This short text provides an introduction to global warming and greenhouse gases with graphs of data, vocabulary terms, interactive questions, and a study guide.
Teaching Tips
Positives
Teachers can edit and add their own additional resources to the chapter for their class.
The images of Glacier National Park from 1940 and 2006 show the striking decline in glaciers.
Additional Prerequisites
Students should know how to analyze and interpret line graphs.
Teachers and students must sign in to use some of the interactive features.
Note that the image of Grinnell Glacier features two photographs: one from c. 1940 and one from 2006. Have your students conduct more research on Grinnell Glacier to see what it looks like now.
Differentiation
This text and study guide could be used as supplemental material for lessons about weather, climate, and biomes in science classes.
When signed in, students can access a toolbar allowing them to highlight, note-taking, view summaries, and additional information about the chapter.
To extend this lesson, have students watch this video about the history of climate science and then have them read this article by NASA about the difference between weather and climate.
Scientist Notes
The resource simplifies the evidence of a changing climate caused by human activities. The Little Ice Age that we are in could have been a bit colder than the Medieval period but it is getting warmer as a result of atmospheric CO2. The resource is recommended.
Standards
Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)
ESS3: Earth and Human Activity
MS-ESS3-2 Analyze and interpret data on natural hazards to forecast future catastrophic events and inform the development of technologies to mitigate their effects.
MS-ESS3-3 Apply scientific principles to design a method for monitoring and minimizing a human impact on the environment.
MS-ESS3-5 Ask questions to clarify evidence of the factors that have caused the rise in global temperatures over the past century.
Common Core English Language Arts Standards (CCSS.ELA)
Reading: Science & Technical Subjects (6-12)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.6-8.1 Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.6-8.2 Determine the central ideas or conclusions of a text; provide an accurate summary of the text distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.
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.
