the average global temperature set at the beginning of the sim?

• 14 degrees Celsius

• 30 degrees Celsius

• 10 degrees Celsius

• 20 degrees Celsius