Download 1a) What is climate change?

1a) What is climate change?
LEARNING OBJECTIVE:
Children gain an
understanding of basic facts
about climate change.
CURRICULUM LINKS: Citizenship 2a
English En2: 3c, 3f, 5a
Geography 2a
This section aims to provide an introduction and establish the facts
about climate change.
Within the class there will be a variation in level of knowledge and
understanding about climate change. Some children may have no
knowledge at all, or there might be lots of confusion over its meaning.
Suggested Activities:
• Start with a round of initial questions, on either a ‘hands-up’
basis or as open questions for the class to answer individually.
Important ones to cover are: ‘Who has heard of climate change?’
‘What does climate change mean?’ ‘Is climate change important?’
‘Are you worried about climate change?’
• Use Resource 1: Climate Change: True or False to gauge their level
of knowledge. This activity can be repeated at the end of Section 1
to see if their score improves.
• Information is provided on Info Sheet 1: Climate Facts and Info
Sheet 2: What the Scientists Say. These should be used to
increase children’s knowledge and remove confusion. They can be
used as they are or adapted into a game, for example matching
the questions and answers.
More detailed information is provided in Teacher’s Notes 1: Climate
Change Background if required.
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Resource 1: Climate Change: True or False
How much do you know about climate change?
Which of these sentences are true, and which are false? Put a tick [3] in the box depending on whether
you think it’s True or False.
TRUE
FALSE
1. The Earth’s climate has always been the same.
2. Recent climate change is mainly due to natural causes.
3. Scientists are sure that climate change is caused by humans.
4. Carbon dioxide is a gas which causes global warming.
5. “Global warming” and “climate change” mean the same thing.
6. The ten hottest ever summers have been since 1990.
7. Scientists predict the temperature will keep on rising.
8. Global warming will cause more storms and bad weather.
9. Travelling by car is good for the environment.
10. Climate change won’t have a big effect in the future.
What was your score?
/ 10
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Resource 1: Answers
Climate Change: True or False
1. The Earth’s climate has always been the same. (FALSE)
The earth’s temperature has changed greatly over time, for
example during recent ice ages.
2. Recent climate change is mainly due to natural causes. (FALSE)
Scientists have linked human-caused emissions and recent
climate change.
3. Scientists are sure that climate change is caused by humans.
(TRUE)
Recently almost all scientists have decided on human causes.
4. Carbon dioxide is a gas which causes global warming. (TRUE)
It’s the most common greenhouse gas.
5. Global warming and climate change mean the same thing.
(FALSE)
Climate change can mean a decrease in temperature in some
places. Global warming is our most recent experience of climate
change.
6. The ten hottest ever summers have been since 1990. (TRUE)
7. Scientists predict the temperature will keep on rising. (TRUE)
8. Global warming will cause more storms and bad weather in the
UK. (TRUE)
There will be increased evaporation over the oceans with warmer
temperatures leading to stormier weather.
9. Travelling by car is good for the environment. (FALSE)
It’s one of the main sources of carbon dioxide.
10. Climate change won’t have a big effect in the future. (FALSE)
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Info Sheet 1
Climate Change Facts
What is climate change?
A change in the normal weather we experience. We may notice a
change in temperature, or in the amount of rainfall, or even how windy
it is.
Is climate change the same as global warming?
No. Global warming is the name given to the climate change we have
noticed happening recently.
What is global warming?
In the last 100 years the Earth has got warmer. The global
temperature has risen by 0.7°C, which is a big change.
Is global warming caused by humans?
Scientists have agreed that gases released into the atmosphere by
humans have caused recent global warming.
Has climate change happened before?
Climate change has happened all through the Earth’s history due to
natural causes. The land which London is now built on was in an ice
age 50,000 years ago, and was a tropical swamp 150,000 years ago.
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Info Sheet 2
What the scientists say
“We have noticed that the global temperature
has increased by 0.7°C in the last 100 years”
“Most global warming has been caused by people
putting gases into the atmosphere”
“Global warming has already had lots of
effects all over the world”
“We think it will continue to happen and that global
temperature will rise by at least 2°C in the next
100 years”
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Teacher’s Notes 1
What is Climate Change?: Background Information
Our understanding of climate change is constantly developing, and
many different opinions and interpretations of the information exist.
Terms are often interchanged and easily confused. In these notes
we provide some definitions of terms and an update on the current
scientific understanding of climate change.
Definitions
Climate: The average weather conditions of specific area, e.g. the
UK’s climate is warm and wet.
Weather: Specific conditions in a place over a short time, e.g. today’s
weather will be sunshine and showers.
Climate Change: When the average weather conditions of a place
start to change i.e. average temperature, rainfall, wind direction is
different. This takes a number of years to be confirmed.
Global Warming: A type of climate change, where global average
temperature increases.
Hole in the Ozone layer: A separate process, where human produced
gases have chemically affected ozone, an atmospheric gas that filters
UV rays from the Sun. This process has no link to or effect on climate
change.
Climate Change Background
The Earth’s climate has changed many times in the past. For example,
over the last 2 million years there have been over 20 ice ages where
global temperatures have dropped and massive ice sheets have
formed. This climate change was caused by small variations in the
Earth’s orbit.
Past climate change has always been due to natural causes. Events
such as massive volcanic eruptions, or meteorite strikes release dust
into the atmosphere which blocks out the sun and leads to global
cooling. Such an event has been blamed for the extinction of the
dinosaurs 65 million years ago.
However, recent climate change is linked to human emissions of
gases into the atmosphere, and is thought to be occurring faster than
any previous change.
Current Scientific Position
In 2007 the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change)
released their Fourth Report into climate change. The Panel is
made up of the world’s top climate scientists and is independent of
governments and industry.
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In this report they have stated a ‘very high confidence’ that human
activity is responsible for recent observed climate change.
They have also predicted that by 2100 the global average temperature
will have increased by between 1.8 and 4.0°C, depending on action
taken this century.
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1b) What are the causes of climate change?
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
Children develop knowledge
of the science behind climate
change and the main agents
that are causing it.
CURRICULUM LINKS:
Citizenship 2a
Mathematics: Ma4: 1f, 2b, 2e,
2f
Geography 2a, 4b, 5a, 6e
Science Sc1: 2c, 2d, 2e, 2f, 2i,
2j, 2k, 2l
This section aims to provide an understanding of the science behind
climate change through learning about the greenhouse effect and the
main sources of greenhouses gases.
THE GREENHOUSE EFFECT
This is the main process by which climate change is happening.
Gases in the atmosphere naturally trap a certain amount of the
Sun’s heat to keep the Earth warm enough for life. However, human
emissions of these gases have led to the Greenhouse Effect being
enhanced, and the Earth becoming warmer and warmer.
A more detailed explanation is provided in Teacher’s Notes 2: The
Greenhouse Effect.
Suggested activities:
• Get the children to read Resource 2: How does Global Warming
happen? More information is provided on Info Sheet 3: The
Greenhouse Effect.
• Test their knowledge with Resource 3: The Greenhouse Game. Get
the class to use the cartoon to help, especially when putting the
sentences in order.
• Undertake some practical science with Resource 4: The
Greenhouse Experiment. This will need to be carried out on a
sunny day, and the longer the jars are left out the better.
• There is a lot of information on the internet about the Greenhouse
Effect, so the class could do some further research. A list of
useful websites is provided in the Additional Information section.
SOURCES OF GREENHOUSE GASES
Human activity and the addition of Greenhouse Gases to the
atmosphere are largely thought to have led to current global
warming. Certain emitters of Greenhouse Gases are more important
contributors than others.
Suggested activities:
• Info Sheet 3: Greenhouse Effect provides information on sources
of Greenhouse Gases.
• Photos of the main sources of Greenhouse Gases have been
provided as Resource 5: Emitters of Greenhouse Gases along
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with a response sheet. The largest emitters are power stations,
followed by aeroplanes and then cars.
HOW DO WE KNOW CLIMATE CHANGE IS HAPPENING?
The class can use primary data to see the changes in temperature
over the 20th Century.
Suggested activities
• Use the data from Resource 6: Climate data to create graphs
showing temperature change over time. An interpretation sheet is
also provided.
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Teacher’s Notes 2
The Greenhouse Effect: Scientific Background
The Greenhouse Effect is the process by which global warming is happening, so called because certain
gases in the atmosphere trap heat around the Earth acting like a Greenhouse.
Almost all of the Earth’s energy is derived from the Sun. Solar energy is transmitted to the Earth through
space. Most of the energy passes through the atmosphere and is absorbed by the land. Some of the rays
don’t make it as they are reflected immediately back into space by particles in the atmosphere.
As the Earth heats up it starts to emit its own thermal heat rays (in the Infra-Red part of the spectrum).
These rays have a different wavelength to those from the Sun. Some of the energy passes through the
atmosphere and is travels out to space, whereas about 30% is absorbed and stored by atmospheric
gases.
Without this heat being absorbed the Earth’s average temperature would be -18°c, compared the current
average of 15°c. The Greenhouse Effect is essential for life on Earth to exist.
The gases which are responsible for the Greenhouse Effect are known as Greenhouse gases. The most
common and important gases are:
• Carbon Dioxide
• Methane
• Nitrous Oxides
• Water Vapour
• Ozone
• Halocarbons (found in aerosols and refridgerants)
Human - sourced emissions of these gases has led to their increased concentration in the atmosphere.
This has led to the greenhouse effect becoming enhanced. With more thermal energy being absorbed
there has been an increase in average global temperatures – a phenomenon known as global warming.
The main human-related sources of greenhouse gases are:
• Burning fossil fuels (coal, oil and gas)
• Air travel
• Road and rail travel
• Deforestation and burning trees
Historic concentrations of the greenhouse gases and global temperatures are shown in the table below.
The link can be easily seen.
Year
1750
1900
2005
Carbon Dioxide (ppm)
280
295
379
Methane (ppb)
715
800
1774
Nitrous Oxides (ppb)
270
275
319
Global Average T (°c)
13.7
14.5
Source: IPCC 4AR
ppm = parts per million, ppb = parts per billion
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Resource 2
Because of the GREENHOUSE EFFECT.
The Earth receives warmth from the Sun. Gases in the
atmosphere trap some of the Sun’s heat and keep the
earth warm. These are called GREENHOUSE GASES.
Without the Greenhouse Effect the Earth
would be –18 c, too cold for life.
Why is there a problem then?
We’ve been adding too many gases to the
atmosphere.
the earth is getting too hot.
This is global warming.
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Info Sheet 3
The Greenhouse Effect
The Greenhouse Effect is very important for life on Earth. The Sun
provides the warmth that makes life on Earth possible.
Gases in the atmosphere absorb the Sun’s heat and keep the Earth
at an average temperature of 15°C. Without these gases, the Earth’s
average temperature would be – 18°C.
These are called Greenhouse Gases.
The most important Greenhouse Gases are:
• Carbon Dioxide
• Methane
• Nitrous Oxides
Human activities have led to a larger amount of greenhouse gases
being in the atmosphere. Much more of the Sun’s heat is being
trapped and this is causing Global Warming.
The main sources of Greenhouse gases from humans are:
• Burning fossil fuels for energy
• Fumes from cars, lorries, aeroplanes and trains
• Cutting down and burning trees
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Resource 3
The Greenhouse Game
1. In each box, draw a picture to go with the caption.
2. Cut out the boxes
3. Arrange them in the right order – use the cartoon [Resource 2] to help you.
Without Greenhouses
gases, it would be -18°c
on Earth.
The Earth is heated by the
Sun’s rays.
Humans have been
adding greenhouse gases
to the atmosphere.
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Too much heat is being
trapped and the Earth is
getting hotter.
The Sun’s heat is
trapped by gases in the
atmosphere. This keeps
the Earth warm.
The Greenhouse Game
3
2
1
4
5
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Resource 4
The Greenhouse Experiment
Equipment: 2 glass jars (jam jars)
1 small plastic bag
Thermometer
1. Fill the two jam jars with an equal amount of cold water
2. Check their temperature with the thermometer. Record it below.
Jar 1
Jar 2
3. Cover Jar 1 with a small plastic bag and tie the top so no air can escape. This is your ‘Greenhouse’.
4. Leave both jars in the sun for at least one hour.
5. Measure the temperature of the water in the jars again. Record it below.
Jar 1
Jar 2
Is there any difference between the two jars? Write your observations below.
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Resource 5: Emitters of Greenhouse Gases
Photo Activity
The photos show some of the main ways that humans are putting greenhouse gases into the
atmosphere.
• Burning fuels in power stations to make electricity.
• Using aeroplanes.
• Using cars to travel.
Answer the questions below by putting the photos into the right order. Write the symbols in the spaces
provided, from the highest to the lowest.
1. Which do you think creates the most pollution?
2. Which one do YOU use the most?
3. Which would be the easiest to change?
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Resource 6
Climate data
The table below shows the average temperature for the UK for each decade since the 1900s.
Decade
1900s
1910s
1920s
1930s
1940s
1950s
1960s
1970s
1980s
1990s
2000s
Average
Temperature (°C)
9.1
9.3
9.4
9.6
9.7
9.5
9.3
9.5
9.5
10.1
10.4
(c) Crown Copyright 2007, the Met Office
Use some graph paper to plot a line graph of the average temperature.
Which decade has the lowest average temperature? Which decade has the highest average temperature? Describe what the graph shows below.
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1c) What do people think about climate change?
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
Children become aware of
the range of opinions held
about climate change.
This section aims to raise the class’ awareness of the range of views
held about climate change within their community and the wider world.
CURRICULUM LINKS:
Citizenship 1a, 2a, 5e
English En1: 1f, 2b, 2e En2:
2a, 3f
Geography 1d, 7c
• Conduct a survey using questionnaires. An example is given as
Resource 7: Questionnaire. The class can either survey their
family and friends, or members of the public as fieldwork
Suggested activities:
• Get them to look through the newspapers and find articles related
to climate change. What opinions are expressed about climate
change? Does everyone agree? Get them to differentiate between
facts and opinion in the articles.
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Resource 7
Questionnaire
1. Do you think Climate Change is important?
Yes
q
No
q
2. Do you think it will have an effect on the future?
q
q
q
Yes, it will have a big impact
Yes, but only a little
No, I don’t think it will have an effect
3. Is climate change something you are worried about?
Yes
q
No
q
Why?
4. Who do you think is responsible for tackling climate change?
q
q
q
Government
Council
Individuals
5. What is the most important thing that you think can be done about climate change?
Thank you for your time
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