Teaching Climate Science Using Data
NSTA STEM Forum and Expo
Atlantic City, New Jersey
May 18, 2012
All resources are free unless otherwise indicated.
Science Standards
Keep up with changes to United States science teaching standards:
Training
Find out the most up-to-date information about Climate Science:
Pew Center Climate Change 101: http://www.c2es.org/global-warming-basics/climate_change_101 - A good basic course in climate science.
NSTA's Learning Center: http://learningcenter.nsta.org – For teacher's classroom needs: over 3,000 free learning opportunities about climate and other sciences
Ocean Explore Email List: http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/backmatter/email_update.html – Get on this free list-serve for Climate Stewards Information and many other programs.
dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com – New York Times Natural Resources And Environment Blog. Given that the human population will be 9 billion in 2050, how do we balance human affairs with the planet's limits? Up to 10 free hits a month.
www.realclimate.org – A Climate Science Blog run by Climate Scientists. Post your questions here! They are very responsive to and supportive of educators.
Data and Resources
Each resource is followed by a research question which offers one way to use the resource in the classroom.
The Very Very Simple Climate Model: http://spark.ucar.edu/longcontent/simple-climate-model - When do we have to stop burning so many fossil fuels to prevent significant further warming?
The Forest Service Atlas Project: http://nrs.fs.fed.us/atlas/ - What will happen to your favorite species of bird or tree if the climate continues to change?
Sea Level Change Data: http://sealevel.climatecentral.org/ - Is your area vulnerable to sea-level change? How much change could your area absorb before people are affected?
Sea Temperatures: http://coralreefwatch.noaa.gov - How does heat move around the ocean, and what impact does it have on climate stability?
Adopt a Drifter: http://www.adoptadrifter.noaa.gov/ - A great in-class exercise: Adopt a drifter online, predict where your drifter will go, and use ocean data above to study currents.
Goddard Institute for Space Studies at NASA: www.giss.nasa.gov and http://data.giss.nasa.gov/gistemp/ - Temperature analysis 1970s to the present. How has temperature been changing?
The Change Viewer from Climate Change and Human Health: http://www.climatechangehumanhealth.com/ -- How will climate change affect human health?
KNMI Climate Explorer: http://climexp.knmi.nl Research a specific place anywhere on earth: how has climate changed over time?
Citizen Science Projects
Your students can help gather data for scientists to study
www.ebird.org by bird watching
www.birds.cornell.edu/pfw/ by bird counting at a local feeder (installed outside class?)
picturepost.unh.org by documenting a local area using pictures as seasons change
www.globe.gov by contributing to a worldwide, student-collected data set
NOAA Resources for Teachers
NOAA's Teacher At Sea Program: www.teacheratsea.noaa.gov Join scientists on research ship! Free!
NOAA's Adopt a Drifter Program: www.adoptadrifter.noaa.gov Via the web, track a drifter your class “adopts”