Global Climate Change Model: Making Predictions About Future Climate

• In this interactive resource, 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.
  

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.
  

Additional Prerequisites

• Students should be familiar with the carbon cycle and the basics of global warming.
  

Differentiation

• 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 could 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.