Curriculum

A1. demonstrate scientific investigation skills (related to both inquiry and research) in the four areas
of skills
A1.1 formulate scientific questions about observed relationships, ideas, problems, and/or issues,
make predictions, and/or formulate hypotheses to focus inquiries or

D1. analyse some of the effects of climate change around the world, and assess the effectiveness of
initiatives that attempt to address the issue of climate change
D1.1 analyse current and/or potential effects, both positive and negative, of climate change on
human activity and natural systems
D2. investigate various natural and human factors that influence Earth’s climate and climate change;
D2.1 use appropriate terminology related to climate change, including, but not limited to:
albedo, anthropogenic, atmosphere, cycles, heat sinks, and hydrosphere
D2.2 design and build a model to illustrate the natural greenhouse effect, and use the model to
explain the anthropogenic greenhouse effect
D3. demonstrate an understanding of natural and human factors, including the greenhouse effect, that
influence
Earth’s climate and contribute to climate change.
D3.1 describe the principal components of Earth’s climate system (e.g., the sun, oceans, and
atmosphere; the topography and configuration of land masses) and how the system
works
D3.3 describe the natural greenhouse effect, explain its importance for life, and distinguish it
from the anthropogenic greenhouse effect
D3.6 describe how different carbon and nitrogen compounds (e.g., carbon dioxide, methane,
nitrous oxide) influence the trapping of heat in the atmosphere and hydrosphere
D3.7 describe, in general terms, the causes and effects of the anthropogenic greenhouse effect,
the depletion of stratospheric and tropospheric ozone, and the formation of ground-
level ozone and smog

Teaching Process

Direct Instruction with demonstrations and virtual simulations
incorporating

Teachers Notes

1. This Powerpoint Lesson can stand alone. Teacher notes are provided for each slide and can be printed out by the teacher ahead of time.

2. The lesson includes two Demos that will need to be set up ahead of time: Demonstration of Heat Transfer and the Albedo Effect.

3. The topic outline is: Layers of the Earth’s Atmosphere, Heat Transfer by Radiation, Greenhouse Gases, Natural Greenhouse Effect, Anthropogenic contributions to Greenhouse Effect, Albedo Effect.

4. Hot links are embedded into the presentation. You will need access to the internet. Please check the links before you show this to the students; they are only active when in presentation mode. You may need to download some plug-ins to play all of these.

5. Earth’s Atmosphere: great resource is http://www.eo.ucar.edu/basics/wx_1_b.html
Attached is a diagram of the Earth’s Atmosphere that the students can label and sketch temperature patterns on.

6. The demonstration of Heat Transfer through Radiation is linked to slide #10 in the Powerpoint. It is a review of Heat Transfer (grade 7).

Two methods are provided, one using black and white oven mitts and the other using black and white felt mitts. You will need to make the latter but it is easy. The “home made” versions are preferred since the insulating capacity of real oven mitts will reduce the temperature difference felt by the students.

For this, have a heat lamp (if no heat lamp, use an incandescent light) plugged in for at least 10 min prior to the beginning of the class (if possible). SAFETY: Supervise this demo closely to ensure that students do not touch the actual “hot” bulb.

For the oven-mitt method, the instructions are attached.

For the felt-mitts: You can make the black and the white mitts from felt. Use a needle and thread to sew two sheets of white (black) felt together into a mitt shape. Cut away excess around the seam. Glue can also be used.

Note: when conducting the demonstration have the student wearing the mitts close their eyes before and during the experiment. Have another student place the two different mitts on their hands “at random”. This provides an excellent example of a scientific and literal “blinded experimental design”

7. You may wish to download some of the simulations on to your own computer. Clear instructions are given on the webpages that you are taken to.

Assessment/Evaluation

Assessment for Learning using Clickers (if no clickers, students can hold up
hands with the number of fingers showing representing the answer, e.g. 1 finger = a)

Assessment for Learning : Clicker multiple choice questions.