Mauna Loa CO2 Collection Data
http://www.ctenergyeducation.com//lesson.htm?id=7gb7b019
http://www.ctenergyeducation.com//lesson.htm?id=7gb7b019
Connecticut Energy Education
Activity takes about one to two class periods.
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Topics
Grade Level
Climate Literacy
About Teaching Climate Literacy
GPa 
GPaClimate information can be used to reduce vulnerabilities or enhance the resilience of communities and ecosystems affected by climate change. Continuing to improve scientific understanding of the climate system and the quality of reports to policy and decision-makers is crucial.
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Environmental observations are the foundation for understanding the climate system. From the bottom of the ocean to the surface of the Sun, instruments on weather stations, buoys, satellites, and other platforms collect climate data. To learn about past climates, scientists use natural records, such as tree rings, ice cores, and sedimentary layers. Historical observations, such as native knowledge and personal journals, also document past climate change.
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Human activities have affected the land, oceans, and atmosphere, and these changes have altered global climate patterns. Burning fossil fuels, releasing chemicals into the atmosphere, reducing the amount of forest cover, and rapid expansion of farming, development, and industrial activities are releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and changing the balance of the climate system.
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Excellence in Environmental Education Guidelines
1. Questioning, Analysis and Interpretation Skills:C) Collecting information
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C) Collecting information.
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C) Collecting information.
1. Questioning, Analysis and Interpretation Skills:E) Organizing information
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E) Organizing information.
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E) Organizing information.
2. Knowledge of Environmental Processes and Systems:2.1 The Earth as a Physical System:A) Processes that shape the Earth
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A) Processes that shape the Earth.
Other materials addressing:
A) Processes that shape the Earth.
2. Knowledge of Environmental Processes and Systems:2.3 Humans and Their Societies:D) Global Connections
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D) Global Connections.
Other materials addressing:
D) Global Connections.
2. Knowledge of Environmental Processes and Systems:2.4 Environment and Society:A) Human/environment interactions
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A) Human/environment interactions.
Other materials addressing:
A) Human/environment interactions.
Benchmarks for Science Literacy
Learn more about the Benchmarks
Scientific investigations usually involve the collection of relevant data, the use of logical reasoning, and the application of imagination in devising hypotheses and explanations to make sense of the collected data.
By burning fuels, people are releasing large amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and transforming chemical energy into thermal energy which spreads throughout the environment.
Notes From Our Reviewers
The CLEAN collection is hand-picked and rigorously reviewed for scientific accuracy and classroom effectiveness.
Read what our review team had to say about this resource below or learn more about
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Teaching Tips | Science | Pedagogy |
Technical Details
Teaching Tips
- Read the student worksheet first, which has a more constrained dataset for graphing. Educators' guide contains a more extensive dataset that the educator can give to more advanced students.
- Younger students may require additional scaffolding for graphing and analyzing the graphs.
- We suggest that educator look for the most up-to-date Keeling Curve. Suggested link: http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/ccgg/trends/#mlo_full.
- Educator should be prepared to explain to students that the volcanic gases are not affecting the measurements, which is an often-cited argument that climate change deniers use to discredit these CO2 measurements.
- Amount of material may be overwhelming for educators.
- The multi-decadal trend is calculated but none of the discussion questions prompt students to discuss the data. A discussion should be initiated by the educator.
About the Science
- This data-intensive activity uses real world datasets.
- The discussion on Keeling and the history of the Keeling curve is very interesting.
About the Pedagogy
- Answers are provided to all questions on student worksheets.
- Educators' guide also gives suggestions as to where/how students might be challenged by the activity.
- There is an extensive amount of data, which could be overwhelming for some students. Educator should provide good guidance.
- The activity strengthens graphing and interpreting as important analytical skills.
- Having the students graph the data so that they really get a sense of what the numbers are and then having them describe the reason for the variations they see is pedagogically very good.
- This resource engages students in using scientific data.
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