This database provides quantitative information about the impact of humans on many environmental and sustainability-related factors, including the size of the ozone hole, albedo changes, ocean pH over time, and global emissions.
Each quantity is taken from a recent scientific report or paper and may include links to graphs, data, or methods.
Teaching Tips
Positives
This database would be extremely useful for students conducting research for a project or experiment.
This resource compiles and simplifies data in a relatively easy-to-understand format.
The source and original data set are available for most values.
Additional Prerequisites
Students should have a strong understanding of the general impacts of climate change and how humans affect the environment.
Students should always look carefully at the source of the data. Some sources may be less reliable than others or be more dated than others.
Differentiation
Have math students use the graphs provided for a topic to make inferences about why the rate of change has increased, decreased, or stayed the same over time.
Have students consider what feedback loops may result from some of the impacts listed and what that means for humans and the environment.
The graphs are especially useful for students who may have difficulty interpreting the significance of an activity or change in value.
Scientist Notes
This is a database that explores the emissions level or footprint from the energy, agriculture, mining, fossil fuels, forestry, and other natural and built-environments. Data sources have been meticulously reviewed and there is a high confidence in using this resource for teaching.
Standards
Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)
ESS3: Earth and Human Activity
HS-ESS3-3 Create a computational simulation to illustrate the relationships among management of natural resources, the sustainability of human populations, and biodiversity.
HS-ESS3-5 Analyze geoscience data and the results from global climate models to make an evidence-based forecast of the current rate of global or regional climate change and associated future impacts to Earth systems.
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.
Common Core Math Standards (CCSS.MATH)
Statistics & Probability: Interpreting Categorical & Quantitative Data (9-12)
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.HSS.ID.A.1 Represent data with plots on the real number line (dot plots, histograms, and box plots).
Statistics & Probability: Making Inferences & Justifying Conclusions (9-12)
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.HSS.IC.A.2 Decide if a specified model is consistent with results from a given data-generating process, e.g., using simulation. For example, a model says a spinning coin falls heads up with probability 0.5. Would a result of 5 tails in a row cause you to question the model?
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.HSS.IC.B.6 Evaluate reports based on data.
