Global Warming: Information

Global Warming: Focus on the Future

Developed by the American Museum of Natural History this online exhibit puts credible information in small chunks. Also provides some game-like instruction that helps students see their own contributions to the health of the atmosphere. Recommended by many teachers.

Earth & Space Sciences; Standard 1: Understands atmospheric processes and the water cycle
Life Sciences: Standard 6: Understands relationships among organisms and their physical environment
Geography Standard 14: Understands how human action modify the physical environment
Geography Standard 18: Understands global development and environmental issues

EPA Global Warming for Kids

Good definitions, clear explanations and a few games make this a teacher favorite. A little heavy on text, but nicely presented. Some students may get lost clicking on all the links, but the left navigation bar can help them find their way back. Students can learn a lot here. Definitely a must see site for those students doing research on this topic.

Earth & Space Sciences; Standard 1: Understands atmospheric processes and the water cycle
Life Sciences: Standard 6: Understands relationships among organisms and their physical environment
Geography Standard 14: Understands how human action modify the physical environment
Geography Standard 18: Understands global development and environmental issues

Global Warming: Fact vs. Myth

This site from the environmental watchdogs, Environmental Defense, is from 1999. It does, however, provide good reading for understanding the environmentalists' position on global warming. Since this article does not provide data to support their facts (or at least doesn't give any links to let us really look at the data), students may want to look for data to substantiate or disprove the "facts" presented here. This site provides more up-to-date information about global warming by going to the main site and choosing Global Warming from the Issue pull-down menu at the top of the page.

Earth & Space Sciences; Standard 1: Understands atmospheric processes and the water cycle
Life Sciences: Standard 6: Understands relationships among organisms and their physical environment
Nature of Science Standard 12: Understands nature of scientific inquiry
Geography Standard 14: Understands how human action modify the physical environment

Global Temperature Trends

A site that provides graphs showing changes in global surface temperatures since 1880. Click on the graphs to see larger versions. Have students interpret the graphs and come to some conclusions.

Earth & Space Sciences; Standard 1: Understands atmospheric processes and the water cycle
Life Sciences: Standard 6: Understands relationships among organisms and their physical environment
Nature of Science Standard 12: Understands nature of scientific inquiry
Geography Standard 14: Understands how human action modify the physical environment
Mathematics Standard 6: Understands and applies basic and advanced concepts of statistics and data analysis

Answers to Sea Level Rise Locked in Ice

This site provides great graphics and an easy-to-understand summary of the composition of the Antarctic Ice Sheet and how its melting could contribute to sea level rise. Appropriate for grades 4-12 as introductory material.

Earth & Space Sciences; Standard 1: Understands atmospheric processes and the water cycle
Geography Standard 14: Understands how human action modify the physical environment
Geography Standard 18: Understands global development and environmental issues
Mathematics Standard 6: Understands and applies basic and advanced concepts of statistics and data analysis

The Effects of Global Warming

Nice graphic showing potential effects of global warming. Would make a good visual to enhance a lesson, or you could have students draw something similar after studying about global warming.

Earth & Space Sciences; Standard 1: Understands atmospheric processes and the water cycle
Geography Standard 14: Understands how human action modify the physical environment
Geography Standard 18: Understands global development and environmental issues
Mathematics Standard 6: Understands and applies basic and advanced concepts of statistics and data analysis

Global Change

This web site provides stories, poems and short definitions of different aspects of climate change. The informational material seems to be at a much higher reading level than the stories and poems. The stories could be used by students to produce a play for other students in their school. Students could submit a poem. Also provides Word Searches and Crosswords on environmental issues.

Earth & Space Sciences; Standard 1: Understands atmospheric processes and the water cycle
Life Sciences: Standard 6: Understands relationships among organisms and their physical environment
Geography Standard 14: Understands how human action modify the physical environment

A QuickTime animation of the shrinking of the Antarctic ice sheet. This is very dramatic and shows clearly why scientists are very concerned about the effects of global warming on the Antarctic ice sheet. Accompanying information is appropriate for grades 5-12.

Earth & Space Sciences; Standard 1: Understands atmospheric processes and the water cycle
Geography Standard 14: Understands how human action modify the physical environment

Sinks for Anthropogenic Carbon

A detailed explanation with many graphs outlining the role Carbon sinks may play in the Global warming scenario. Includes very nice graphs and charts to help explain earth changes. This material is relatively technical, so is more appropriate for high school students doing an in-depth project on global warming.

Earth & Space Sciences; Standard 1: Understands atmospheric processes and the water cycle
Geography Standard 14: Understands how human action modify the physical environment