Our Changing Atmosphere
Provided by: Exploratorium|Published on: November 16, 2023
Grades: 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
Type: Data, Graphs, and Maps
Subjects: Earth and Space Sciences, Mathematics
Authors: Exploratorium
Region: North America, Polar Regions, USA - West, United States, Global, Hawai'i
Languages: English
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 activity, students will look at seasonal fluctuations and graph the monthly Mauna Loa CO2 atmospheric data.
- Students will interpret the data and evaluate the upward trend in the data over time.
Teaching Materials
Positives
- Students can practice the meaningful skill of interpreting data.
- There is enough data for students to work in small groups and have each group contribute a different graph to the class.
Additional Prerequisites
- Students should know how to plot data on a line graph.
- Students should know what CO2 is and how it is released into the atmosphere.
Differentiation
- Younger students may need to graph the data or interpret the graphs as a whole class.
- After looking at the data, students in science classes can discuss the effect CO2 and other greenhouse gases have on the atmosphere and our planet.
- Language arts students can use their observations of the data as evidence in an informative essay about atmospheric CO2 levels.
- Students can graph other climate-related datasets, such as global temperature rise, sea level rise, or phenological data.
This resource is from the CLEAN collection. “The CLEAN collection is hand-picked and rigorously reviewed for scientific accuracy and classroom effectiveness.”
Teaching Tips
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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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