Graphing Sea Level Trends

Positives

• Students act as scientists, using real world data to examine a global issue and identify trends.
• The activity has students just examine one variable at a time, allowing for clear comprehension of the  trend in sea level rise due to climate change.
• The background information provided is rich and extensive, allowing for the teacher to decide the best way to set students up for success in comprehending this global phenomenon.
• This activity allows students to practice spreadsheet software skills, as well as graphing skills with a fairly simple dataset that illustrates a clear trend.

Additional Prerequisites

• Students should have some basic experience with software such as Google Sheets or Excel and be able to navigate the program with proficiency to follow instructions for creating a graph.
• Students should understand how the dates are coded within the sea level data, so be sure to review this and check for understanding before having students create their graphs.
• You will not be able to download the data files in the Chrome browser.

Differentiation

• Consider having students work in groups of four, ensuring that there is one student per group with proficient Excel or Sheets skills.
• If your class is discussing the discussion questions, allow students time to chat and research ways to reduce their carbon dioxide emissions in their small groups before sharing out as a class.
• If using this activity in a middle school classroom, consider asking for additional adult support from a librarian, technology teacher, or other adult who has graphing software skills.
• If you would like to utilize this lesson without having students graph on a computer, consider completing the graphs yourself and pasting them into a paper booklet for students to analyze in different groups.