What causes global Seventh Grade

2017

temperatures to rise?
Learning Target:
I am able to identify factors that have caused the rise in global
temperatures in the last century.

Success Criteria:
a. Draw a diagram of the greenhouse effect to show how
carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the
atmosphere trap heat and insulate the Earth. Seventh grade
b. Understand that volcanoes and solar activity can cause an 2017
increase in global temperatures. However, the recent
inrease in global temperatures does not correspond to the
recent activity of volcanoes and the sun.
c. Using graphical evidence, support the claim that global
temperatures have increased as a result of humans burning
fossil fuels.
 INTRODUCTION/REVIEW

The other day, we looked at the Global Land and Ocean

Temperature Anomalies graph.

Discuss:
What things have happened in the past 135 years that
could cause the global temperature changes that you
see? Make a list of them in your notes (you will need
them later).
 TERMS (FILL IN THE BLANK)

Greenhouse effect: a phenomenon in which the

atmosphere of a planet traps radiation
emitted by its sun, caused by gases such as
carbon dioxide, water vapor, and methane
that allow incoming sunlight to pass through
but retain heat radiated back from the planets
surface.
 TERMS (FILL IN THE BLANK)

Greenhouse gas: gases which allow direct

sunlight to reach Earths surface, but absorb the
infrared energy (heat) that is reradiated to the
atmosphere. These gases include: water vapor,
carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, among
others. Also referred to as heat-trapping gases.
 TERMS (FILL IN THE BLANK)

Carbon dioxide: CO2 is the primary

greenhouse gas emitted through human
activities .

Cumulative: increasing or increased in

quantity
 TERMS

Emissions: the act of producing or

sending out something (such as energy or
gas) from a source

Carbon sink: anything that absorbs more

carbon than it releases (trees, ocean)
 VIDEO AND REFLECTION

Watch the following video(s) about carbon dioxide, the greenhouse

effect, and greenhouse gases: http://www.climategen.org/ngconline OR
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9kga9c0u2I

Answer the following questions in your notes:

Why is the greenhouse effect important?
Why is CO2 important?
What is the relationship between CO2 and the
greenhouse effect?
 THE GREENHOUSE EFFECT GAME

Make two notecards: One says HEAT and the other LIGHT
In your notes, draw a diagram of the greenhouse effect. Be sure to label what you
draw, even if it is only a few things.
Before we play, here are some things you must know, including the rules.
There will be two circles in the gym: The smaller circle represents the Earth and the larger one
represents Earths atmosphere. This model is not to scale. In real life, the Earths diameter is 7917
miles and the atmosphere reaches about 800 miles above Earth.
You will place your heat cards in a pile on the Earth.
There will be 3 rounds. The first round will represent the Natural greenhouse effect, the second will
represent Human enhanced greenhouse effect, and the third will show us how to slow down the
greenhouse effect.
 GREENHOUSE EFFECT GAME RULES

If you are CO2 in the Earths atmosphere, you may not move your feet. (In the first round there will be
2 CO2 molecules.)
If you are not a CO2 molecule, then you are sunlight. Your goal is to enter the Earths atmosphere, tag
the Earth, exchange your light card for a heat card, and then escape the atmosphere without
getting tagged by a CO2 molecule.
Students can only be tagged once they are heat.
Sunlight who are tagged must stay standing still in the atmosphere. Only CO2 molecules may tag
other students.
Those who avoid being tagged bounce back out of the atmosphere into space.
Each round lasts about 30 seconds.

We will now go to the gym. You will need to bring your notes and a pencil with you, because you will be
editing your diagram as we play the game.
 GREENHOUSE EFFECT GAME - WRAP UP

In this game, we saw that human actions, particularly burning fossil fuels, can
enhance the greenhouse effect by putting more CO2 into the atmosphere. This
increase in CO2 which is increasing global temperature is referred to as climate
change.
Discuss:
How was this game like the atmosphere or not like the atmosphere?
What makes the game an accurate or inaccurate model of the atmosphere?
How did your diagram change throughout the game? What did you learn during the
game?
How did you show things moving around? How did you show quantity? How did you show
that light changes to heat?
 WHAT FACTORS HAVE CAUSED A RISE IN GLOBAL
TEMPERATURE? CLAIM, EVIDENCE, and REASONING

Each group will receive a set of Evidence Figures.

Read the instructions and the example format at the top
of the worksheet.
Once you are done summarizing the graphs, you will
write a Claim, Evidence, and Reasoning argument to
answer the question.
 DISCUSSION DIAMOND

You will be placed in groups of 5. You will each receive a Discussion

Diamond worksheet.
In the center each student should write What is causing a rise in
global temperatures?
Each partner will present their claim and then the rest of the group
will write the claim and the lines of evidence provided in one
triangle.
Once the presenter is done, each student must develop two
clarifying questions based on his or her notes to ask the presenter.
Did other group members use of evidence alter your claim?
 SEPARATING HUMAN AND NATURAL INFLUENCES ON CLIMATE

Look at the chart Separating Human and Natural

Influences on Climate
http://nca2014.globalchange.gov/report/our-changing-climate/observed-change

In your notes, answer the questions to explain your

interpretation of the figure.
As a class, discuss your conclusions and the connections
you made.