In this lesson students research real-time and historic temperature data of U.S. and world locations, and analyze the data using mean, median, and mode averages. Students graph the data and draw conclusions by analyzing the data. Resources include Web sites with real-time data, archived data, temperature-sensitive computer graphics, meteorology, government agencies, and Earth Day information. Students use a calculator or electronic spreadsheet to compile their statistics and then graph the data using a spreadsheet or graph paper. Reasons for extreme temperature changes are explored.

This resource is a part of the Global Warming Statistics lesson plan. This resource provides step by step ways for teachers to implement the lesson.

In this lesson, students review evidence of global effects of rising global temperatures, and then consider what (if anything) should be done about it. A set of discussion questions is provided. In an associated activity, students take part in a mock Global Warming Summit meeting and take on roles representing various countries. The culminating task of the lesson will be for students to write a legally binding international treaty on global warming that all represented nations would be willing to sign.

This lesson provides students with an opportunity to explore the climate change concept in greater depth. The focus is on plant competition, reproductive output, and how these concepts may vary based on climate change predictions. The emphasis in this lesson is the effect of increasing amounts of water, predicted by global climate change models for some parts of the United States, on the production of fruits and seeds (measures of reproductive output).

In this activity, students learn about the greenhouse effect and its possible effects on global warming and rising water levels on Earth.

In this lesson, students will practice distinguishing between correlation and causation within the context of global climate change. Students will think critically and analyze different claims and datasets related to what might be causing increasing temperatures in a fictitious town called Solutionville, as well as around the globe. Although students will be working within the context of a fictitious town, the temperature and carbon dioxide data they will be analyzing are real and will enable them to see relationships between global temperatures and atmospheric carbon dioxide levels. Finally, students will watch a video in which they will be learn that the burning of fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, and they will begin to explore the connections between human activities and global climate change.

In this lab investigation, students will explore how climate variability on both short- and long-term timescales affects fisheries.

In this lesson, students will read articles related to a misstatement of future glacier health in the Himalayas that was reported in the 2007 United Nation’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Assessment Report 4. The class will discuss the articles and ramifications of inaccuracies in scientific literature as well as the importance of validating sources as peer-reviewed. As this topic is complex, the students will need guidance in the form of an introduction to peer-reviewed literature, which is outlined here. Furthermore, the objective of this lesson is not to vilify the IPCC or any other well-intentioned group, but rather to elucidate the use of proper references and procedure when summarizing a contentious scientific issue with broad geopolitical implications.

As the Atlantic Ocean warms, many marine species—including commercially important fish stocks—are moving further north along the Northeast United States. As a consequence, fishing boats based in traditional ports need to travel further to catch the same fish, or change their strategy to pursue different species of fish. In turn, businesses that serve fishing communities may need to purchase new equipment, develop new practices, or encourage workers to gain new skills. In order for fisheries and the businesses that depend on them to prepare for such changes, fisheries managers need tools to identify which fishery resources may be most vulnerable to our changing climate.

In this problem-based learning (PBL) activity, students take on the role of a student research scientist and explore the role of solar energy in determining climate. Students conduct experiments to observe how a change in water phase affects surface temperatures. Materials required for the investigation include 2 aquariums, dry sand or soil, two heat lamps, and two thermometers.The lesson is supported by teacher notes, answer key, glossary and an appendix with information about using PBL in the classroom. This is the second of three activities in Investigating the Climate System: Energy, a Balancing Act.

This science update discusses the increase in hurricane activity in the mid 1990s and the proposed reasons for the increase.

This infographic highlights all of the factors that contribute to carbon dioxide increase on the planet.

This infographic highlights information about sea level rise, as it relates to global warming.

Students use computational models to explore how Earth's surface and greenhouse gases interact with radiation. Then they interpret real-world changes in atmospheric carbon dioxide over short and long time frames.

In this lesson, students will download two historic datasets from NCDC: Global Summary of the Day (GSOD) daily temperature data and Historic Global Historical Climatology Network (GHCN) monthly temperature data. After importing the data into Microsoft Excel, they will graph and compare daily to monthly temperatures for Barrow, Alaska, and repeat this process for Key West, Florida. They will then compare these patterns to other temperature trends in the United States and globally.

In this online interactive, students investigate changes in the environment at various locations across the United States. Investigations of an Alaskan coastal community, the Pika, coral reef habitat, the American goldfinch, glacier ice melt, and the pine beetle lead learners to discover that our climate is changing.

In this lesson, students investigate basic principles that relate to thermohaline circulation. Then they view a short video that connects these concepts to oceanic circulation and the potential for climate change.

Students build simple models to demonstrate the differing impacts of melting land ice and sea ice on sea level rise.

In this lesson, students investigate the link between ocean temperatures and hurricane intensity, analyze instrumental and historic data and speculate on possible future changes.

In this lesson, students investigate weather patterns and climate and how they are changing. Students conduct research about an assigned weather topic and create an interactive project/presentation that can be used to teach classmates about a weather topic.