As an Undergraduate Biological Sciences teacher, you can use this set of computer-based tools to enable students to develop a comprehensive understanding about the structure and function of an ecosystem, with a focus on hydrological ecosystem, and biotic and abiotic components of the ecosystem. You can do this through a study of ponds and pond ecosystems and its comparison with freshwater and saline water ecosystems.
Author: TROP ICSU: Climate Change Education across the Curricula
TROP ICSU: Climate Change Education across the Curricula, Across the Globe;
An initiative led by IUBS and co-lead by INQUA
Lesson Plan: Desertification and Sustainable Land Management
Lesson Plan: Climate Impacts on the Silkworm Life Cycle
Lesson Plan: Impact of Climate Change on Mulberry Cultivation
Video/Micro lecture: Karl Marx and Climate Change
A short video titled ‘Marxist theory: Relevant to climate change today?’ by Graham Murdock, Loughborough University, that discusses the impact of capitalism on climate change. Murdock discusses Marx’s commentary on the breakdown of the relationship of humans with nature due the industrialization of agricultural practices.
Students will learn the foundations of Marx’s theory of Capitalism and its historical development and capitalism’s influence on climate change. They will also learn about how rapid industrialization and capitalism have contributed to global warming. They will further learn how Marx’s analysis on ecology could also provide the solutions to problems in the context of climate change
Use this tool to help your students find answers to:
- What are Marx’s main tenets about Capitalism?
- What are Marx’s fundamental problems with Capitalism?
- Discuss how industrialization and capitalism have contributed to global warming.
About the tool
| Tool Name | Marxist theory: Relevant to climate change today? |
| Discipline | Economics, Social Sciences |
| Topic(s) in Discipline | Marxism, Marxist Theory of Capitalism, Marx, Capitalism, Political Science |
| Climate Topic | Energy, Economics and Climate Change, Policies, Politics and Environmental Governance |
| Type of tool | Video/ Microlecture (11 mins) |
| Grade Level | Undergraduate |
| Location | Global |
| Language | English |
| Translation | |
| Developed by | CGTN |
| Hosted at | YouTube |
| Link | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-i242fEKyY |
| Access | Online |
| Computer Skills | Basic |
Lesson Plan: Climate Denial: How Language is Used to Misinform
Classroom/Laboratory Activity: The Impact of Human Activities on the Natural Carbon Cycle
Reading: Beer-Lambert Law
A reading that uses the Beer-Lambert Law to highlight the link between greenhouse gases and global warming. This reading by Tom Kuntzleman, Chemical Education Xchange (ChemEd X), uses the Beer-Lambert Law to explain the increasing global warming potential of Earth’s atmosphere due to the higher concentrations of greenhouse gases in recent times.
Students will learn about the composition of the atmosphere and the greenhouse effect. They will also be introduced to the Beer-Lambert Law which is used to study the transmittance of sunlight through the atmosphere. They will further learn how this law can be used to evaluate the absorbance values of individual gases in the atmosphere, particularly greenhouse gases.
Use this tool to help your students find answers to:
- What is the Beer-Lambert Law? How is it expressed in an equation?
- Discuss the composition of the atmosphere.
- How do increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases affect the absorbance of sunlight?
About the tool
| Tool Name | Chemical Connections to Climate Change |
| Discipline | Chemistry |
| Topic(s) in Discipline | Beer-Lambert Law, Molar Absorptivity, Solar Absorption, Greenhouse Gases |
| Climate Topic | Climate and the Atmosphere; Greenhouse Effect |
| Type of tool | Reading |
| Grade Level | High School |
| Location | Global |
| Language | English |
| Translation | |
| Developed by | Tom Kuntzleman, Spring Arbor University |
| Hosted at | Chemical Education Xchange (ChemEd X) Website |
| Link | https://www.chemedx.org/blog/chemical-connections-climate-change |
| Access | Online |
| Computer Skills | Basic |
E-Learning Course: Climate Change- A Guide For Teachers Of All Disciplines
Two E-learning courses (MOOCs) developed by Rahul Chopra, TROP ICSU and IISER Pune on Climate Change: Science, Impacts, and Policy and Teaching Climate Change. These courses were developed through the National Resource Centre (NRC) on Climate Change at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune as part of the Annual Refresher Programme in Teaching (ARPIT), Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Human Resources Development, Government of India.
The courses include lectures on the current understanding of climate science and climate change, societal impacts of climate change, climate change policies and governance, and impacts of climate change. Additionally, the course includes lectures on how teachers of all disciplines can incorporate climate change in their everyday teaching.
The online course video playlist includes:
- Introduction to Climate Science (Raghu Murtugudde, University of Maryland)
- Climate Archives, Climate Data, and Climate Models (Raghu Murtugudde, University of Maryland)
- Climate Change: Past Records: Climate Change on Tectonic Timescales, Orbital Timescales, Glacial/Deglacial Timescales, Millennial Timescales, Historical Timescales (Raghu Murtugudde, University of Maryland)
- Modern Climate Change: Global Warming since the Industrial Revolution (Raghu Murtugudde)
- Future Projections of Climate Change (Raghu Murtugudde, University of Maryland)
- Mitigation and Adaptation (Raghu Murtugudde, University of Maryland and Malti Goel, Climate Change Research Institute)
- Climate Change and Society: Culture, Politics, Social Dynamics (D. Parthasarathy, IIT Bombay)
- Climate Change Policy and Governance: Global Negotiations and Domestic Policy Making (Navroz Dubash, Centre for Policy Research)
- Climate Change: Impacts in India (Raghu Murtugudde, University of Maryland)
- Climate Change and Impacts on
- The Indian Monsoon (Raghu Murtugudde, University of Maryland)
- Water Resources (Pradeep Mujumdar, IISc Bengaluru)
- Biodiversity and Ecology (Deepak Barua, IISER Pune)
- The Himalayan Glaciers (Argha Banerjee, IISER Pune)
- Teaching Resources and Pedagogical Tools (Rahul Chopra, TROP ICSU and IISER Pune)
- Teaching Climate Change in the Chemistry Classroom (Rahul Chopra, TROP ICSU and IISER Pune)
- Teaching Climate Change in the Biology Classroom (Rahul Chopra, TROP ICSU and IISER Pune)
- Teaching Climate Change in the Physics Classroom (Rahul Chopra, TROP ICSU and IISER Pune)
- Teaching Climate Change in the Math and Statistics Classroom (Rahul Chopra, TROP ICSU and IISER Pune)
- Teaching Climate Change in the Economics Classroom (Rahul Chopra, TROP ICSU and IISER Pune)
- Teaching Climate Change in the Environmental Sciences Classroom (Rahul Chopra, TROP ICSU and IISER Pune)
- Teaching Climate Change in the Geography Classroom (Rahul Chopra, TROP ICSU and IISER Pune)
- Teaching Climate Change in the Social Sciences Classroom (Rahul Chopra, TROP ICSU and IISER Pune)
- Teaching Climate Change in the Humanities Classroom (Rahul Chopra, TROP ICSU and IISER Pune)
About the Tool
| Tool Name | Climate Change: A Guide For Teachers Of All Disciplines |
| Discipline | Earth Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Geography, Chemistry, Biological Sciences, Physics, Mathematics and Statistics, Economics, Social Sciences, Humanities |
| Topic(s) in Discipline | Climate Change Overview |
| Climate Topic | Introduction to Climate Change; Climate Literacy |
| Type of tool | E-learning Course |
| Grade Level | High School, Undergraduate |
| Location | Global |
| Language | English |
| Translation | |
| Developed by | Rahul Chopra (TROP ICSU and IISER Pune) for the National Resource Centre (NRC) on Climate Change at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune as part of the Annual Refresher Programme in Teaching (ARPIT), Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Human Resources Development, Government of India |
| Hosted at | IISER Pune Science Media Center YouTube Channel |
| Link | Course 1: Climate Change: Science, Impacts, and Policy:- Link Course 2: Climate Change: A Guide For Teachers Of All Disciplines:- Link |
| Access | Online |
| Computer Skills | Basic |
Video: The Greenhouse Effect of the Atmosphere
A video micro-lecture that discusses Earth’s energy balance and the greenhouse effect of the atmosphere.
Teaching Module: Teach Climate Science with the Teacher Friendly Guide To Climate Change™
A teaching module of resources and activities that accompanies ‘The Teacher-Friendly Guide™ to Climate Change’
edited by Ingrid H. H. Zabel, Don Duggan-Haas, & Robert M. Ross,the Paleontological Research Institution. This teaching module includes videos and classroom/laboratory activities on the following topics
- Climate Science
- Energy and Atmosphere
- Infrared energy
- Infrared absorption by carbon dioxide
- Carbon dioxide and temperature
- Box Model: steady state vs. non-steady state behavior
- Heat capacity
- Thermal expansion of water
- Carbon Cycle
- Diurnal variations in carbon dioxide
- How many molecules make a trace gas?
- NOAA Mauna Loa data and rate of CO2 increase
- Respiration
- Hydrologic Cycle
- Rainfall and river response
- Energy and Atmosphere
- Climate Change Mitigation
- Renewable Energy
- Solar energy
- Near-surface geothermal energy
- Wind energy
- Carbon Sequestration
- Afforestation and Reforestation: tree biomass & carbon dioxide storage
- Renewable Energy
- Communication and Advocacy
- Citizen science
About the Tool
| Tool Name | Teach Climate Science The Teacher Friendly Guide To Climate Change |
| Discipline | Earth Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Geography, Chemistry, Biological Sciences, Physics, Mathematics and Statistics, Economics, Social Sciences, Humanities |
| Topic(s) in Discipline | Climate Change Overview |
| Climate Topic | Introduction to Climate Change; Climate Literacy |
| Type of tool | Teaching Module |
| Grade Level | High School, Undergraduate |
| Location | Global |
| Language | English |
| Translation | |
| Developed by | Ingrid H. H. Zabel, Don Duggan-Haas, & Robert M. Ross |
| Hosted at | Paleontological Research Institution |
| Link | Link |
| Access | Online |
| Computer Skills | Basic |
Reading: The Physics of Climate Change
A reading by the American Physical Society that provides an overview on the physics of climate change. This reading introduces the concepts of energy balance, radiative forcings, advection, hydrological processes, General Circulation Models, and anthropogenic greenhouse gas. It also summarises the responses to climate change through mitigation and adaptation.
Students will learn about various physical concepts that are used to determine anthropogenic climate change. They will also be introduced to climate prediction and the uncertainty caused due to the changes in the climate feedback balance and the net impact of greenhouse gases.
Use this tool to help your students find answers to:
- What is the role of physics in understanding climate change?
- Discuss some uncertainties of anthropogenically forced climate change impacts.
About the Tool
| Tool Name | Climate Change |
| Discipline | Physics |
| Topic(s) in Discipline | Climate Change Overview, Energy Balance, Radiative Forcings, Advection, General Circulation Models, Greenhouse Gas |
| Climate Topic | Climate Literacy; Introduction to Climate Change |
| Type of tool | Reading |
| Grade Level | Undergraduate |
| Location | Global |
| Language | English |
| Translation | |
| Developed by | American Physical Society |
| Hosted at | American Physical Society Website |
| Link | Link |
| Access | Online |
| Computer Skills | Basic |
Classroom/Laboratory Activity: Reconstruction of Paleoclimate by Using Isotopic Composition Data
Video/ Microlecture: Climate Change: The Physics Connection
- A series of three lecture videos by Nadir Jeevanjee, Princeton University on the Physics of Climate Change. In these videos presented as blackboard lectures, Jeevanjee presents simple climate models and the underlying physics. These lectures include discussions on the following topics:
- Introduction
- The atmosphere in radiative-convective equilibrium
- Heuristics of RCE
- A simple RCE climate model
- A two-box model for transient and equilibrium climate sensitivities
- The water vapor feedback
- Emission from unit optical depth
- Ts-invariance of water vapor emission temperatures
- Simpson’s Paradox And The Water Vapor Feedback
- Why does mean precipitation increase with warming?
- The Radiative Constraint On Precipitation
- Flux Divergence And Mission To Space
- Ts-invariance and the deepening troposphere
- On constant relative humidity
- Boundary Layer Relative Humidity
- Free Tropospheric Relative Humidity
Students will understand the connections between physics and Earth’s climate. They will also be able to derive simple models through the use of basic physics laws and theorems such as Thermodynamic laws, Radiative-convective Equilibrium, Feedback Cycles, Radiative constraint and Relative Humidity.
Use this tool to help your students find answers to:
- What is the role of physics in understanding climate change?
- How can simple physical models be used to predict climate change?
About the tool
| Tool Name | The Physics of Climate Change: Three Blackboard Lectures on Simple Models in Climate Science |
| Discipline | Physics |
| Topic(s) in Discipline | Climate Change Overview, Climate Physics, Climate Models |
| Climate Topic | Climate Literacy; Planetary Climate; Planetary Energy Balance |
| Type of tool | Video/ Microlectures (70 mins) |
| Grade Level | Undergraduate; Graduate |
| Location | Global |
| Language | English |
| Translation | |
| Developed by | Nadir Jeevanjee |
| Hosted at | High Meadows Environmental Institute, Princeton University Website |
| Link | Link |
| Access | Online |
| Computer Skills | Basic |
Lesson Plan: Climate Change and Reproductive Fitness in Red Deer
Teaching Module: pH Scale, Ocean Chemistry and Impact of Ocean Acidification on Marine Life
A set of hands-on laboratory activities that uses the pH scale to understand the changes in ocean chemistry due to increased carbon dioxide emissions. This module shows that increased ocean acidification has adverse effects on marine organisms.
Reading: Climate Change- The Teacher Friendly Guide™
A reading titled ‘The Teacher Friendly Guide to Climate Change’ edited by Ingrid H. H. Zabel, Don Duggan-Haas, & Robert M. Ross,the Paleontological Research Institution. This book includes the following chapters
- Why Teach About Climate Change? by Don Duggan-Haas
- Why Teaching About Climate Change Matters
- Science Learning, Its Application, and Politics
- We All Have Biases
- Systems and Scales
- Love and Beauty Will Persist
- Resources
- What Should Everyone Understand About Climate Change and Energy? by Don Duggan-Haas
- What Do You Think?
- Collecting Expert Opinions
- Consensus Documents
- Striving for a Coherent Conceptual Framework
- Resources
- What is Climate? by Ingrid H. H. Zabel and Others
- Climate is a System
- Measuring Climate
- Greenhouse Gases and Global Temperature
- Natural Causes of Climate Change
- Summary
- Resources
- Climate Change Through Earth History by Robert M. Ross and Others
- Why Past Climate Change Matters
- Observing Climate Through Time in the Rock Record
- History of the Earth’s Climate
- Climate Analogs and Models
- Resources
- Evidence For and Causes of Recent Climate Change by Ingrid H. H. Zabel and Others
- Changing Temperatures and Carbon Dioxide
- Shrinking Ice Sheets and Glaciers
- Changing Sea Ice Extent
- Thawing Permafrost
- Rising Sea Level
- Causes of Recent Climate Change
- What are the Likely Effects of Climate Change Going to Be?
- Resources
- 6. US Regional Climates, Current and Future by Ingrid H. H. Zabel and Benjamin Brown-Steiner
- Describing Climates
- Northeast
- Southeast
- Midwest
- South Central
- Northwest Central
- Southwest
- West
- Hawaii
- Alaska
- Resources
- Climate Change Mitigation by Ingrid H. H. Zabel
- What is Mitigation?
- Mitigation Strategies
- Summary
- Resources
- Geoengineering by Ingrid H. H. Zabel
- Counteracting Climate Change
- Examples of Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) Techniques
- Examples of Solar Radiation Management (SRM) Techniques
- Geoengineering Choices
- Resources
- Climate Change Adaptation by Ingrid H. H. Zabel
- How Much Does Adaptation Cost?
- Types of Adaptation Strategies
- Adatation to Different Climate Hazards
- Equity and Social Justice Considerations
- Resources
- Obstacles to Addressing Climate Change by Don Duggan-Haas
- Controversial Issues and Complex Systems
- Creating Meaningful Dialog
- Factors That Influence How We think
- How Do People Change Their Minds?
- How Can We Envision New Systems?
- Resources
- Perspective by Don Duggan-Haas
- Apocalyptic Tales of Climate Change
- Use of Language and Perspective in Teaching Climate Change
- Hope and Optimism
- Apocalyptic Prophesies Versus Predictions of Climate Change
- Reality Check: A Personal Perspective
- Science Teaching Toward a Sustainable World
- Resources
About the Tool
| Tool Name | The Teacher Friendly Guide To Climate Change |
| Discipline | Earth Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Geography, Chemistry, Biological Sciences, Physics, Mathematics and Statistics, Economics, Social Sciences, Humanities |
| Topic(s) in Discipline | Climate Change Overview |
| Climate Topic | Introduction to Climate Change; Climate Literacy |
| Type of tool | Reading |
| Grade Level | High School, Undergraduate |
| Location | Global |
| Language | English |
| Translation | |
| Developed by | Ingrid H. H. Zabel, Don Duggan-Haas, & Robert M. Ross |
| Hosted at | Paleontological Research Institution |
| Link | Link |
| Access | Online |
| Computer Skills | Basic |
Reading: What is the Atmosphere?
A short reading by the Aspen Global Change Institute that summarizes what the atmosphere is. This resource can be used as an introduction to the topic by teachers interested in teaching about climate change and the role of the atmosphere.
This reading includes overview discussions on the following topics:
- What is the atmosphere?
- What makes up the atmosphere?
- How do humans affect the atmosphere?
The reading also includes a short journal activity.
Students will understand what the atmosphere is. They will also understand about climate change and the role of the atmosphere.
Use this tool to help your students find answers to:
- What is the atmosphere?
- Discuss climate change and the role of the atmosphere.
About the Tool
| Tool Name | The Atmosphere |
| Discipline | Earth Sciences, Geography |
| Topic(s) in Discipline | Climate Change Overview |
| Climate Topic | Climate Literacy; Introduction to Climate Change |
| Type of tool | Reading |
| Grade Level | Middle School; High School |
| Location | Global |
| Language | English |
| Translation | |
| Developed by | Aspen Global Change Institute |
| Hosted at | Aspen Global Change Institute website |
| Link | Link |
| Access | Online |
| Computer Skills | Basic |
Classroom/Laboratory Activity: Black Carbon and Earth’s Albedo
A laboratory activity to demonstrate the effect of black carbon on surface temperature of the Earth. This activity by Holzer et al. for the NESTA/Windows to the Universe team demonstrates the impact of black carbon on solar radiation absorption, particularly in the poles.
Students will be introduced to the albedo effect of black carbon. From the experiment, they will also learn how to collect and translate their findings using a simple model.
Use this tool to help your students find answers to:
- What is the albedo effect of black carbon and how does it affect the surface temperature of Earth?
- Discuss how cutting down of black carbon emissions can reduce global surface temperatures.
About the tool
| Tool Name | Changing Planet: Black Carbon- A Dusty Situation |
| Discipline | Chemistry |
| Topic(s) in Discipline | Carbon Chemistry, Allotropy, Allotropes of carbon, Black Carbon, Greenhouse Gas |
| Climate Topic | Climate and the Atmosphere, Greenhouse Effect |
| Type of tool | Classroom/Laboratory Activity |
| Grade Level | High School |
| Location | Global |
| Language | English |
| Translation | |
| Developed by | Missy Holzer, Jennifer Bergman, and Roberta Johnson |
| Hosted at | NESTA/Windows to the Universe team Website |
| Link | Link |
| Access | Online |
| Computer Skills | Basic |
Video Micro-lecture: Ocean Buffer Chemistry
A video micro-lecture that explains carbonate buffering in the ocean. It includes discussions on the changes in the chemical composition of the ocean caused by a higher concentration of dissolved CO2, ocean acidification and the resulting effect on ocean biota.
