The Impact of Human Activities on the Natural Carbon Cycle
The Impact of Human Activities on the Natural Carbon Cycle Classroom/Laboratory Activity A classroom/laboratory activity to understand the carbon cycle, and to explore how human activities may affect the natural carbon cycle. Students will run a simulation to explore how an increase in fossil fuel use will affect the natural carbon cycle, and will discuss […]
Ocean Chemistry, Ocean Acidification, and Oyster Growth
Ocean Chemistry, Ocean Acidification, and Oyster Growth Classroom/Laboratory Activity A classroom/laboratory activity to learn about the pH of ocean water, explore the potential effects of climate change on ocean acidification, and understand the possible impacts of ocean acidification on marine organisms such as oysters. Students will explore and analyze the relationship between the growth of […]
Reconstruction of Paleoclimate by Using Isotopic Composition Data
Reconstruction of Paleoclimate by Using Isotopic Composition Data Classroom/Laboratory Activity A classroom/laboratory activity to learn about the isotopes of hydrogen and oxygen, analyze the isotopic composition of ice, and understand how isotopic compositions can be used to recreate past temperatures and climate. Students will plot graphs to analyze data from the Vostok ice core in […]
Teaching Polynomial Differentiation with Arctic Sea Ice Data
Teaching Polynomial Differentiation with Arctic Sea Ice Data Classroom/Laboratory Activity A classroom/ laboratory activity titled, ‘Arctic Sea Ice’ from Sustainability Math by Thomas J. Pfaff, Ithaca College, USA, to teach introductory derivatives, polynomial differentiation, and the application of derivatives. This hands-on computer-based classroom activity consists of datasets of Arctic Ice Data (1980-2017). This classroom activity […]
Polynomial Differentiation Using Temperature Data
Polynomial Differentiation Using Temperature Data Classroom/Laboratory Activity A classroom/ laboratory activity titled, ‘Global Average Temperature’ from Sustainability Math by Thomas J. Pfaff, Ithaca College, USA, to teach derivatives and polynomial differentiation using global average temperature data. This classroom/laboratory activity uses NASA’s data of global annual mean surface air temperature from 1950 to 2018. This data […]
Modelling the Effect of Changes in Radiation on Planetary Temperature
Modelling the Effect of Changes in Radiation on Planetary Temperature Classroom/Laboratory Activity A classroom/laboratory activity to model how changes in the radiation entering or leaving the Earth affect the temperature of the planet. Students will model the data by using Excel spreadsheets and will then determine whether a polynomial function or an exponential function provides […]
Statistical Methods to Determine Historical Temperature Trends
Statistical Methods to Determine Historical Temperature Trends Teaching Module A classroom/laboratory activity to learn about statistical methods to analyse average annual temperatures of major cities in the world (New York and Sydney) and to determine trends in the data. Students will create histograms to analyse the average annual temperatures; will compare data sets; will learn […]
Statistical Methods to Determine Trends in Hurricane Intensity
Statistical Methods to Determine Trends in Hurricane Intensity Classroom/Laboratory Activity A classroom/laboratory activity to learn about linear slope, trends, confidence intervals, and Student’s t-distribution by calculating trends and uncertainties using hurricane data records over 40 years. Using hurricane-related data for the Atlantic Ocean, students will plot graphs and determine trends by calculating linear slope. They […]
Linear Regression on Arctic Ice Data
Linear Regression on Arctic Ice Data Classroom/Laboratory Activity A classroom/laboratory activity to perform linear regression on climate data from the Arctic. Students will perform linear regression analysis on the average monthly extent of Arctic sea ice (from 1979 to the present) and will compare the residual plots for different months. Use this tool to help […]
Modelling Temperature Data by using Trigonometric Functions
Modelling Temperature Data by using Trigonometric Functions Classroom/Laboratory Activity A classroom/laboratory activity to model temperature data by using trigonometric functions. Students will model given temperature data (for Wellington, New Zealand) by using sine and cosine functions. They will compare models and discuss their observations. This activity can be replicated for any location for which temperature […]