Global Climate Change Model: Making Predictions About Climate
Activity - Classroom
Grades9, 10, 11, 12Biology, Earth and Space Sciences
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Provided by LabXchange
What it is
- In this interactive virtual experiment from LabXchange, students observe and modify a climate model to see how environmental conditions are predicted to change with varying levels of greenhouse gas emissions.
- The model includes an animated diagram and graphs that show the changing values for temperature, ocean CO2, atmospheric CO2, and water vapor over time.
Teaching tips
Positives
- This model provides a way for students to see how temperature, CO2, water vapor, and the oceans interact with each other and how they are affected by greenhouse gas emissions.
- Students can re-run the simulation a number of times for many years to record the differences and see the results of higher and lower emissions, as compared to 2010 levels.
Prerequisites
- Students should be familiar with the carbon cycle and the basics of global warming.
Differentiation & Implementation
- Students may also want to explore more about the oceans using these resources: Climate Change and the Oceans, Shell Shocked, and Changing Planet: Fading Corals
- Cross-curricular connections can be made with math, social studies, geography, and civics classes when looking at the data and discussing how an increase in temperature and humidity would affect where people will be able to live on the planet.
From the scientist review
This resource is a model of CO2 concentration in the atmosphere and the Ocean. The model runs an average temperature and CO2 change at 0, 50, 100, and 200% levels of anthropogenic emissions and predicts the level of concentration in the atmosphere and the ocean until beyond 2100. However, with a low level of anthropogenic emissions, concentrations reduce with temperature. This is valid and recommended for teaching.
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