Soquel Climate Change Classes March 2017
This was a cooperative unit with teacher Jessica Scolaro and retired teacher volunteers, Roland Saher and Pauline Seales. The class was Environmental Science 3, a newly defined class for a wide group of students.
The focus was on activities involving students analyzing data, processing information as well as role playing and dealing with feelings around a demanding topic.
We would love to bring this to other schools and will be happy to improve and adapt to the specific class needs.
Please contact paulineseales120@gmail.com for more information
Block 1
1.Introduction to Climate Change is an internet search using Climate.nasa.gov
Includes video link, CO2 levels, Global Temperature, Arctic Ice, Land Ice , Sea Level, Glaciers.
Ocean Acidification and more. About 40 mins file CCTeen1
2. Climate Mixer is a walk/interview/talk/collect info activity where all the students role play people affected by climate change in some way. about 30 mins
Files Question sheet/teacher info ClimateCMixer
Local roles CCMixerLocal
World wide roles ClMixerRoles.pdf
Young roles CCRolesYouth
3. Sea level rise Activity The website sealevel.climatecentral.org allows world wide locations to be viewed in a variety of ways showing different levels of future flooding. This guided discovery includes New York, Miami, New Orleans, Bangladesh and local areas. A variety of tools are gradually added.
File CCTeen3 - 30 mins
Block 2
1. Balloon demo - demo (like the one shown at the end of CC Teen1 Activity.)
Jessica Scolaro found it was better to do the demo without first showing the video!
Students engaged in predictions and explanations
2 balloons - A filled with air - put lighter wand underneath - POP!
B filled with water - put lighter underneath - doesn’t pop due to high heat capacity of water
Climate change details are strongly related to this high heat capacity of water
2. Greenhouse Effect Activity - phet simulation - basic science of the greenhouse effect - great for students to do - needs computers (mac or PC) not chrome books, set up by IT to run Java.
At Soquel we did it as a demo on teacher PC
Parts 1-3 basics, ice age, today , lots of GHGs - watch the temperature change, record the gas levels
Part 4 shows effects of progressively adding glass layers
Part 5 Interactions of various gas molecules with infra red and visible photons
Part 6 Effects of Clouds
file GHpHetnew about 30 mins teacher version
Block 3
1. Short ppt - review file name Short - about 10 mins 15 slides
2. Paper “How hopeful do you feel..?” write a paragraph first
Then read handout with recent climate related news good/bad info - discuss with peers
answer 3 questions file name Is there Hope - about 20 mins
3. Climate Solutions web search file SolProj - 15 mins for search teacher vers.
Uses Stanford based site “The Solutions Project” and recent news
complete detailed solutions/costs/benefits for Ca and Texas
Start on Research Project - choose partners and topic - 3 bullet points - get teacher approval
4. Blocks 4,5 Continue Research Project (Teacher Jessiccs Scolaro only).
Students given note guide Checklist rubric
5. Carbon Cycle Activity Carbon Cycle role play lesson
6. Student Presentations
7. Follow-up Ocean acidification ppt and discussion
(Other ideas - class activities on animal migrations)
Other useful resources include Basic science ppt 25 slides, Solutions ppt 18 slides
- see also other pages teacher resources and resources
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