This course on the causes of climate change features sections on the greenhouse effect, greenhouse gases, emissions by source, emissions by end use, and emissions by country.
This course contains text, interactive questions, infographics, data charts, links to references, and an interactive quiz.
Teaching Tips
Positives
This course is a great introduction to climate change and provides a detailed look at greenhouse gas emissions by source, activity, and country.
Students earn a certificate if they complete the course.
Students will need a computer and Internet connection to use the interactive features and watch the videos.
The graph of Emissions by Sector groups many categories into "energy". For a more descriptive chart of sources that includes transportation, you can use this resource on emissions by sector.
Here is a Table of Solutions that will reduce greenhouse gases the most.
Differentiation
Stronger students can spend time reading and exploring the links to scientific papers and reports.
Students can proceed through this course at their own pace.
Cross-curricular connections could be made with social studies, geography, and civics classes when discussing the current and predicted effects of climate change on human communities.
This resource explains the greenhouse effect and how human activities are causing global warming in a simplified and compelling manner. The figures and data are accurate, and this resource is recommended for teaching.
Standards
Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)
ESS2: Earth's Systems
HS-ESS2-2 Analyze geoscience data to make the claim that one change to Earth’s surface can create feedbacks that cause changes to other Earth systems.
ESS3: Earth and Human Activity
MS-ESS3-5 Ask questions to clarify evidence of the factors that have caused the rise in global temperatures over the past century.
HS-ESS3-6 Use a computational representation to illustrate the relationships among Earth systems and how those relationships are being modified due to human activity.
College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Standards
Dimension 2: Economics
D2.Eco.1.6-8 Explain how economic decisions affect the well-being of individuals, businesses, and society.
Common Core English Language Arts Standards (CCSS.ELA)
Reading: Science & Technical Subjects (6-12)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.6-8.10 By the end of grade 8, read and comprehend science/technical texts in the grades 6-8 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.9-10.10 By the end of grade 10, read and comprehend science/technical texts in the grades 9-10 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.11-12.10 By the end of grade 12, read and comprehend science/technical texts in the grades 11-CCR text complexity band independently and proficiently.
