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Climate Change Mathematics by NASA

Teaching Module

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 your 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 Tool
Tool Name Earth Math Educator Guide
Discipline Earth Sciences, Mathematics and Statistics, Environmental Sciences
Topic(s) in Discipline Introduction to Statistics, Climate Change Overview, Earth’s Climate, Algebra, Data Analysis, Probability, Trigonometry, Fractions and Decimals, Energy Consumption, Visualization, Graphs, Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide, Keeling Curve, Carbon Sequestration, Glacier Retreat
Climate Topic Introduction to Climate Change, Climate Variability Record, Planetary Energy Balance
Type of tool Teaching Module
Grade Level Middle School, High School
Location Global
Language English
Translation      –
Developed by NASA
Hosted at NASA STEM Engagement Website
Link
Access Online
Computer Skills Basic

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