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The greenhouse effect and global warming... What's it got to do with me?
Teachers' Notes :
An on-line project suited for upper Primary / Middle School students. IntroductionEnvironmental issues have become very topical in our lives today. More people are becoming aware of the possible negative impacts our modern lifestyle can have on the world around us. While the Greenhouse Effect is a natural phenomenon without which we could not survive, there is a widely held belief that the actions of humans (namely industrialisation) are adding to this effect, resulting in slowly increasing global temperatures - Global Warming. Assuming this case to be true, it is important that students understand the concepts involved and recognise that every person can play a part in endeavouring to reduce our contribution to Global Warming. (In doing this there can be the added benefits of helping the environment, becoming more energy efficient and saving money!) For more information about the Greenhouse Effect and Global Warming / climate change refer to the web sites listed below as well as those listed in the Resources section under Resources for Steps 1 and 2 . Background Resources - Greenhouse Effect and Global Warming:
Do my students need to do all of the steps in this project?The outcomes you wish to achieve with your students and the amount of time you can afford to spend will determine which steps of the Process you choose to complete. Step 1 aims to arm students with an understanding of the concepts involved. (At this point, information regarding the ozone layer has been included, as many students seem to confuse the Greenhouse Effect and the ozone layer (hole), assuming that they are the same thing.) Step 2 requires students to demonstrate their understanding of the concepts learned in Step 1. It is important students understand that the diagram / model / presentation they create must be original and not simply copied. Step 3 and Step 4 require students to research and analyse information, and then to synthesise this information into a format suitable for the chosen audience. Before students begin they will need to understand that knowing who their target audience is will guide them in appropriate use of language, style and so on. For Step 4, students will also require guidance in how to set out and write a letter. Taking it further… Once your students have an understanding of the Greenhouse Effect and Global Warming concepts, you may wish to take it one step further. There are many people, including many reputable scientists, who believe that Global Warming is not happening. They claim that any fluctuations in temperature and climate that occur are part of our planet's natural process and that man-made emissions have a negligible impact. Resources - Is Global Warming really happening?
Process guideSuggestions for how the project might be developed in the classroom.
Student documentsThe documents below have been provided to help your students organise, plan, schedule and reflect on their project. You may choose to use these documents as they are, modify them, or create your own. Your students also have access to these documents, but have been instructed to check with you as to how you would like them to proceed. Evaluating my studentsThis on-line project can be tailored to accomodate a variety of learning outcomes. Provided are sample rubrics for a Science outcome and a Society and Environment outcome. These can be used as they are, can be modified to suit your own needs, or you can create your own.
A post-project debriefing sheet is provided. This not only allows students to reflect on their learning, but also provides another documented source that can be used in student evaluation.
SoftwareAdobe Acrobat Reader The Acrobat Reader is a plug-in (helper application) manufactured by Adobe, that allows your Internet browser to display and print Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) files. Acrobat is used to publish various sections within the e-learning WebQuest to make printing easier. You must have the Acrobat Reader installed on your system to view and print this material. You can download the latest version of the Acrobat Reader free by clicking on the button below. It should take about 22 minutes at 56k to download the basic reader.
Microsoft Word All of the teaching resources for this e-learning package are available in Microsoft Word format, ready for you to customise to the specific educational requirements of your class. If you do not have Word installed on your computers, you should still be able to edit these documents with WordPad or the Apple equivalent. Or you can
Contact UsIf you have questions or constructive comments regarding this on-line project, please
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