Climate Change Education Across the Curricula, Across the Globe

Climate Change Education Across the Curricula

Category: Mathematics and Statistics

E-Learning Course: Climate Change- A Guide For Teachers Of All Disciplines

Posted by on in Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Earth Sciences, Economics, Environmental Sciences, Geography, Humanities, Mathematics and Statistics, Physics, Social Sciences

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:

  1. Introduction to Climate Science (Raghu Murtugudde, University of Maryland)
  2. Climate Archives, Climate Data, and Climate Models (Raghu Murtugudde, University of Maryland)
  3. Climate Change: Past Records: Climate Change on Tectonic Timescales, Orbital Timescales, Glacial/Deglacial Timescales, Millennial Timescales, Historical Timescales (Raghu Murtugudde, University of Maryland)
  4. Modern Climate Change: Global Warming since the Industrial Revolution (Raghu Murtugudde)
  5. Future Projections of Climate Change (Raghu Murtugudde, University of Maryland)
  6. Mitigation and Adaptation (Raghu Murtugudde, University of Maryland and Malti Goel, Climate Change Research Institute)
  7. Climate Change and Society: Culture, Politics, Social Dynamics (D. Parthasarathy, IIT Bombay)
  8. Climate Change Policy and Governance: Global Negotiations and Domestic Policy Making (Navroz Dubash, Centre for Policy Research)
  9. Climate Change: Impacts in India (Raghu Murtugudde, University of Maryland)
  10. Climate Change and Impacts on
    1. The Indian Monsoon (Raghu Murtugudde, University of Maryland)
    2. Water Resources (Pradeep Mujumdar, IISc Bengaluru)
    3. Biodiversity and Ecology (Deepak Barua, IISER Pune)
    4. The Himalayan Glaciers (Argha Banerjee, IISER Pune)
  11. Teaching Resources and Pedagogical Tools (Rahul Chopra, TROP ICSU and IISER Pune) 
  12. Teaching Climate Change in the Chemistry Classroom (Rahul Chopra, TROP ICSU and IISER Pune) 
  13. Teaching Climate Change in the Biology Classroom (Rahul Chopra, TROP ICSU and IISER Pune) 
  14. Teaching Climate Change in the Physics Classroom (Rahul Chopra, TROP ICSU and IISER Pune) 
  15. Teaching Climate Change in the Math and Statistics Classroom (Rahul Chopra, TROP ICSU and IISER Pune) 
  16. Teaching Climate Change in the Economics Classroom (Rahul Chopra, TROP ICSU and IISER Pune) 
  17. Teaching Climate Change in the Environmental Sciences Classroom (Rahul Chopra, TROP ICSU and IISER Pune) 
  18. Teaching Climate Change in the Geography Classroom (Rahul Chopra, TROP ICSU and IISER Pune) 
  19. Teaching Climate Change in the Social Sciences Classroom (Rahul Chopra, TROP ICSU and IISER Pune) 
  20. Teaching Climate Change in the Humanities Classroom (Rahul Chopra, TROP ICSU and IISER Pune) 

About the Tool 

Tool NameClimate Change: A Guide For Teachers Of All Disciplines 
DisciplineEarth Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Geography, Chemistry, Biological Sciences, Physics, Mathematics and Statistics, Economics, Social Sciences, Humanities
Topic(s) in DisciplineClimate Change Overview
Climate Topic Introduction to Climate Change; Climate Literacy
Type of tool E-learning Course
Grade LevelHigh School, Undergraduate
LocationGlobal
LanguageEnglish
Translation
Developed byRahul 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 atIISER Pune Science Media Center YouTube Channel
LinkCourse 1: Climate Change: Science, Impacts, and Policy:- Link
Course 2: Climate Change: A Guide For Teachers Of All Disciplines:- Link
AccessOnline
Computer SkillsBasic

Teaching Module: Teach Climate Science with the Teacher Friendly Guide To Climate Change™

Posted by on in Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Earth Sciences, Economics, Environmental Sciences, Geography, Humanities, Mathematics and Statistics, Physics, Social Sciences

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

  1. Climate Science
    1. Energy and Atmosphere
      1. Infrared energy
      2. Infrared absorption by carbon dioxide
      3. Carbon dioxide and temperature
      4. Box Model: steady state vs. non-steady state behavior
      5. Heat capacity
      6. Thermal expansion of water
    2. Carbon Cycle
      1. Diurnal variations in carbon dioxide
      2. How many molecules make a trace gas?
      3. NOAA Mauna Loa data and rate of CO2 increase
      4. Respiration
    3. Hydrologic Cycle
      1. Rainfall and river response
  1. Climate Change Mitigation
    1. Renewable Energy
      1. Solar energy
      2. Near-surface geothermal energy
      3. Wind energy
    2. Carbon Sequestration
      1. Afforestation and Reforestation: tree biomass & carbon dioxide storage
  1. Communication and Advocacy
    1. Citizen science

About the Tool 

Tool NameTeach Climate Science The Teacher Friendly Guide To Climate Change
DisciplineEarth Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Geography, Chemistry, Biological Sciences, Physics, Mathematics and Statistics, Economics, Social Sciences, Humanities
Topic(s) in DisciplineClimate Change Overview
Climate Topic Introduction to Climate Change; Climate Literacy
Type of tool Teaching Module
Grade LevelHigh School, Undergraduate
LocationGlobal
LanguageEnglish
Translation
Developed byIngrid H. H. Zabel, Don Duggan-Haas, & Robert M. Ross
Hosted atPaleontological Research Institution
LinkLink
AccessOnline
Computer SkillsBasic

Reading: Climate Change- The Teacher Friendly Guide™

Posted by on in Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Earth Sciences, Economics, Environmental Sciences, Geography, Humanities, Mathematics and Statistics, Physics, Social Sciences

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

  1. Why Teach About Climate Change? by Don Duggan-Haas
    1. Why Teaching About Climate Change Matters
    2. Science Learning, Its Application, and Politics
    3. We All Have Biases
    4. Systems and Scales
    5. Love and Beauty Will Persist
    6. Resources
  2. What Should Everyone Understand About Climate Change and Energy? by Don Duggan-Haas
    1. What Do You Think?
    2. Collecting Expert Opinions
    3. Consensus Documents
    4. Striving for a Coherent Conceptual Framework
    5. Resources
  3. What is Climate? by Ingrid H. H. Zabel and Others
    1. Climate is a System
    2. Measuring Climate
    3. Greenhouse Gases and Global Temperature
    4. Natural Causes of Climate Change
    5. Summary
    6. Resources
  4. Climate Change Through Earth History by Robert M. Ross and Others
    1. Why Past Climate Change Matters
    2. Observing Climate Through Time in the Rock Record
    3. History of the Earth’s Climate
    4. Climate Analogs and Models
    5. Resources
  5. Evidence For and Causes of Recent Climate Change by Ingrid H. H. Zabel and Others
    1. Changing Temperatures and Carbon Dioxide
    2. Shrinking Ice Sheets and Glaciers
    3. Changing Sea Ice Extent
    4. Thawing Permafrost
    5. Rising Sea Level
    6. Causes of Recent Climate Change
    7. What are the Likely Effects of Climate Change Going to Be?
    8. Resources
  6. 6. US Regional Climates, Current and Future by Ingrid H. H. Zabel and Benjamin Brown-Steiner
    1. Describing Climates
    2. Northeast
    3. Southeast
    4. Midwest
    5. South Central
    6. Northwest Central
    7. Southwest
    8. West
    9. Hawaii
    10. Alaska
    11. Resources
  7. Climate Change Mitigation by Ingrid H. H. Zabel
    1. What is Mitigation?
    2. Mitigation Strategies
    3. Summary
    4. Resources
  8. Geoengineering by Ingrid H. H. Zabel
    1. Counteracting Climate Change
    2. Examples of Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) Techniques
    3. Examples of Solar Radiation Management (SRM) Techniques
    4. Geoengineering Choices
    5. Resources
  9. Climate Change Adaptation by Ingrid H. H. Zabel
    1. How Much Does Adaptation Cost?
    2. Types of Adaptation Strategies
    3. Adatation to Different Climate Hazards
    4. Equity and Social Justice Considerations
    5. Resources
  10. Obstacles to Addressing Climate Change by Don Duggan-Haas
    1. Controversial Issues and Complex Systems
    2. Creating Meaningful Dialog
    3. Factors That Influence How We think
    4. How Do People Change Their Minds?
    5. How Can We Envision New Systems?
    6. Resources
  11. Perspective by Don Duggan-Haas
    1. Apocalyptic Tales of Climate Change
    2. Use of Language and Perspective in Teaching Climate Change
    3. Hope and Optimism
    4. Apocalyptic Prophesies Versus Predictions of Climate Change 
    5. Reality Check: A Personal Perspective 
    6. Science Teaching Toward a Sustainable World 
    7. Resources

About the Tool 

Tool NameThe Teacher Friendly Guide To Climate Change
DisciplineEarth Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Geography, Chemistry, Biological Sciences, Physics, Mathematics and Statistics, Economics, Social Sciences, Humanities
Topic(s) in DisciplineClimate Change Overview
Climate Topic Introduction to Climate Change; Climate Literacy
Type of tool Reading
Grade LevelHigh School, Undergraduate
LocationGlobal
LanguageEnglish
Translation
Developed byIngrid H. H. Zabel, Don Duggan-Haas, & Robert M. Ross
Hosted atPaleontological Research Institution
LinkLink
AccessOnline
Computer SkillsBasic

E-Learning Courses on Climate Change

Posted by on in Earth Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Geography, Mathematics and Statistics

Series of two E-Learning Courses on Introduction to Climate Change and Climate Science

Following are two online courses in Climate Change and Climate Science by 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.

Read More

Reading: Teaching Climate Change in the Mathematics Classroom

Posted by on in Mathematics and Statistics

An article by Richard Barwell, University of Ottawa titled ’Climate change in the mathematics classroom: a local approach to a global challenge’ that describes how mathematics teachers can prepare their students to engage with climate change. This reading hosted on the Canadian Mathematical Society’s website includes discussions on the following topics:

  1. The mathematics of climate change 
  2. The role of citizens
  3. A critical mathematics perspective
  4. Mathematics teaching and climate change: a local approach 

Students will understand the role of mathematics in understanding and dealing with climate change. They will also discuss the use of mathematics in emphasizing the role of citizens when dealing with climate change.  

Use this tool to help your students find answers to:

  1. What is the role of mathematics in understanding climate change?
  2. How can local weather and climate data be used in mathematics teaching?

About the Tool 

Tool NameClimate change in the mathematics classroom: a local approach to a global challenge
DisciplineMathematics and Statistics
Topic(s) in DisciplineClimate Change Overview 
Climate Topic Climate Literacy
Type of tool Reading
Grade LevelHigh school, Undergraduate
LocationGlobal
LanguageEnglish 
Translation
Developed byRichard Barwell, University of Ottawa
Hosted atCanadian Mathematical Society
LinkLink
AccessOnline/Offline
Computer SkillsBasic

Reading: Climate Change Mathematics

Posted by on in Mathematics and Statistics

A reading by Chris Budd, University of Bath titled ‘The Mathematics of Climate Change’ that discusses the use of mathematical concepts and techniques to address climate change. The reading demonstrates the use of mathematical modelling, probability, statistics, dynamical systems theory and scientific computing to understand global warming, loss of ice, sea level rise, extreme weather events and make future predictions. 

Students will understand how mathematics contributes in understanding the Earth’s climate system and climate change. 

Use this tool to help your students find answers to:

  1. What is the role of mathematics in understanding climate change?
  2. How can mathematical models be used for climate prediction?

About the Tool 

Tool NameThe Mathematics of Climate Change
DisciplineMathematics and Statistics
Topic(s) in DisciplineClimate Change Overview, Mathematical Modelling, Probability, Statistics, Dynamical Systems Theory, Climate Modelling 
Climate Topic Climate Literacy
Type of tool Reading 
Grade LevelHigh School, Undergraduate
LocationGlobal
LanguageEnglish 
Translation
Developed byChris Budd 
Hosted atGresham College
LinkLink
AccessOnline/Offline
Computer SkillsBasic

Video/Microlecture: Climate Change: The Math Connection

Posted by on in Mathematics and Statistics

A video lecture by Chris Budd, University of Bath titled ‘The Mathematics of Climate Change’ that discusses how mathematics helps in understanding the Earth’s climate, climate change and in predicting future climate change. This video focuses on how climate models are derived from the fields of Mathematics and Physics. It includes further discussions on how climate models work, their assumptions, and their reliability. 

Students will understand the link between Climate Change and Mathematics. They will learn how Mathematics contributes in understanding the Earth’s climate system and climate change. They will further understand how climate predictions are based in Mathematics and Physics. 

Use this tool to help your students find answers to:

  1. What is the role of mathematics in understanding climate change?
  2. How can mathematical models be used for climate prediction?

About the Tool 

Tool NameThe Mathematics of Climate Change
DisciplineMathematics and Statistics
Topic(s) in DisciplineClimate Change Overview, Mathematical Modelling
Climate Topic Climate Literacy
Type of tool Video/Microlecture (1 hr) 
Grade LevelHigh School, Undergraduate
LocationGlobal
LanguageEnglish 
Translation
Developed byChris Budd 
Hosted atGresham College
LinkLink
AccessOnline
Computer SkillsBasic

Teaching Module: Climate Change Mathematics by NASA

Posted by on in Earth Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Mathematics and Statistics

A teaching module by NASA makes the use of basic mathematics, algebra, geometry, trigonometric functions and statistics to understand earth science and climate change. This teaching module consists of a range of topics, for different grade levels, and relates them to mathematical modelling. The topic covered are as stated below:

  1. Fractions and Chemistry
  2. Counting Atoms in a Molecule
  3. Parts per Hundred
  4. Parts per Thousand
  5. Kelvin Temperatures and Very Cold Things
  6. Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is? 
  7. Ancient Eclipses and the Length of Day 
  8. Earth’s Polar Wander – The Chandler Wobble 
  9. Identifying Materials by their Reflectivity 
  10. Reflectivity Fingerprints
  11. Graphical Reflectivity Measurements 
  12. Electricity – Watts and Kilowatts
  13. Energy in the Home
  14. Energy Consumption in an Empty House! 
  15. Annual Electricity Consumption in a Home
  16. Carbon Dioxide Production at Home
  17. US Electrical Energy Consumption
  18. World Electricity Consumption and Carbon Dioxide 
  19. Earth’s Atmosphere
  20. Carbon Dioxide Production and Sequestration
  21. Carbon Dioxide Increases
  22. Modeling the Keeling Curve with Excel
  23. Carbon Dioxide – Where does it all go?
  24. A Simple Model for Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide 
  25. Carbon Dioxide Increases During the Last 2000 Years
  26. Carbon Dioxide Changes During the Last 400,000 Years 
  27. Solar Insolation Changes and the Sunspot Cycle
  28. The Solar Constant Since 1600
  29. Scientists Track the Rising Tide
  30. A Satellite View of Downtown Las Vegas
  31. Exploring Washington DC from Space! 
  32. Paris – In a Different Light
  33. Glacier Retreat
  34. Estimating Biomass Loss From a Large Fire 
  35. Earth – A Matter of Gravity!
  36. Magnetic Earth and the Lithosphere 
  37. Studying Ocean Plankton From Space 
  38. NASA Satellite Sees Carbon Dioxide 
  39. Carbon Production in the US – 2002 
  40. Earth’s Carbon Metabolism – Revealed
  41. The International Space Station and Atmospheric Drag 
  42. Satellite Drag and the Hubble Space Telescope 
  43. Earth’s Rotation Changes and the Length of the Day 
  44. The Global Warming Debate and the Arctic Ice Cap 
  45. The Great Gulf Oil Catastrophe of 2010
  46. Recent Events: A Perspective on Carbon Dioxide

Use this tool to help students find answers to:

  1. What is ‘reflectivity’? Graph the measurements of commonly mentioned materials as per their reflectivity index.
  2. What is ‘Keeling Curve’? What does it say about carbon dioxide concentrations over time?
  3. How is carbon dioxide concentration calculated using satellite imagery?

About the Tool

Tool NameEarth Math Educator Guide
DisciplineEarth Sciences, Mathematics and Statistics, Environmental Sciences
Topic(s) in DisciplineAlgebra, Data Analysis, Probability, Trigonometry, Fractions and Decimals, Energy Consumption, Visualization, Graphs, Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide, Keeling Curve, Carbon Sequestration, Glacier Retreat
Climate TopicIntroduction to Climate Change; Climate Variability Record; Planetary Climate
Type of toolTeaching Module
Grade LevelMiddle School, Highschool
LocationGlobal
LanguageEnglish
Translation 
Developed byNASA
Hosted atNANA STEM Engagement Website 
LinkLink
AccessOnline/ Offline
Computer SkillsBasic

Teaching Module: Analyzing Climate Science Data through Simple Statistical Techniques

Posted by on in Mathematics and Statistics

A teaching module that demonstrates the use of linear and quadratic regression to analyze Arctic sea ice extent data and the use of graphs, sample correlations, and multiple regression to analyze atmospheric CO2 level data, solar irradiance data, and average global temperature data.

Read More “Teaching Module: Analyzing Climate Science Data through Simple Statistical Techniques”

Video/ Microlecture: Climate Change in the Maths and Statistics Classroom

Posted by on in Mathematics and Statistics

A video lecture by Rahul Chopra, TROP ICSU and IISER Pune on climate change educational resources that Mathematics and Statistics teachers can use in their classrooms. These educational resources integrate climate change understanding with the core curriculum in Mathematics and Statistics. This video lecture is part of an online e-learning course (MOOC) titled ‘Climate Change: A Guide For Teachers Of All Disciplines’ developed  by 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.

This video lecture presents several lesson plans and teaching tools that Mathematics and Statistics teachers can use to teach topics in their discipline using climate related activities, case studies and examples. It also includes discussions on the use of digital pedagogy for effective classroom instruction. This lecture presents how Maths and Statistics teachers can teach topics such as Calculus, Integration, Differentiation, Trigonometry, Sine and Cosine Functions, Polynomial Differentiation, Tangent Line Problems, Analysis, Linear Regression, Quadratic Regression, Time Series, Uncertainty, Correlation Coefficients, Confidence Intervals, Errors, Student’s t distribution, among others.

About the Tool 

Tool NameClimate Change in the Maths and Statistics Classroom
DisciplineMathematics and Statistics
Topic(s) in DisciplineClimate Change Overview
Climate Topic Climate Literacy
Type of tool Video/ Microlecture (31 mins)
Grade LevelHigh School, Undergraduate
LocationGlobal
LanguageEnglish
Translation
Developed byRahul Chopra, TROP ICSU and IISER Pune
Hosted at​YouTube Channel of IISER Pune
LinkClimate Change in the Math and Statistics Classroom:- Link
Climate Change: A Guide For Teachers Of All Disciplines:- Link
AccessOnline
Computer SkillsBasic

Teaching Module: Predict the Climate by throwing a dice

Posted by on in Mathematics and Statistics

A teaching module that uses a dice and Excel to demonstrate the difference between experimental and theoretical probabilities. It also uses temperature and precipitation data to calculate moving average, identify trends in time series, and learn about data visualization.

This teaching module provides multiple resources under 4 categories:

  1. Teachers’ notes for ‘Using sample data sets’ for offline teaching.
  2. Teachers’ notes, students’ notes, sample spreadsheet, presentation and presentation notes for ‘ Using dice as Climate Model’ for offline teaching using a computer.
  3. Teachers’ notes and students’ worksheet for ‘Investigating climate data using climateprediction.net results’ for online teaching, and
  4. Presentation and teaching notes for designing statistical questionnaire

Students will ​​learn about Excel functions, such as RAND, IF, and AVERAGE. They will also learn about visualization, modeling, probability and time series through climate modeling. Furthermore, students will also learn basic methodology used while designing questionnaires. 

Use this tool to help students find answers to:

  1. If you throw a dice 100 times, can you predict the climate? What is the probability that the 101st throw will be 4?
  2. Using climatepredictions.net to run temperature models, calculate the percentage error for each model.
  3. How is climate predicted? Why does climate prediction require the use of multiple models run over long periods of time? 

About the Tool

Tool NameKey stage 3 & 4 Maths
DisciplineMathematics and Statistics
Topic(s) in DisciplineProbability, Average, Moving Average, Mean, Time Series, Visualization, Questionnaire Formulation
Climate TopicClimate Variability Record; Climate and the Atmosphere
Type of toolTeaching Module
Grade LevelHigh School
LocationGlobal
LanguageEnglish
Translation 
Developed byclimateprediction.net
Hosted atclimateprediction.net
LinkLink
AccessOnline/ Offline
Computer SkillsBasic

Differential Calculus using Methane Data

Posted by on in Mathematics and Statistics

A classroom/laboratory activity for Mathematics teachers to teach about Differential Calculus, specifically, about polynomial differentiation focusing on  Tangent Line Problem and Curve Fitting. This activity contains yearly data of the globally averaged marine surface methane from 1984 to 2019. Methane is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions – a potential cause of global warming.

Students will learn the use of scatter plot and curve fitting to derive the polynomial differentiation function. Further this activity will allow students to predict future methane concentrations.

Use this tool to help your students find answers to:

  1. What are polynomial differentiation functions?
  2. Derive a polynomial function using the given methane concentration date.
  3. Calculate future methane concentration using polynomial differentiation.

About the Tool

Tool Name Global Marine Surface CH4
Discipline Mathematics and Statistics
Topic(s) in Discipline Differential Calculus, Polynomial Differentiation, Tangent Line Problem, Scatter Plot, Curve Fitting
Climate Topic Classroom/Laboratory Activity
Type of Tool Video (64 mins)
Grade Level High School, Undergraduate
Location  Global
Language English
Translation –
Developed by Thomas J. Pfaff (Ithaca College)
Hosted at Sustainability Math
Link Link
Access Offline
Computer Skills Basic

Classroom/ Laboratory Activity: Teaching Differentiating Functions through Solar Energy Data

Posted by on in Mathematics and Statistics

A classroom/ laboratory activity titled, ‘Country Photovoltaic Energy Production’ from Sustainability Math by Thomas J. Pfaff, Ithaca College, USA, to teach differentiating functions – logistic and exponential, using a hands-on computer-based classroom activity that includes data of photovoltaic (solar) energy production of several countries from 1990 to 2016.

This data is provided in an Excel spreadsheet. The classroom activity also includes a Word document that contains directions on how to use different mathematical methods on the data provided. 

Students will learn how to apply their understanding of logistic and exponential functions and apply the Quotient (or Product) Rule to describe the rates of increase of photovoltaic energy production over time in several countries such as Germany, Italy, and USA, amongst others, in recent times. 

Use this tool to help your students find answers to:

  1. What are differentiating functions?
  2. Distinguish between logarithmic, exponential, and logistic differentiating functions.
  3. How has the rate of global solar energy production changed since 1990?
  4. How do the rates of solar energy production in select countries (from the given datasets) differ from that of the World?
  5. Discuss how the use of photovoltaic energy can be a viable alternative to fossil fuels to combat global warming.

About the Tool

Tool NameCountry Photovoltaic Energy Production
DisciplineMathematics and Statistics
Topic(s) in DisciplineLogarithmic, Exponential, Logistic Differentiating Functions, Quotient or Product Rule
Climate TopicEnergy, Economics and Climate Change; Climate Mitigation and Adaptation
Type of toolClassroom/Laboratory Activity
Grade LevelHigh School, Undergraduate
LocationGlobal
LanguageEnglish
Translation
Developed byThomas J. Pfaff
Hosted atSustainability Math 
Linkhttp://sustainabilitymath.org/calculus-materials/
AccessOnline, Offline
Computer SkillsBasic

Classroom/ Laboratory Activity: Differentiation and Wind Energy

Posted by on in Mathematics and Statistics

A classroom/ laboratory activity titled, ‘Wind Energy by Selected Countries and World’ from Sustainability Math by Thomas J. Pfaff, Ithaca College, USA, to teach polynomial and logistic differentiation using a hands-on computer-based classroom activity that includes wind energy production data of several countries from 1980 to 2016.

This data is provided in an Excel spreadsheet.The classroom activity also includes a Word document that contains directions on how to use different mathematical methods on the data provided.

Students will learn how to apply their understanding of polynomial and logistic differentiation and apply the Quotient (or Product) Rule to describe the rates of increase of wind energy production over time in countries such as China, Spain, USA, and the World.

Use this tool to help your students find answers to:

  1. What are differentiating functions?
  2. Describe polynomial and logistic differentiation using examples.
  3. How has the rate of global wind energy production changed since 1980?
  4. How do the rates of wind energy production in select countries (from the given datasets) differ from that of the World?
  5. Discuss how the use of wind energy can be a viable alternative to fossil fuels to combat global warming.

About the Tool

Tool NameWind Energy by Selected Countries and World
DisciplineMathematic and Statistics, 
Topic(s) in DisciplinePolynomial and Logistic Differentiation, Quotient or Product Rule
Climate TopicEnergy, Economics and Climate Change; Climate Mitigation and Adaptation; Climate Variability Record
Type of toolClassroom/Laboratory Activity
Grade LevelHigh School, Undergraduate
LocationGlobal
LanguageEnglish
Translation
Developed byThomas J. Pfaff
Hosted atSustainability Math 
Linkhttp://sustainabilitymath.org/calculus-materials/
AccessOnline, Offline
Computer SkillsBasic

Classroom/ Laboratory Activity: World Petroleum Consumption

Posted by on in Mathematics and Statistics

A classroom/ laboratory activity titled, ‘World Petroleum Consumption’ from Sustainability Math by Thomas J. Pfaff, Ithaca College, USA, to teach integration using a hands-on computer-based classroom activity that includes world petroleum consumption data from 1980 to 2016

This data is provided in an Excel spreadsheet. The classroom activity also includes a Word document that contains directions on how to use different mathematical methods on the data provided.

Students will learn how to apply their understanding of the relationship between a function and its integral and to set up and solve equations with an integral to describe the trend of world petroleum consumption over time. Additionally, they will also be able to answer how this global petroleum consumption is responsible for carbon emissions that have contributed towards post-industrial age global warming.

Use this tool to help your students find answers to:

  1. What is the relationship between a function and its integral?
  2. How has the world petroleum consumption changed since 1980?

About the Tool

Tool NameWorld Petroleum Consumption
DisciplineMathematics and Statistics
Topic(s) in DisciplineIntegration, Integral Function, Function
Climate TopicEnergy, Economics and Climate Change; Climate Mitigation and Adaptation
Type of toolClassroom/Laboratory Activity
Grade LevelHigh School, Undergraduate
LocationGlobal
LanguageEnglish
Translation
Developed byThomas J. Pfaff
Hosted atSustainability Math 
Linkhttp://sustainabilitymath.org/calculus-materials/
AccessOnline, Offline
Computer SkillsBasic