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Framework
|
Topic outline
Click the linked topics below for additional
resources
|
Air Resources |
| 1. Atmospheric science |
a. Atmospheric composition and
structure
b. Weather and climate - relationship between
sun, wind, and ocean currents; difference
between weather and climate; historical
patterns |
| 2. Human use |
a. Biological
b. Combustion
c. Work - transportation, wind energy
generation
d. Waste disposal |
| 3. Pollution |
a. Types of pollutants - primary,
secondary,
synergistic
b. Source of pollutants - natural and
anthropogenic
c. Impacts of pollutants -
ozone depletion,
smog, acid precipitation, heat islands,
inversions, health issues
d. Solutions or reductions |
| 4. Climate change |
a. Natural greenhouse effect
b. Greenhouse gas
c. Keeling Curve
d. Impacts/consequences
e. Data interpretation and computer modeling
f. Solutions |
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RESOURCES
| Climate Change - Data interpretation and computer
modeling |
| |
The Breathing Earth (computer simulation)
Source: David Bleja
http://www.breathingearth.net/
This real-time simulation
displays the CO2 emissions of every country in the world, as
well as their birth and death rates. |
| |
EarthTrends: Climate and Atmosphere (web
site)
Source: World Resources Institute
http://earthtrends.wri.org/
Click on the link for
Climate and Atmosphere to find a searchable database of
statistics, maps, and country profiles of environmental, social,
and economic trends that shape our world. Example information
includes CO2 emissions, global gas concentrations, non-CO2
greenhouse gas emissions, and global carbon storage. |
| |
Global Temperatures (web site)
Source: Exploring the Environment
Web site
In this problem-based learning scenario,
students analyze and summarize temperature data for a report
detailing what global mean temperatures indicate about the
overall picture of climate change. |
| |
The Vulcan Project (activity and web site)
Source:
Purdue University
Web site
The Vulcan Project has created maps and analysis
of CO2 emissions for the continental U.S. from power plants,
industrial sources, roads and highways, and residential sources.
Each projection shows the location and magnitude of emissions.
Students can compare the who, what, and where of CO2 emissions.
Ask students to analyze the plots and decide which regions'
sources are the greatest contributors to CO2 in the atmosphere.
They can then make comparisons and formulate questions and
hypotheses. This is a great use of real/current data in class
that helps students answer the question "how do they know this
stuff?" The Vulcan (Roman God of fire) site also includes a
video showing diurnal cycles of carbon emissions and a Google
Earth application. |
| |
Watch 131 Years of Global Warming in 26 Seconds
(video)
Source: Climate Central and NASA
Website
This 26-second video depicts how temperatures
around the globe have warmed since 1880. The data comes from
NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York, which
monitors global surface temperatures. |
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