How Do We Measure Climate Change?
Provided by: Probable Futures|Published on: April 11, 2025|Last updated: September 26, 2026
Grades: 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
Type: Articles/Websites
Subjects: Physics, Earth and Space Sciences
Authors: Probable Futures
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 →
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 →
Synopsis
- In this brief article, students will understand how climate change is measured in degrees of warming and how that warming varies across the globe.
- Students will read about the likelihood and impacts associated with each warming scenario and how degrees of warming are measured.
Teaching Materials
Positives
- This article is brief and won't take up too much class time.
- The article includes a map that helps students understand the different warming scenarios.
Prerequisites
- Some of the embedded links are broken.
- Students should understand climate change and some of its related impacts.
Differentiation & Implementation
- The article references the Paris Agreement. If students have not yet learned about the Paris Agreement, teachers can follow this article with the lesson plan CFR Education: The Paris Agreement.
- Additionally, social studies students can analyze the linked Paris Agreement as an exercise in working with primary sources.
- Some students, especially those who are feeling overwhelmed or hopeless after reading the article, may benefit from looking at climate solutions that can help to keep the climate from reaching some of the thresholds mentioned in the article. Project Drawdown's Table of Solutions has a wide range of solutions for students to choose from.
This article explains what degrees of warming are, how they are calculated, and how scientists use them to measure and predict global warming. Degrees of warming are based on averages, so it is essential readers are familiar with the concept. It is also important to note how averages are different from individual data points because a common misconception is that degrees of warming will look the same across the globe (for example, all areas will be 1 degree C warmer) when that is not the case. Temperatures will still vary across the globe day to day, and areas will still see extreme cold at times, but the average temperature over time will rise. The information presented is accurate, and this resource is recommended for teaching.
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
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