See the Climate Change framework document at: https://eli.lehigh.edu/climate-change/instructional-framework

The Climate Change framework document includes enduring understandings, essential questions, standards alignments, and an overview of the instruction and learning activities.

The curriculum aligns instructional materials and assessments with climate cange learning goals. National and state standards provide guidelines for the science content in addition to the scientific inquiry and spatial skills on which schools must focus. The instructional materials identify common knowledge deficits and misconceptions. Assessment items measure learning outcomes, including development of specific climate change knowledge and geospatial thinking skills.

The instructional sequence is a recommended 21-day instructional sequence. This sequence has been field-tested in 8th grade urban classrooms in three different tracked levels. We recognize that the ability levels of students will range significantly across different locations and some classrooms may complete activities faster or slower than what we have listed as the recommended time frame. We recognize that different teachers may feel the need to provide summative assessment quizzes or additional review activities at specific points during the instructional sequence. Such activities will vary across different teachers and classroom contexts.

The curriculum is flexibly adaptable and teachers may select to use certain activities and not others to enhance their existing school district's climate change curriculum.

We have not recommended specific homework assignments for each day in the instructional sequence. We recognize that the assignment of homework will vary significantly across each classroom based on the philosophy of teachers and school districts. We have noted suggested supplemental readings on specific days that can be assigned for homework. These are PDF documents that can be accessed by students on the Climate Change Student Resource page or reproduced and distributed as hard copies. The completion of student worksheets may also be assigned as homework. We also encourage teachers to assign journaling activities and concept mapping activities as homework to help students review the main unit concepts.

Student instructional handouts and teacher support materials are provided in both MS Word and PDF formats. Student handouts can be modified to provide additional supports and step-by-step instructions by adding text passages from the teacher versions of select handouts.

All curriculum materials including daily instructional sequence pages, content support materials, teacher guides, instructional handouts, assessments, and other support materials are freely avilable at theClimate Change Web site.

http://www.ei.lehigh.edu/eli/cc

The curriculum begins with an investigation using Google Earth to explore global temperature changes during a recent 50 - 58 year period. Students explore, analyze, and interpret climate patterns of 13 different cities, and analyze differences between weather and climate patterns. Next, students are introduced to the four main Earth spheres (atmosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere) and explore the structure and composition of the atmosphere with an emphasis on greenhouse gases and the role that ozone plays in the troposphere and stratosphere.

Students explore and investigate concepts pertaining to Earth system energy balance including albedo, and surface and atmospheric absorption and reflection. In the next learning activity, students use Google Earth to determine how latitude, elevation, proximity to bodies of water, and mountain ranges affect a location's climate.

Next, student learning activities focus on the carbon cycle and the importance of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere. Students also learn about paleoclimatology and complete a paleoclimate reconstruction lab in which they reconstruct past climates using lake varves as a proxy to interpret long-term climate patterns and understand annual sediment deposition and how it relates to weather and climate patterns. Students then use a Web-based geologic timeline to examine temperature, CO2 concentration, and ice cover data to investigate how climate has changed during the last 715 million years.

Students use a Web-based carbon calculator to determine their carbon footprint and examine their personal and household habits and choices in relation to their carbon footprint. Next, students use Google Earth to investigate geographical areas and populations affected by recent changes in climate patterns.

In the culminating investigation, students use Google Earth to explore evidence of climate change during 1980 – 2010 including changes in Arctic Sea ice extent and changes in the distribution of coral reefs in the Caribbean Sea. They then use Google Earth to explore future world scenarios by examining the effects of a 2-meter rise in sea level on the existing landscape. Students then explore strategies at personal and societal levels to help reduce atmospheric carbon emissions levels.

Select learning activities with direct Web address links:

Investigating Weather and Climate with Google Earth
http://www.ei.lehigh.edu/eli/cc/sequence/day2.html
Students use Google Earth to explore global temperature changes. They use Google Earth to determine how the temperature of the Earth has changed during a recent 50 - 58 year period. They also explore, analyze, and interpret climate patterns of 13 different cities, and analyze differences between weather and climate patterns.

Atmospheric Gases
http://www.ei.lehigh.edu/eli/cc/sequence/day4.html
Students explore the variety and ratio of compounds and elements that make up the Earth's atmosphere. At the completion of this learning activity, students will understand volumetric measurements of gases in the atmosphere and visually depict the composition of the atmosphere.

Greenhouse Effect Lab
http://www.ei.lehigh.edu/eli/cc/sequence/day11.html
Students understand the importance of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere and that excess CO2 intensifies the greenhouse effect.

Paleoclimate Reconstruction Lab
http://www.ei.lehigh.edu/eli/cc/sequence/day13.html

In this lab investigation, students reconstruct past climates using lake varves as a proxy. They explore the use of lake varves as climate proxy data to interpret long-term climate patterns and understand annual sediment deposition and how it relates to weather and climate patterns.

Interactive Geologic Timeline Activity.

http://www.ei.lehigh.edu/eli/cc/sequence/day15.html
In this learning activity, students use a Web-based Geologic Timeline to understand how the climate has changed in the last 715 million years. They examine temperature, CO2 concentration, and ice cover data to investigate how climate has changed during the last 715 million years; understand that long term climate patterns provide evidence for fluctuating CO2 concentrations; and record and analyze a long-term global climate data set.

Carbon Calculator Activity
http://www.ei.lehigh.edu/eli/cc/sequence/day16.html
In this learning activity, students use a Web-based carbon calculator to determine their carbon footprint. Students examine their personal and household habits and choices in relation to their carbon footprint; identify which personal activities and household choices produce the most CO2 emissions; compare their carbon footprint to the U.S. and global averages; and identify lifestyle changes they can make to reduce their footprint.

Investigating Climate Hot Spots with Google Earth
http://www.ei.lehigh.edu/eli/cc/sequence/day17.html
Students use Google Earth to investigate areas affected by climate change.

Investigating Future Worlds with Google Earth (Part 1).
http://www.ei.lehigh.edu/eli/cc/sequence/day18.html
Students use Google Earth to explore evidence of climate change during 1980 - 2010. They use Google Earth to explore changes in the extent of Arctic Sea ice over a recent 30-year period, explore changes in the distribution of coral reefs in the Caribbean Sea, and understand that climate change will continue to affect our planet into the future.

Investigating Future Worlds with Google Earth (Part 2). http://www.ei.lehigh.edu/eli/cc/sequence/day19.html
Students will use Google Earth (version 5.2 or higher needed) to explore the effects of a 2-meter rise in sea level on the existing landscape. Students use the Google Earth elevation profile tool to understand the effects of sea level rise in 5 low lying coastal areas and explore changes in sea level in the Chesapeake Bay region.

The ELI Climate Change Web site includes detailed sequences for daily classroom instruction, student handouts, assessment information, and resources for the classroom. Content and pedagogical support materials for teachers are embedded throughout each unit's materials and teachers' guide, which includes suggested modifications to implement instructional materials for low-achieving students, students with disabilities, and those with English as a second language.

Assessments for each learning activity are available using the following login and password:
Login: eliteacher
Password: 87dja92

All assessments are located also at: http://www.ei.lehigh.edu/eli/cc/assess/ (Authentication Required)

Support materials are included at the bottom of each instructional sequence page on the Web site.

Climate change content support materials are housed at: http://www.ei.lehigh.edu/eli/cc/support/

Citation

(2012). Module: Climate Change: Environmental Literacy and Inquiry.