Unit 7 - Climate Change
Goals:
1. Show a basic understanding of the greenhouse effect and its role in climate change including:
naming the most important greenhouse gases and their major sources;
describing the absorption, reflection of emission of EM radiation in the atmosphere and the earth’s surface;
describing historical trends in CO2 levels and global temperatures;
describing major predicted and realized consequences of climate change.
2. Describe the development of scientific consensus around climate change,
including the sources for relevant data, the use of computer models and the role of nonconsensus points of view.
3. Compare and contrast varying solutions to climate change that fall into these categories:
Economic/public policy
Technological
Personal choice
4. Write a letter to an elected official or a letter to the editor that:
demonstrates an understanding of the science and evidence of climate change
proposes a set of actions that you might personally take or, for society and/or policy makers to take
demonstrates a thoughtful weighing of risks and consequences for that set of actions.
Key Questions
What is the greenhouse effect and how does it relate to global warming?
What are the current and future impacts and effects of climate change?
What are the benefits and drawbacks to the various possible solutions of climate change?
What is our personal, individual responsibility to climate change?
What should government’s role be in addressing climate change?
Homework and Important Dates (assignments are due on the following class day)
4/20
Unit intro. Discuss groups and homework.
Read The Greenhouse Effect, and answer questions. Find one resource on your group’s topic.
4/21
Group collaboration and poster preparation
4/22
Sharing and discussing posters. Computer simulation.
Reinforcing Feedback homework packet.
4/24
Thingamabob game
Write Response to Game.
4/27
Political Solutions to an international problem
Reading on either carbon taxes, cap and trade systems or the Kyoto Protocol.
4/28
Share out in groups about readings.
4/30
Wedge stabilization activity
5/1
Present solutions to Wedge activity
Write Response to wedge activity
5/4
IQ^2 podcast
5/5
5/6
Letter to editor due Friday 5/8
