Scientific Consensus: Earth's Climate Is Warming

Articles/Websites

Grades8, 9, 10, 11, 12Biology, Earth and Space Sciences

Scientist Reviewed

Provided by NASA

Open Resource

What it is

This resource from NASA explains what a scientific consensus is and lists the many United States and international institutions that have made formal statements agreeing with the scientific consensus about climate change.
The statements, links to the organizations, and a graph of global average temperate anomalies from 1880 to present are available on the site for additional information.

Teaching tips

Positives

This resource gives students the data and the links to numerous respected scientific institutions to read and explore.
This is great for media literacy topics and provides many examples of credible resources for scientific information.

Prerequisites

Students should know how to read a graph to interpret the data presented.

Differentiation & Implementation

Social studies and civics classes could use this resource to support discussions about the role of governments, institutions, and individuals in finding global solutions to climate change.
Math classes could use the data graph to discuss interpretation of data, lines of best fit, and the difference between graphing data vs. anomalies from an average.
Other resources related to this topic include the 2018 IPCC Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C and this short video summarizing that same report.

From the scientist review

This resource discredits the myth that climate change is an ongoing debate. The fact of the matter is that independent meteorological agencies across the globe all have come to the same conclusion: human activity is causing the planet to warm. This resource is recommended for teaching.

How we review resources

Ready to use it?

Hosted on climate.nasa.gov

Open Resource

Want this to fit your class?

Add your location for local examples, questions, and action ideas.

At a glance

Grades: 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
Subjects: Biology, Earth and Space Sciences
Other types: Data, Graphs, and Maps
Language: English
Location: Earth
Provider: NASA
Authors: NASA
Published: April 27, 2021
Last updated: July 16, 2026
: Reviewed by our climate scientists How we review

Standards alignment · D3.1.6-8 + 6 more

Core

College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Standards

D3.1.6-8Gather relevant information from multiple sources while using the origin, authority, structure, context, and corroborative value of the sources to guide the selection.
D4.4.6-8Critique arguments for credibility.

Common Core English Language Arts Standards (CCSS.ELA)

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.8.3Analyze how a text makes connections among and distinctions between individuals, ideas, or events (e.g., through comparisons, analogies, or categories).
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.6-8.1Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.8Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is valid and the evidence is relevant and sufficient; identify false statements and fallacious reasoning.

Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)

MS-ESS3-5.Ask questions to clarify evidence of the factors that have caused the rise in global temperatures over the past century.
MS-ESS3-D.Human activities, such as the release of greenhouse gases from burning fossil fuels, are major factors in the current rise in Earth’s mean surface temperature (global warming). Reducing the level of climate change and reducing human vulnerability to whatever climate changes do occur depend on the understanding of climate science, engineering capabilities, and other kinds of knowledge, such as understanding of human behavior and on applying that knowledge wisely in decisions and activities. (MS-ESS3-5)

Cookie Preferences

What it is

Teaching tips

From the scientist review

Ready to use it?

Want this to fit your class?

Related Teaching Resources