Download S2 Climate Change Unit - Calderglen High School

S2 GEOGRAPHY
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S2 Climate Change Unit
Why should we learn about climate change?
Many people make Climate Change and Global Warming a scary and difficult
thing to understand, but it’s not.
Scientists have warned that the world's climate has changed a lot, and has
affected many living and non-living things. Many places that were warmer are
now getting colder, and many colder regions are getting much colder or even
warmer.
Some people do not believe that these are caused by human activities. They
think it is all political and story telling intended to cause panic among humans.
Well, whatever it is, hopefully you would like to know more, and take a few good
points from this confusion, and use them to make our world a better place to
live.
If there are any words that you are not sure of in the unit try checking the
back of this booklet – there you will find a glossary of all the important terms
we will talk about. If you don’t find what you are looking for there ask your
teacher and they will help you.
What are we going to learn about in this unit?
Learning Objectives:
To understand…
 what is meant by ‘global footprint’ and to calculate your own.
 what is meant by the term ‘global warming’.
 what the ‘greenhouse effect’ is and how it occurs.
 the natural and human causes of climate change.
 the role that humans play in contributing to climate change.
 how burning fossil fuels can create problems on a global scale.
 the difference between renewable and non-renewable energy sources.
 some of the effects of global warming around the world.
 how we might start to experience more extreme weather if global
warming continues at it’s current rate.
 what our world might look like in the future if humans don’t change their
ways soon.
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The CfE Experiences and Outcomes you will cover in this unit include:
I can identify the possible consequences of an environmental issue and make
informed suggestions about ways to manage the impact.
SOC 3-08a
I can investigate the climate, physical features and living things of a natural
environment different from my own and explain their interrelationship.
SOC 3-10a
I can discuss the sustainability of key natural resources and analyse the
possible implications for human activity.
SOC 4-08a
I can develop my understanding of the interaction between humans and the
environment by describing and assessing the impact of human activity on an
area.
SOC 4-10a
I can identify threats facing the main climate zones, including climate change,
and analyse how these threats impact on the way of life.
SOC 4-12a
I can carry out a geographical enquiry to assess the impact and possible
outcomes of climate change on a selected region and can propose strategies to
slow or reverse the impact.
SOC 4-12b
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Lesson 1: An Introduction to Climate Change
Climate change has happened naturally many times before. The difference now
is that the change is happening quickly and humans are speeding it up.
Climate change is one of the biggest threats to our environment. It will have a
massive effect on how we live.
The earth is getting warmer because of a buildup
of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. These
gases trap heat from the sun. The most important
greenhouse gas is carbon dioxide.
Scientists have calculated that for temperature increases to be held to a
maximum of 2°C by 2050 the average global emissions per person should be 2
tons. Currently the global average is around 4 tons per person. Climate change is
not a small challenge. Big reductions are needed and schools have to play a part
in this.
TASK 1:
In groups of 3/4 write down in your jotters ways that you each contribute to
the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, separate your answers into
3 sections:
1) Before School
2) In School
3) After School
Each thing you do produces different amounts of CO2. These measurements are
used to calculate your carbon footprint
Ecological Footprint
Your ecological footprint is the amount of land needed to
sustain your life on earth. If all the land on Earth is divided
by the world’s population we can get some idea of what our
ecological footprint should be.
The figure that has been calculated is 1.8 hectares. By asking ourselves
questions about our own environmental behaviour we can get some idea of how
big our individual ecological footprint actually is.
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TASK 2: Calculate your eco footprint out of 50.
Answer the questions on the separate sheet your teacher has given you. Once
you have answered all the questions calculate your own footprint using the
information below. Copy the paragraph that relates to your amount into your
jotter.
How Big Is Your Footprint?
How did you do? For each a score 10, for each b score 5 and for each c score 0.
Big Feet if you have a score of 35+
Oh dear. It does not look like you've been at you're greenest. What you need to
realise is that adopting environmentally-friendly behaviour does not have to
hurt.
Perhaps you're worried that you'll have to sacrifice too much if you 'go green',
but this needn't be the case. Small changes in behaviour can benefit the
environment.
Average Feet if you score 20-35
You're doing OK. Maybe you recycle your waste or try to save electricity.
However, when it comes to green behaviour there's always more that you can
do.
Little Feet if you scored 0-20
Your halo is really shining. At this rate you'll soon be knitting your own tofu.
Joking aside you're making a really commendable contribution to the wellbeing
of the planet.
Global Footprint
EXTENSION TASK
Draw two footprints onto plain paper.
a) Divide one of the footprints into sections and decorate it to show each
aspect of your footprint: water, heating, paper, holiday, waste, transport,
food, electricity.
b) Now using the other footprint that you have drawn on the paper, divide it
into sections and decorate it to show how you could reduce each aspect of
your footprint e.g. water - turn the tap off when you brush your teeth,
heating - turn the thermostat down, etc.
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Lesson 2: Global Warming
The average global temperature has risen in the last hundred
years – and the years since 1980 have been the hottest on
record.
Global warming has a two sided argument on the causes – these
can be broken into natural causes of climate change and human
activities that result in climate changes.
TASK 3:
Copy a table like the one below into your jotters. Complete the table using the
words in the word bank.
Natural Causes
Word
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Human Causes
Bank
Explosions on the sun, creating sun spots
Large volcanic eruptions
Burning fossil fuels
Deforestation (burning trees producing CO2)
Methane is released from rubbish dumps
Changes in earth’s orientation towards the sun
Nitrous oxide is released from car exhausts and fertilisers
Changes in the earth orbit
Chlorofluorocarbons CFC’s from aerosols and fridges
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How Will Global Warming Affect Us?
Scientists agree that the earth will continue to grow warmer during the 21 st
century, but they do not agree about the causes or possible effects.
The Sun is Blamed for Global Warming
Scientists have dismissed claims that we can halt global warming by drastically cutting our
consumption of fossil fuels. New evidence has shown that the main causes of global warming is in
fact the sun. The temperature rise, previously blamed on fossil fuels, is mainly due to an
increase in the suns energy output. This increases periodically making the earth warmer. An
increase of just 0.2% in solar output has the same affect as doubling the amount of Carbon
Dioxide in the atmosphere.
Disaster Ahead, Warns the UN
The UN has warned of global environmental disaster if rich countries do not cut back on their
fossil fuel consumption. The increase in Carbon Dioxide from burning fossil fuels is mainly
responsible for global warming. Industrialised nations such as Britain could have to cut back on
their use of oil by as much as 90% to help avert catastrophic flooding and storms around the
world.
Global Warming is Natural, say Industrialists.
An American report has concluded that global warming is almost entirely natural and will happen
anyway no matter how little fossil fuel we burn. The amount of carbon dioxide added to the
atmosphere by industry makes virtually no difference. Environmentalists say they expect the
report to reach this conclusion, since the research was paid for by American Industrialists. The
USA produces over 20% of the worlds Carbon Dioxide, although it has only 5% of the worlds
population.
Global Warming – Cooler Britain?
Scientists in Britain are sharply divided over the possible effects of global warming on our
islands. Some say that global warming will mean a rise in temperature of about 3oC by the end of
the 21st centaury. An alternative viewpoint indicates that the opposite may happen, as the
northern polar ice cap begins to melt, a vast surge of cold water from the North Pole could
replace the warm North Atlantic Drift. The overall effect of this would be that temperatures in
Britain could fall by 3oC.
TASK 4:
Read the above newspaper clippings and answer the questions below.
1) Summarise the view on global warming outlined in each extract.
2) Why do you think experts can’t agree about the causes or effects of
global warming?
3) Why might some people such as industrialists want to argue that global
warming is a natural process?
4) Write a short paragraph about your own opinion. Do you think global
warming is a major problem? Is it important to you? Who should take
responsibility for global warming?
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Lesson 3: What Is The Greenhouse Effect?
The Earth’s atmosphere acts like the glass in a greenhouse. It is needed to keep
the planet warm enough for life to exist. Sunlight passes through the Earth’s
atmosphere and the Earth gives out infrared radiation. Certain gases trap some
radiation in the atmosphere, which keeps the Earth warm. This is called the
greenhouse effect. Having some greenhouse gases is a good thing. If it wasn’t
for these gases, Earth would be too cold to live on! However, the presence of
too many greenhouse gases can have a negative impact on the Earth.
TASK 5:
Copy the following paragraph into your jotters
The Earth is kept warm by the atmosphere, a blanket of gases that act like the
glass of a greenhouse. The greenhouse effect is the name given to the process
which causes the Earth to be warmer than it would have been in the absence of
an atmosphere. Having some greenhouse gases benefits the planet…but humans
keep adding to the greenhouse gases.
TASK 6:
Copy the following diagram into your jotters.
Solar
Radiation
Some of this heat
is then trapped by
the atmosphere.
The Earth
absorbs some of
the sun’s energy
and gives it out in
the form of heat.
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TASK 7:
Watch the following clip and then copy and complete the paragraph below using
the word bank:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_sJzVe9P_8
The _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ allows heat in. It then acts like the glass in a _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ and traps _ _ _ _ using various greenhouse _ _ _ _ _. This keeps the
earth from _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _.
Word Bank
Freezing
Greenhouse
Heat
Atmosphere
Gases
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Lesson 4: Causes of Climate Change
As we have already discussed, climate change has both natural and human
causes. More than 100 years ago, people around the world started burning large
amounts of coal, oil, and natural gas to power their homes, factories, and
vehicles. Today, most of the world relies on these fossil fuels for their energy
needs. Burning fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide, a heat-trapping gas, into the
atmosphere, which is the main reason why the climate is changing.
TASK 8:
Watch the following clip and answer the questions below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHrFBOUl6-8
1) What is the driving force behind Earth’s climate?
2) What happens to energy from the sun that gets through the Earth’s
atmosphere?
3) What do greenhouse gases act like?
4) What would happen if there were no greenhouse gases?
5) Explain how volcanoes can naturally affect Earth’s climate.
6) How much of our energy in the UK comes from fossil fuels?
7) What happens when fossil fuels are burned?
8) What is all the extra CO2 doing to the atmosphere? Why is this bad?
9) What do plants and trees do with CO2?
10) Why are forests being cut down?
11) How big is the Amazon rainforest?
12) How much are temperatures predicted to change over the next 100
years?
13) What has happened to large areas of the polar regions due to climate
change? Why is this bad?
14) What did the United Nations set up to help review research on climate
change?
15) What were the findings of the IPCC?
TASK 9:
Discussion: Do you think humans will be willing to cut back on their use of fossil
fuels in the future?
Write a short paragraph summarising your view and the views of your group.
Make sure to fully explain why you and your group think the way that you do.
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Lessons 5 & 6: Human Causes of Climate Change
Deforestation
Deforestation is the cutting down and clearing away of trees. Deforestation
used to be something that few people apart from environmentalists talked
about, but in the last 20 years or so it has received increasing attention from
governments and the media, and is now considered to be one of the world’s most
serious environmental problems.
Deforestation leads to the extinction of many species of forest animals and the
erosion of soil after trees have been removed, but the consequence of
deforestation that we hear most about is its contribution to global warming.
Trees naturally absorb carbon dioxide (CO2) from the Earth’s atmosphere, so
less trees means higher levels of CO2, which contributes to the atmosphere
becoming warmer. Many scientists estimate that about 20% of global warming
is due to deforestation.
Deforestation is taking place mostly in developing countries in tropical regions
of South and Southeast Asia, Central and South America, and Africa. Perhaps
the most well-known case is the decreasing size of the huge Amazon rainforest
in northern Brazil.
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Many people around the world say these developing countries should do more to
protect their forests – although the developing countries could point out that
most of the world’s developed countries destroyed most of their own forests
many centuries ago.
In some cases deforestation is caused by poor people who want to use the wood
for fuel or to clear a small amount of land in order to grow food for their
families. In many cases, however, it happens because there are large profits to
be made – for example from selling the wood, or from growing crops (such as
soybeans) or raising animals (such as cattle, for beef) on the land after the
trees have gone. Produce from deforested land is often exported, so there is
often a link between what people choose to buy in their local shops and what
happens to forests in countries thousands of miles away.
TASK 10:
Your teacher will give you a blank map of the world. Use the map on the previous
page and the PowerPoint to help complete your own map showing the countries
where deforestation is the most extreme. Don’t forget to include a key to show
what each colour represents!
Increase of Methane
Methane is the second most significant cause of greenhouse warming, behind
carbon dioxide. Bessie, the cow, and her many brothers and sisters are one of
the greatest methane emitters. Bessie's grassy diet and multiple stomachs
cause her to produce methane, which she exhales with every breath. The sheer
size of her herds makes a significant contribution to global warming.
This cow is not camping, but living the green life. A catheter carries methane
gas from her intestine to her backpack. It's part of a pilot program in
Argentina to create energy for outlying areas. (Photo: intainforma.inta.gov).
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TASK 11:
Using the graphs above answer the following questions:
1) What do you notice about the world population and the amount of
methane in the atmosphere?
2) Can you think of any reasons for this?
Transport Emissions
Transport accounts for at least 22% of greenhouse gas emissions in the EU and
this is set to continue growing. Between 1990 and 2006, transport emissions
increased by almost 35% while emissions from other sectors decreased by
about 3%.
UK Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Transport
Vehicle
Percentage
Cars and Taxis
58
Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs)
17.2
Light Vans
12.5
Buses and Coaches
4.3
Motorcycles
0.5
Rail
1.8
Domestic Aviation
1.6
Domestic Shipping
1.3
Other
2.8
As you can see from the table above, car and taxi transport accounts for over
half of all transport emissions. Total greenhouse gas emissions from all forms of
road transport amounted to 125.3 million tonnes in 2002, an increase of 13%
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since 1990. Greenhouse gas emissions from road transport now make up 18% of
all greenhouse gas emissions compared with 14% in 1990.
In 2015 Volkswagen became embroiled in one of the biggest corporate scandals
of recent years. The German car maker had been installing "defeat devices" software that allowed cars to cheat in emissions tests, making them appear
cleaner than they actually were.
Volkswagen's software allowed it to beat the tests in a lab, but when on the
road with emissions controls switched off, cars would pump out nitrogen oxide a pollutant - at up to 40 times the legal limit. The software "knew" when it was
being tested, allowing it to switch emissions controls on and off. Volkswagen had
been installing the software in certain models of its cars for at least six years.
While investigating the scandal, VW found that around 800,000 cars also had
irregularities around carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, which contributes to global
warming. Volkswagen has admitted that there were 11m vehicles with the
cheating software, including Audi, SEAT and Skoda models, as well as VW vans.
Around 1.2m cars in the UK were affected.
However, Volkswagen is not the only car manufacturer whose cars emit more
than they are legally allowed.
TASK 12:
Create a bar graph using the information from the table titled ‘UK Greenhouse
Gas Emissions from Transport’ on the previous page.
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Air Transport
Organic farmers face ruin as rich nations agonise over food miles
50% increase of organic produce sold in Britain is imported. 140% increase in
the carbon footprint of air freighted food to Britain since 1992 150,000 in
Kenya depend on organic farming
A group of 34 farmers, the Waging Organic Farmers’ Group, in a village outside
Nairobi, Kenya, live in a brick and corrugated iron dwelling, have no car, use
little electricity, fertilise with cow manure, live off less than 50p per day. They
changed to organic farming 4 years ago by learning new techniques. This was a
prime example of ‘Trade not Aid’. However, they are facing financial ruin
because the Soil Association, which certifies 80% of organic produce in the UK,
has threatened to take away their organic certification because their produce
is transported to Britain by air.
The Times Newspaper, August 2 2007
TASK 13:
Write a letter to the times newspaper in reply to this report. In your letter you
should write if you agree or disagree with importing food from different
countries, you should give quotes from the newspaper report to back up your
letter and also use your background knowledge in order to get your point across.
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Lesson 7: Burning Fossil Fuels
Fossil fuels include coal, oil and gas. These are called fossil fuels because they
have been formed from the fossilized remains of prehistoric animals and plants.
Fossil fuels provide around 66% of the world's electrical power and 95% of the
world's total energy demands (including heating, transport, electricity
generation and other uses).
Each year the world releases more than 6 billion tonnes of carbon in the form of
carbon dioxide (CO2) from the burning of fossil fuels (oil, coal and gas). These
emissions have continued to increase at around 2% per year for several decades.
The burning of fossil fuels is responsible for 80% of global man made
greenhouse gas emissions.
How it Works
Energy Thieves
1. Electrical appliances – switch them off!
TVs, DVD players, PlayStations, Xboxes, Wiis, phone chargers,
computers, projectors, electronic whiteboards – all eat lots of energy in
‘standby mode’. A photocopier left on overnight uses enough energy to
produce over 1,500 copies.
2. Radiators – turn down the heat!
Keep your thermostat at 18-20°C. Put a jumper on if you are cold.
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3. Lights – do you really need them on?
Switch off lights when you leave a room. Traditional light bulbs waste
90% of the electricity they use as heat. Energy saving light bulbs last
around 10 times longer – switching just one bulb could save 26 kilograms
of carbon dioxide a year!
4. Windows and doors – keep them closed!
When you leave doors or windows open, and radiators on, heat escapes
through the open spaces. Your radiators will have to use more energy to
heat your school or home. What a waste!
Task 14: Energy Savers Game!
You are going to play a board game to help you understand how YOUR energy use
can link to global warming.
Collect a set of instructions, a game board, a set of game cards, a bag of stars
and a die from your teacher.
Who has the most energy-saving stars?
Task 15:
Design a ‘Stop the energy thieves’ poster for other classes to look at.
Homework 1:
Another way that we can prevent energy waste is by reducing the amount of
rubbish we create, reusing items whenever we can and recycling what we can’t
reuse.
Your teacher will give you a worksheet titled ‘How much of a waster are you?’
You are going to record the amount of rubbish that you and your family throw
away in one week. Once you have completed this answer the questions based on
your results.
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Lesson 8: Renewable and Non-Renewable Resources
Humans use the environment for lots of different reasons. We use the natural
resources provided by the environment, such as coal and water. Resources are
things that we need to live: for example, we use coal to produce power and we
use water to drink, wash and cook with. We use lots of resources to give us
energy – power.
Some of these resources that provide us with energy are renewable. This means
that they can be used over and over again. Other resources are non-renewable.
This means that when they have been used they cannot be used again.
TASK 16:
Can you tell which of these natural resources are renewable and which are nonrenewable? Copy the following into your jotters and write beside each if they
are renewable or non-renewable.
Coal
Water
Wind
Wood
Oil
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
Renewable Energy
1. Hydroelectric Power (HEP)
HEP is the most popular type of renewable energy. In some countries, it
represents most of the energy produced. HEP provides over 70% of
Brazil’s electricity and about 20% of world electricity supplies.
A dam is built to trap water, usually in a valley where there is an existing
lake. Water is allowed to flow through tunnels in the dam, turning
turbines and driving electricity generators. HEP stations can produce a
great deal of power very cheaply.
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2. Solar Energy
The Sun is 150 million kilometres away, and amazingly powerful! Just the
tiny fraction of the Sun's energy that hits the Earth (around a hundredth
of a millionth of a percent) is enough to meet all our power needs many
times over. In fact, every minute, enough energy arrives at the Earth to
meet our demands for a whole year…if only we could harness it properly.
3. Wave Energy
Ocean waves are caused by the wind as it blows across the sea. Waves
are a powerful source of energy. The problem is that it's not easy to
harness this energy and convert it into electricity in large amounts.
At a wave power station, the waves arriving cause the water in the
chamber to rise and fall, which means that air is forced in and out of the
hole in the top of the chamber. A turbine is placed in this hole, which is
turned by the air rushing in and out. This turbine turns a generator which
then supplies the electricity.
4. Wind Power
A wind energy system transforms the moving energy of the wind into
mechanical or electrical energy that can be used.
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A wind turbine works the opposite of a fan. Instead of using electricity
to make wind, like a fan, wind turbines use wind to make electricity. The
wind turns the blades, which connect to a generator and make electricity.
5. Geothermal Energy
The centre of the Earth is around 6000°C- easily hot enough to melt
rock. Even a few kilometres down, the temperature can be over 250°C if
the Earth's crust is thin. In general, the temperature rises 1°C for every
30 - 50 metres you go down. Sometimes we can use that heat. Geothermal
energy has been used for thousands of years in some countries for
cooking and heating. The name "geothermal" comes from two Greek
words: "geo" means "Earth" and "thermal" means "heat".
Hot rocks underground heat water to produce steam. We drill holes down to the
hot region, steam comes up, is purified and used to drive turbines, which drive
electric generators.
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TASK 17: The Lewis Wind Farm Debate
A new wind farm is proposed to be located on the Isle of Lewis in Scotland.
Isle of Lewis
The £500 million project could make the UK a leader in clean energy. The
projects first stage would see 234 of the world’s largest wind turbines towering
over thousand of acres of land on the Isle of Lewis. Britain could double its
renewable energy capacity! The electricity generated would be exported via a
350 mile undersea cable, possibly to Merseyside or North Wales.
1. Put the heading ‘The Lewis Wind Farm Debate’ in your jotter.
2. Divide your page into 2 – on one side put the heading ‘for’ and on the
other put ‘against’.
3. Now you will be divided into groups of 3/4. Each person will be given a
card that represents the view point of different groups.
4. Take it in turns to read out your view point to the rest of the group.
5. Then as a group decide whether the views are for or against the
development.
6. List them under the correct headings in your jotter and say why they are
for or against the wind farm.
7. Having heard the arguments for and against, what do you think? Write a
paragraph in your jotter explaining your opinion.
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EXTENSION TASK
Listed below are six ways that you can help conserve energy. Match the start of
the sentence (the head) with the correct end of the sentence (the tail). Copy
each complete sentence into your jotter.
Heads
1. Do an energy audit in your
home. Check ways to make
your home more energy
efficient. Make energy…
2. Plant shade trees around
your house. This will make
your house…
3. Recycle where possible.
Recycling certain items such
as aluminum cans can save…
4. Try to buy recycled
products, and buy products
that…
5. Use your appliances
efficiently. For example, run
dishwashers and washing…
Tails
…exercise and it saves energy!
…saving changes if possible, such
as improving insulation, installing
storm doors and windows,
stopping drafts under doors and
around windows, and installing
devices that reduce hot water
consumption.
…warm clothes inside your house!
In the summer, wear cool, loose
clothes. Try not to turn on
heating until it gets really cold.
… enormous amounts of energy.
… use minimum packaging.
6. Dress for the season! In the
winter, wear….
…machines only when you have
full loads, wash clothes in cold
water, don’t overheat your hot
water, use a clothes line instead
of the dryer.
7. If possible, walk or ride a
bike to school or around
town. It’s good….
… cooler and lessen the need for
air conditioning in the summer.
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Lesson 9: Effects of Global Warming
Global warming is already having significant and costly effects on our
communities, our health, and our climate – locally and on worldwide scale.
Increasing global temperature means that ecosystems will change; some species
are being forced out of their habitats (possibly to extinction). Lessened snow
cover, rising sea levels, and weather changes, may influence not only human
activities but also plants and animals. Animal and plant species are becoming
extinct at an alarming rate. It has been estimated that in the rain forests
alone, over a hundred plant, animal and insect species are lost each day!
Some other effects of global warming are show in the diagram below:
We are now going to look at some of these effects in greater detail.
1. Rising Sea Levels
If global warming continues, the oceans will heat up and expand causing an
increase in the level of the sea. The melting of ice sheets in Greenland and
Antarctica could be another major cause of sea level rise. Sea levels have been
rising by about 1-2mm each year for the past 100 years. Current predictions
suggest that the sea level may rise by another half a meter in the next 100
years. Higher sea levels will threaten the low-lying coastal areas of the world
such as the Netherlands (Holland) and Bangladesh, and many low-lying islands in
the Pacific and Indian Oceans.
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TASK 18:
1) Write a short paragraph on what the comic above is trying to show.
2) Draw your own comic or series of comics with the theme of ‘sea levels
rising’.
2. Species Threatened
Animals and plants that are suited to cooler climates will need to move further
towards the poles when the climate becomes even just that little warmer. Fish
in the North Sea have been observed moving northwards too – fish stocks that
used to be common around Cornwall have moved as far north as the Shetland
and Orkney Islands!
Scientists predict that global warming could contribute to the mass extinction
of wild animals in the near future.
An overheating world is creating a big change in climatic conditions and this can
harm the delicate ecosystems in which species live. Threatened species can
already be found all over the world.
TASK 19: ICT – Complete for homework (2)
Choose an animal from the next page, or any other species that are at risk as a
result of climate change, and write a report on that animal. You should include:
• Where the animal lives.
• Why is it under threat?
• Possible ways the species can be helped.
A useful website to use is the World Wildlife Fund:
http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/aboutcc/problems/impacts/species/
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Species Threatened By Climate Change
Canada - The Polar Bear
South America - Sea Turtles
America - The North Atlantic Right
Whale
China - The Giant Panda
Indonesia - The Orang-Utan
Africa - Elephants
Australia - Frog
India - Tigers
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Lesson 10, 11 & 12: Extreme Weather
Extreme weather and natural disasters occur all the time all over the world.
These include heat waves, river and coastal flooding, droughts, landslides,
storms, hurricanes, tornadoes. However, if the Earth warms up because of manmade pollution, some of these extremes may become more intense and may
occur more frequently. This may have a negative effect on society as these
events damage homes and villages and can lead to loss of life.
Global warming is expected to increase the amount of moisture in the air
because more water is evaporating from ponds, rivers, lakes, and oceans. In
many places this will lead to an increase in rainfall causing more frequent floods
and landslides. However, some places may receive less.
TASK 20
1. Your teacher will let you watch PART of the DVD – “The Day After
Tomorrow.”
2. While watching the film you should be taking notes on some of the main
effects of global warming and how the environment and the weather
change.
3. In small groups write your own 5 minute short film script based upon what
you have seen in “The Day After Tomorrow”.
4. Perform your play in front of the class.
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Lesson 13: Global Warming in the Future
TASK 21:
It is the year 2106. Global warming has happened, with a 5°C rise in global
temperatures and the melting of the sea ice at the poles.
London is no longer Britain's capital city, weather patterns all over the world
have changed, and huge areas of the world, including Bangladesh and much of
Egypt, are under water.
Write a report as though you were a historian looking back to the events of
2000–2015.
You might want to mention:
• How climate change began to happen?
• Why was so little done to prevent the problem?
• Who was to blame?
• What lessons have been learnt?
Plus any other information that you can include.
The report should be a minimum of 1 A4 page.
EXTENSION TASK:
Complete the climate change wordsearch.
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Glossary
Atmosphere
The gases that surround the earth.
Climate Change
Changes in the earth's weather, especially the
increase in the earth’s temperature that is caused by
the increase of greenhouse gases.
Deforestation
The clearing of trees, transforming a forest into
cleared land.
Ecosystem
All living things in an area, interacting with each other,
and also with their environment.
Emissions
Something that is produced or sent out.
Extinction
When something no longer exists e.g. a plant or an
animal.
Fossil Fuels
A fuel such as coal or gas that is formed from the
remains of living organisms.
Geothermal Energy
Energy made from the heat of the earth.
Global Warming
A gradual increase in the overall temperature of the
earth's atmosphere.
Greenhouse Gases
A gas that contributes to the greenhouse effect by
absorbing energy.
Hydroelectric Power
Energy made from the movement of water.
Non-renewable Energy
A resource that cannot be replaced when it is used up,
such as oil, natural gas or coal.
Renewable Energy
Energy from a source that does not run out, such as
wind or solar power.
Solar Energy
Energy from the sun’s rays.
Species
A group of similar living things.
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