ENVS UNIT PLAN: Earths Changing Climate STAGE ONE IDENTIFY DESIRED RESULTS PROFESSIONAL CONTENT STANDARDS: LS2

2 (9-11) INQ+SAE-3 Using data from a specific ecosystem, explain relationships or make predictions about how environmental disturbance (human impact or natural events) affects the flow of energy or cycling of matter in an ecosystem. LS2 (9-11) NOS 5 Explain or evaluate potential bias in how evidence is interpreted in reports concerning a particular environmental factor that impacts the biology of humans.

LS4 (9-11) NOS+INQ -9 Use evidence to make and support conclusions about the ways that humans or other organisms are affected by environmental factors or heredity (e.g., pathogens, diseases, medical advances, pollution, mutations).

ENVS UNIT PLAN: Earths Changing Climate ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS : What are the big, overarching questions that are central to your discipline and to the content you are going to teach? ESSENTIAL UNDERSTANDINGS: What central concepts or ideas will students understand?

What factors control Earths climate? How do we know what the climate was like in the distant (~200,000 years) and recent (~200 years) past? What are the anthropogenic impacts on Earths energy balance and how are ecosystems responding? How do scientists predict what the climate will be like in the future?

Factors work together to control climate Cause and effect relationships of human activity and climate change Components of climate modeling & how predictions are made Earths energy balance Feedback systems Radiative forcing

ENVS UNIT PLAN: Earths Changing Climate STUDENT KNOWLEDGE: Students will know STUDENT SKILLS: Students will be able to

The importance of incoming solar radiation, albedo, and greenhouse gases in controlling Earths climate The role of GHGs in Earths climate and how their concentrations changing. Implications for future climate What radiative forcing is Components of Milankovitch cycles and the changes in incoming solar radiation How we use proxies as evidence of past climate How we know that the increase in [CO2]atm is human-caused What feedback loops are and how human-caused changes to these systems affect climate How biotic systems are responding to the climactic changes What variables scientists include in their model and challenges they face in predicting climate What the IPCC predicts for the future (various scenarios)

Conduct independent research Apply the scientific method Read scientific journal articles Read and compare graphs regarding climate change and GHG concentrations Compare charts regarding the concentration of greenhouse gases Predict changes in climate based on feedback loops Compare the effects of greenhouse gases through experimentation (guided activity) Compare the effects of albedo and latitude on climate through experimentation (guided activity) Predict what variables are included in a climate model and detect possible limitations Compare the various IPCC scenarios Justify why the climate is changing Generate suggestions for the future mitigation of climate change

ENVS UNIT PLAN: Earths Changing Climate STAGE TWO ASSESSMENT EVIDENCE What summative performance tasks will students produce? Poster, presentation, and short paper: Predict what you would see in a specific ecosystem if the temp rises 2C-6.5C (based on A1FI scenario) What other assessments will you use to help students demonstrate their understanding (diagnostic, formative and interim) ?

Entrance and exit tickets Lab notebook & data sheets Greenhouse Effect Lab Global Warming in a Jar activity Milankovich cycle activity Albedo activity Worksheets Student discussions Graphic organizers

STAGE THREE PLAN LEARNING EXPERIENCES

ENVS UNIT PLAN: Earths Changing Climate What instructional methods will you use to teach the identified learning objectives?(See WHERETO and Teaching Techniques to Try for ideas)?

Direct teacher presentations Hands-on inquiry-based activities Cooperative learning Brainstorming Class discussions Small group discussions

What sources did you use for this unit plan?

The Greenhouse Effect Lab: http://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/activities/50193.html Global Warming in a Jar activity http://www.starhop.com/library/pdf/studyguide/elementary/GloJar-7.pdf Ice core activity: http://www.polartrec.com/resources/lesson/ice-cores-modeling-ice-sheets

ENVS UNIT PLAN: Earths Changing Climate Monday Introduction to Earths climate and atmosphere Group discussions Tuesday What controls Earths climate (3 major factors) 1. Incoming radiation 2. Greenhouse gases Student discussions Ice cores Inquiry activity Wednesday GHG activity (Greenhouse Effect Lab) Thursday 3. Albedo Hands-on inquiry activity Friday Radiative forcing and feedback cycles

Proxies for past climate Student discussion

Milankovich cycles Graphic organizer Hands-on Milankovich hypothesis activity How do you test to see if a model is valid? Discussion of IPCC scenarios What are the models showing? Finish papers and posters

How we measure temperature today & trends over the past 200 years Graphs What are the expected impacts on humans and animals? What can we do to mitigate climate change? What should we do? Overflow time to work on papers and posters Presentations

Global Warming in a Jar activity

Time for student research Mini symposium

How do scientists predict future climate change? Small group discussions about what should be in a model & possible limitations Finish research, begin papers and posters

Explanations for climate change and increase in [CO2]atm How we know its anthropogenic Implications for feedback cycles How biotic systems are responding Introduce summative project: Predict what you would see in a specific ecosystem if the temperature rises 2C-6.5C (based on A1FI scenario) Student brainstorming in pairs/trios Begin research Presentations

Note: I created lesson plans for the days with yellow boxes. -Blue indicates an activity -Green indicates the summative assessment