This teacher website provides a comprehensive lesson unit on the structure of Earth's atmosphere and how it sustains and impacts life on Earth and its ecosystems. Includes labeled diagrams, student worksheets, a slideshow, flashcards, and links to an interactive lab, videos, and resource sites.
This video/slideshow provides an explanation that explains how greenhouse gases that cause further warming. [2:14]
Students learn about using renewable energy from the Sun for heating and cooking as they build and compare the performance of four solar cooker designs. They explore the concepts of insulation, reflection, absorption, conduction and convection.
Earth's atmosphere contains greenhouse gases. Find out what these gases are and where they come from. Also link to other information about how greenhouse gases contribute to climate change.
Air pollution occurs both inside and outside and is dangerous to individuals as well as to the planet. The Environmental Protection Agency oversees laws and regulations related to air quality and has gathered a wealth of information to help individuals understand the issue and address air pollution problems.
An earth science collection where students can explore earthquakes, volcanoes, and more natural phenomena. The collection uses videos and interactive activities to investigate our dynamic planet and earth systems.
The atmosphere provides many important functions for Earth.
A free CK-12 account is required to view all materials.
This study guide summarizes key points about global efforts to reduce greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Includes a few questions to check for understanding.
A free CK-12 account is required to view all materials.
This article aligns the concepts of Essential Principle 2 of the Climate Sciences to the K-5 content standards of the National Science Education Standards. The author also identifies common misconceptions about heat and the greenhouse gases effect and offers resources for assessing students' understanding of interactions among components of the Earth system. This article continues the examination of the climate sciences and climate literacy on which the online magazine Beyond Weather and the Water Cycle is structured.
Students study past climate change, explore the effect of greenhouse gases on Earth's atmosphere today, and consider human impact on global warming.
This video segment adapted from NOVA/FRONTLINE demonstrates the physical property of carbon dioxide that causes the greenhouse effect. Includes background reading and discussion questions. [2:26]
This video segment adapted from NOVA/FRONTLINE examines the greenhouse effect, its role in keeping Earth habitable, and the industrial changes that have led to an increase in the planet's average temperature. Includes background reading and discussion questions. [2:15]
Students explore heat transfer and energy efficiency using the context of energy efficient houses. They gain a solid understanding of the three types of heat transfer: radiation, convection and conduction, which are explained in detail and related to the real world. They learn about the many ways solar energy is used as a renewable energy source to reduce the emission of greenhouse gasses and operating costs. Students also explore ways in which a device can capitalize on the methods of heat transfer to produce a beneficial result. They are given the tools to calculate the heat transferred between a system and its surroundings.
A detailed overview of the greenhouse effect, with explanations about Earth's atmosphere gases referred to as greenhouse gases, and the factors that influence the heat-trapping ability of a greenhouse. All information is reinforced through pictures, graphs, and learning activities. Learning activities give background, procedure, and assessment ideas.
Students learn about the advantages and disadvantages of the greenhouse effect. They construct their own miniature greenhouses and explore how their designs take advantage of heat transfer processes to create controlled environments. They record and graph measurements, comparing the greenhouse indoor and outdoor temperatures over time. Students are also introduced to global issues such as greenhouse gas emissions and their relationship to global warming.
This article looks at the growing energy consumption from consumer electronics and the increases it may cause in greenhouse gases and global warming. The article appears in the free, online magazine Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears.
Where does carbon dioxide - the gas that's mainly responsible for warming up our planet and changing the climate - come from? This video answers that important question. [2:49]
Students learn about solar energy and how to calculate the amount of solar energy available at a given location and time of day on Earth. The importance of determining incoming solar energy for solar devices is discussed.
Video talks about the carbon cycle and uses a computer as a metaphor to show how the cycle can be disrupted by climate change. [3:55] Includes a short quiz and a list of additional resources to explore.
This article examines the European Union's decision to join the Kyoto Treaty and the the scientific evidence that supports global warming.