• This video describes and shows how scientists analyze the gases trapped in ancient ice cores in order to learn about Earth's atmosphere in the past. 
• Students will learn that scientists have concrete evidence, demonstrated by the abundance of specific carbon isotopes in the ice, that global warming is being caused by burning fossil fuels and other human activities. 

Positives

• Students will be interested in seeing the equipment that scientists use in research laboratories and learning how they can figure out so many things from a piece of ancient ice.
• The video contains diagrams and animations that help to illustrate the more complicated concepts.

Additional Prerequisites

• Advertisements may play before and during the video.
• Students should be familiar with the terms atom, isotope, and neutron.
  

Differentiation

• Chemistry, physics, and biology classes could use this video to introduce students to other uses of stable isotopes and radioactive isotopes, such as tracing molecules through food webs, medical testing, and tracing global cycles in the oceans and atmosphere.
• English language arts or writing classes could write persuasive essays on how people need to act swiftly in order to stop climate change. Students could cite evidence from the video to prove that climate change is really happening.
• Other resources on this topic include this lesson and activity on understanding the importance of isotopes, this activity on analyzing past climate conditions using a tree's rings, and this resource highlighting graduate students that study ice cores.
  

This resource addresses the listed standards. To fully meet standards, search for more related resources.