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Introduction & Teacher Background The 1980’s was the second-warmest decade on record in most of the northern hemisphere. The 1990’s was the warmest. The past 5 years in 2000 have been the warmest yet. The unusually warm weather has heightened public awareness of the apparent shift in the Earth's climate. Recent intensification of the greenhouse effect is cited as one possible cause for climatic change. The greenhouse effect has always been in place. It accounts for the warmth of our planet. During the latter part of the 1980s, the specter of human-caused global warming did receive considerable media attention. The resulting public outcry spurred Congress into action. Much of the monitoring and research related to atmospheric processes was already in place. What was lacking was the ability to predict the effects of global warming and other global climate changes (e.g. acidic precipitation and ozone depletion). Activity 1: Climate Mime-it Activity 2: Predicting the Future Activity 3: Puzzle it Out Activity 4: Carbon Cycle Capers Activity 5: Village Research |
Last updated: September 17, 2019