"Warming of the climate system is unequivocal." This statement, in the
2007 IPCC report, could not be more clear. Of all the anthropogenic effects on the environment studied by this course, global warming has the most dire consequences for human society. Yet, this is also one of the most debated ideas in the curriculum, and may contain the most misconceptions. The purpose of this unit is to give students a clear understanding of the underlying science behind global warming, the observations and data that support its continued increase, and the known links betwen global warming and human influences An Inconvenient Truth Discussion Question WorksheetAn Inconvenient Truth, a documentary produced based on Al Gore's global warming Powerpoint, remains the most complete and comprehensive
examination of the causes and effects of global warming. While the Inconvenient Truth very much takes on the view that global warming is primarily an anthropogenic (human-created) phenomenon, its data and conclusions are largely consistent with the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report of 2007. This worksheet presents discussion questions based on the big ideas from each of the main sections of the Inconvenient Truth documentary. I decided to omit any questions are asked from the sections of the movie that center on Al Gore's biography. Typically when I show this movie in class, I skip through those sections. The focus here is completely on the science of global warming and its impacts on our civilization. Instructors may experience better results with this documentary if they skip through the biographic sections entirely. Planet Earth - Ice WorldsThis is a worksheet set for students to complete as they watch the Planet Earth
ice worlds video. This episode provides a good discussion point for the impacts of humans on remote ecosystems, specifically through global climate change. Contrasts are also drawn between arctic ecosystems, which do have growing seasons, and antarctic ones, which do not. |
Global Warming and Climate Change
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"Global Warming & Climate Change"
"Warming of the climate system is unequivocal." IPCC - Fourth Report