Climate Change

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RESOURCE	GRADE LEVEL	MEDIA TYPE
1900 Air Pollution Examine this graph from FRONTLINE/NOVA: "What's Up with the Weather?" Web site to see dramatic increases in three greenhouse gases over the last two hundred years.	9-12	Document
Antarctic Ecosystem In contrast with its largely lifeless interior, the Antarctic coastal marine environment supports a vibrant and diverse ecosystem. Explore the region's living bounty in this interactive activity adapted from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.	5-12	Interactive
Arctic Climate Perspectives This video, adapted from material provided by the ECHO partners, describes how global climate change is affecting Barrow, Alaska.	6-9	Video
Arctic Climate System Learn how the Arctic is a part of a global climate system in this video segment adapted from the National Film Board of Canada.	6-12	Video
Arctic Haze In this video segment adapted from KUAC, find out why the horizon in Alaska is sometimes shrouded in pollution and what it means for climate change in the Arctic.	6-12	Video
Arctic Sea Ice Satellite Observations In this interactive activity produced for Teachers' Domain, learn how Arctic sea ice has changed over the past 25 years in terms of maximum winter extent, concentration, and the timing of breakup each spring.	6-12	Interactive
Biological Invaders This video segment from Evolution: "Extinction!" shows the impact of invasive species on native ecosystems.	9-12	Video
Carbon-Fiber Car of the Future In this video segment adapted from NOVA, find out how cars made of a material stronger than steel and half the weight can help combat climate change.	6-12	Video
Climate and Human Evolution In this video segment adapted from NOVA: "Becoming Human," learn how the analysis of rock layers and ocean sediments supports the theory that rapid climate change may have jump-started human evolution two million years ago.	6-12	Video
Climate Change This video segment adapted from NOVA explains the difference between weather and climate and features groundbreaking analysis revealing that Earth's climate has changed much faster than previously believed.	6-12	Video
Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Learn about climate change adaptation and mitigation in this animated video produced by the Wisconsin Educational Communications Board.	6-12	Video
Climate Change Impacts Alaska Glaciers This video adapted from KTOO takes a look at Earth's warming and cooling cycles and the current atypical trend of warming that is impacting the glaciers in Alaska's Inside Passage.	6-12	Video
Climate Wisconsin: Birkebeiner Experience the largest cross-country ski race in North America and learn how it is being impacted by climate change in this multimedia video produced by the Wisconsin Educational Communications Board.	6-12	Video
Climate Wisconsin: Farming Learn how a family farm in Wisconsin functions and how it is impacted by climate change in this multimedia video produced by the Wisconsin Educational Communications Board.	6-12	Video
Climate Wisconsin: Forestry Learn how a family farm in Wisconsin functions and how it is impacted by climate change in this multimedia video produced by the Wisconsin Educational Communications Board.	6-12	Video
Climate Wisconsin: Ice Cover Ice cover data and long term trends for Lake Mendota and Lake Mendota in Madison, WI can be explored in this interactive resource produced by the Wisconsin Educational Communications Board.	6-12	Interactive
Climate Wisconsin: Ice Fishing Discover how climate change is impacting ice fishing in Wisconsin in this multimedia video produced by the Wisconsin Educational Communications Board.	6-12	Video
Climate Wisconsin: Phenology Explore phenology and its relation to climate change research in this multimedia video resource produced by the Wisconsin Educational Communications Board.	6-12	Video
Climate Wisconsin: Great Lakes Shipping Learn how shipping on the Great Lakes is being impacted by climate change in this multimedia video produced by the Wisconsin Educational Communications Board.	6-12	Video
Climate Wisconsin: Sugaring In this multimedia video produced by the Wisconsin Educational Communications Board, learn how maple syrup is produced and how its production may be impacted by climate change.	6-12	Video
Climate Wisconsin: Temperature Change Investigate observed and projected average annual temperature change in Wisconsin in this interactive resource produced by the Wisconsin Educational Communications Board.	6-12	Interactive
Cloud Types This interactive resource, adapted from NASA's S'COOL Project Tutorial, explains how you can classify and identify various types of clouds.	3-12	Interactive
CO₂ Concentrations at Mauna Loa Observatory, Hawaiʻi This resource, adapted from the Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center, provides a graph of monthly average carbon dioxide (CO₂) concentration from 1958 to 2000 at the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaiʻi.	6-12	Document
Coral Kid In this video segment, ZOOM guest Cassie takes us on a tour of the coral reef near her home in Key Largo, Florida, and points out some of its unique features.	K-8	Video
Dengue Virus Invades a Cell In this visualization adapted from the University of Massachusetts Medical School, discover the role that dengue viral proteins play in a human cell as the virus prepares to replicate.	9-12	Video
Deserts Not all deserts are the same. This still collage produced for Teachers' Domain features views of different deserts around the world.	K-8	Image
Diatoms Measure Climate Change In this video segment adapted from NOVA: "Becoming Human," learn what the analysis of fossilized microscopic algae in sediment tells us about rapid changes in climate in Africa's past.	6-12	Video
Documenting Change In this video segment from New York Voices, botanists study plants to inform agriculture and climate change.	3-12	Video
Earth in Motion: Seasons This interactive activity from the Adler Planetarium explains the "reasons for the seasons." Featured is a game in which Earth must be properly placed in its orbit in order to send Max, the host, to different parts of the world during particular seasons.	3-8	Interactive
Earth’s Albedo and Global Warming In this interactive activity adapted from NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey, learn about Earth's albedo (the ratio of reflected vs. incident solar radiation), how pollution alters albedo, and how ice-albedo feedback may accelerate global warming.	6-12	Interactive
Earth's Cryosphere: The Arctic In this video segment adapted from NASA, take a tour of the cryosphere in North America and the Arctic using satellite imagery.	6-12	Video
Earth System: Ice and Global Warming This video segment adapted from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center explains ice's role in the Earth system, highlighting the delicate balance that could be upset with a continued rise in temperature due to climate change.	6-12	Video
The Effect of Sea Surface Temperature on Hurricanes In this video segment adapted from NOVA scienceNOW, scientists examine the link between rising sea surface temperature and more intense hurricanes.	9-12	Video
Examine Global Surface Currents This visualization from McDougal Littell/TERC visualizes the relationship between global wind directions and the direction of ocean surface currents.	6-12	Interactive
Exploring Environmental Change Students explore the connections that can exist in a natural environment, and examine how changes to the environment, particularly those caused by human activity, can affect those connections.	6-9	Lesson Plan
Climate Wisconsin: Extreme Heat Learn how extreme heat—which is projected to occur more frequently in our changing climate—disproportionately affects the urban elderly and the poor in this multimedia video produced by the Wisconsin Educational Communications Board.	6-12	Video
Climate Wisconsin: Fly Fishing Learn how fly fishing and trout are impacted by Wisconsin’s changing climate in this multimedia video produced by the Wisconsin Educational Communications Board.	6-12	Video
Geology of North Dakota Badlands See how the geology of the North Dakota badlands has changed over time in this video segment from NatureScene, featuring the landscape at Theodore Roosevelt National Park.	3-8	Video
Global Climate Change: The Effects of Global Warming Students conduct an experiment to determine CO₂ levels in four different gases, examine evidence of global warming in our environment, and consider their own role in contributing to global warming.	9-12	Lesson Plan
Global Climate Change: Understanding the Greenhouse Effect Students study past climate change, explore the effect of greenhouse gases on Earth's atmosphere today, and consider human impact on global warming.	6-12	Lesson Plan
Global Warming? Students examine the issue of global warming. They calculate how much carbon dioxide all the machines they use produce in one day.	9-12	Lesson Plan
Global Warming and the Greenhouse Effect This video segment from Race to Save the Planet: "Only One Atmosphere" discusses the greenhouse effect and global warming.	9-12	Video
Global Warming and The Greenhouse Effect This video excerpt from Race to Save the Planet discusses the greenhouse effect and global warming.	6-12	Video
Global Warming: Beyond Fossil Fuels Martin Hoffert, professor of physics at New York University, discusses global warming and alternative energies in this interview from the NOVA/FRONTLINE Web site.	6-12	Document
Global Warming: Carbon Dioxide and the Greenhouse Effect This video segment adapted from NOVA/FRONTLINE demonstrates the physical property of carbon dioxide that causes the greenhouse effect.	6-12	Video
Global Warming: Carbon Dioxide and the Greenhouse Effect This video segment adapted from NOVA/FRONTLINE demonstrates the physical property of carbon dioxide that causes the greenhouse effect.	6-12	Video
Global Warming: Graphs Tell the Story Examine graphs from the NOVA/FRONTLINE Web site to see dramatic changes in the temperature of Earth's surface and in the levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.	9-12	Document
Global Warming: The Physics of the Greenhouse Effect This video segment adapted from NOVA/FRONTLINE examines the greenhouse effect, its role in keeping Earth habitable, and the industrial changes that have led to an increase in the planet's average temperature.	6-12	Video
Great Ocean Conveyor Belt: Part I This image from GRID-Arendal depicts the major circulation pattern of the ocean, illustrating interactions between temperature, salinity, and depth.	9-12	Image
Greenland Ice Sheet Project 2: A Record of Climate Change Using images and graphs, this interactive resource illustrates scientists' efforts to study Earth's climatic history for the last 250,000 years by drilling into the Greenland Ice Sheet and examining ice cores. Adapted from the Wright Center for Science Education, Tufts University.	9-12	Interactive
How Did Life Emerge Here? This video segment adapted from NOVA describes the emergence of life on the islands of Hawaiʻi from a barren volcanic platform under the ocean waves to the rich explosion of life that covers the many climate zones of the islands today.	3-12	Video
How The Ohio River Was Formed This video segment adapted from KET's Where the River Bends demonstrates how climate change and glacier movement during the Ice Ages destroyed the old Teays River and created the Ohio River, Kentucky's northern border.	6-12	Video
Hurricane Katrina: Possible Causes This media-rich essay from NOVA scienceNow explores new research into hurricanes that may help explain Katrina's devastating impact and discusses the possibility that global warming played a role.	6-12	Document
Infrared Gallery How would your world look if you saw heat instead of light? In this interactive resource produced for Teachers' Domain, see what familiar objects look like through an infrared camera and watch infrared videos of geysers, mudpots, and hot springs.	3-12	Interactive
Infrared: More Than Your Eyes Can See In this video segment adapted from NASA, astronomer Michelle Thaller introduces the world of infrared light and demonstrates how infrared cameras allow us to see more than what the naked eye can perceive.	3-12	Video
Melting Ice In this media-rich lesson, students explore the role that ice plays on Earth, the factors causing it to melt, and the local and global consequences of melting ice.	6-12	Lesson Plan
Mitigating Climate Change in China and Ethiopia In this video segment adapted from "Hope in a Changing Climate," learn how an environmentally devastated ecosystem has been restored, benefiting both the local economy and global efforts to fight climate change.	6-12	Video
Mountain of Ice: If the Ice Melts This interactive resource adapted from NOVA Online features a collection of images that show what would happen to selected coastlines around the world if the Antarctic Ice Sheet melted.	6-12	Interactive
Native Student Filmmakers Focus on Climate Change In this video segment adapted from Haskell Indian Nations University, student filmmakers explain why it is important to them to make a video about climate change.	6-12	Video
Natural Climate Change in Djibouti, Africa In this video segment adapted from NOVA, animations are used to illustrate how change in the tilt of Earth's axis produces dramatic climate change over thousands of years.	3-12	Video
Observations of Climate Change In this media-rich activity, students learn how data gathered through surveys with local residents and data collected by remote satellites are complementary tools that help deepen our understanding of the effects of climate change in the Arctic and elsewhere.	6-12	Student Activity
Ocean Temperatures and Climate Patterns This animation from The New Media Studio illustrates how the atmosphere and ocean together shape wind, current, and rainfall patterns in the tropical Pacific.	6-12	Video
Overstepping Mother Earth's Boundaries Have we overstepped Mother Earth's boundaries? What are the consequences? In this video segment adapted from Haskell Indian Nations University, hear a Native perspective on our relationship with the natural environment.	3-12	Video
Pennsylvania Energy: Biomass Many potential, renewable sources of biomass energy exist in Pennsylvania, especially on farms. This video profiles various facilities that make biomass energy, including biodiesel fuel. Biomass energy is important to the economy and the food supply.	6-8	Video
Permian-Triassic Extinction In this video segment from Evolution: "Extinction!", geologist Peter Ward discusses evidence for a Permian-Triassic mass extinction.	9-12	Video
Polar Bears and Climate Change In this video from the World Wildlife Fund, learn how rising temperatures in the southern Arctic could lead to polar bear extinction.	6-12	Video
Salmon Move into Deeper Waters For generations, Native Americans have depended on their observations of nature for their survival. In this video segment adapted from Northwest Indian College, an Elder recalls how fishermen suspected the water was warming after observing salmon retreating to deeper waters.	6-12	Video
Salmon Population Depleted In this video segment adapted from Northwest Indian College, Lummi Elders explain how a decline in the availability of salmon reflects a threatened environment that must in some way be protected.	6-12	Video
Seasons on Earth Students study satellite data and explore an example of long-term climate change to learn about the seasons, changes in climate, and the role of Earth’s tilted axis.	6-12	Lesson Plan
Sense of Smell Leads Salmon Home This video segment adapted from Northwest Indian College reveals how Native American life and knowledge is connected to natural cycles.	6-12	Video
Shipwrecks Reveal Ocean Currents In this video segment adapted from NOVA, a detailed map showing the trajectories of abandoned ships from the late 1800's is used to reveal the routes of surface currents in the Atlantic Ocean. Animations illustrate the role played by ocean currents in the colonization of North America.	6-12	Video
Solar Magnetism This video segment adapted from NOVA describes how the Sun's magnetism can have an effect here on Earth, from dramatic auroras to a mini-Ice Age in the 1600s.	6-12	Video
Steve MacLean: Conservationist In this video profile produced for Teachers' Domain, meet conservationist Steve MacLean, an Iñupiaq from Barrow, Alaska, who works to preserve the health of the Bering Sea ecosystem.	3-12	Video
Stories in the Ice Take a journey back through time, using ice cores to learn about the Earth's climatic history. From the FRONTLINE/NOVA: "What's Up with the Weather?" Web site	9-12	Document
Students Measure Changes in Lake Ice and Snow In this video adapted from KUAC-TV and the Geophysical Institute at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, students provide field measurements that researchers need in order to understand how lakes in Alaska are changing as a result of climate change.	6-12	Video
Studying Global Warming in Biosphere 2 In this What's Up in the Environment? video segment, an international team of scientists in Arizona's Biosphere 2 laboratory studies the impact of increased carbon dioxide emissions and how that might affect our future global environment.	5-9	Video
A Subsistence Culture Impacted by Climate Change This video adapted from the Arctic Athabaskan Council explains how warmer temperatures in the Arctic are transforming the ecosystem and threatening the subsistence culture of the Athabaskan people.	6-12	Video
Taking the Earth's Temperature This video segment from FRONTLINE/NOVA: "What's Up with the Weather?" depicts research efforts to record Earth's past and present temperatures shifts.	9-12	Video
The Difference Between Weather and Climate See how ice cover data from Lake Mendota in Madison, WI can explain the difference between weather and climate in this video produced by the Wisconsin Educational Communications Board.	6-12	Video
Tracking Polar Bears In this interactive activity adapted from the USGS Alaska Science Center, track the movements of a polar bear as it migrates across the changing Arctic sea ice and compare the paths of four different polar bears.	K-8	Interactive
Tropical Ice Cores Measure Climate In this video segment adapted from NOVA scienceNOW, glaciologist Lonnie Thompson shows how glacial ice cores from the tropics track centuries of climate change.	6-8	Video
Uncertainty in Climate Change Modeling Learn why trout are important indicators in Wisconsin’s changing climate, and why the uncertainty of global climate models complicates predictions about their survival, in this video produced by the Wisconsin Educational Communications Board.	6-12	Video
An Unpredictable Environment In this video segment adapted from the International Institute for Sustainable Development, Inuit observers describe how their traditional understanding of weather patterns is being challenged by unpredictable weather behaviors.	6-12	Video
Volcanic Eruptions and Hazards This interactive resource adapted from the National Park Service illustrates the difference between explosive and effusive volcanic eruptions as well as the hazards that can result, including lahars, tsunamis, and lava flows.	6-12	Interactive
Warmer Water Kills Salmon Eggs In this video segment adapted from Northwest Indian College, a Native American Elder explains her observation that a temperature rise of just 3°F is killing salmon eggs.	6-12	Video
Wetlands In this video segment adapted from Haskell Indian Nations University, learn about the spiritual role and ecological function of the wetlands adjacent to the university's campus.	6-12	Video
What Causes the Gulf Stream? This video segment adapted from NOVA visualizes how Earth's rotation and uneven heating from the Sun cause prevailing winds and influence ocean surface currents. An animation and infrared satellite image illustrate the shape and direction of the Gulf Stream System in the Atlantic Ocean.	6-12	Video
What Killed the Dinosaurs? This Evolution Web feature uses animations to explore how evidence can support a variety of hypotheses surrounding the mystery behind the extinction of the dinosaurs.	3-12	Interactive
What Killed the Dinosaurs? In this Evolution Web feature, find clues to one of life's most compelling mysteries, and discover how evidence can support a variety of hypotheses.	6-8	Interactive
Who Owns the Water of the Great Lakes? In this video segment from Planet H₂0: Water World, experts and teens inside and outside the Great Lakes watershed provide different perspectives on sharing the water from one of the largest bodies of fresh water in the world.	5-12	Video
Witnessing Environmental Changes In this video segment adapted from Haskell Indian Nations University, meet Elders who describe dramatic changes that they have witnessed in their local environments.	3-12	Video