Understanding Climate Change NSTA March 10, 2011 Mort Sternheim Rob Snyder STEM Education Institute University of Massachusetts Amherst #

Climate Change Education Provides Opportunities for Students To: 1.Develop Spatial Thinking  Interpret maps, diagrams, graphs, charts, animations and models. 2.Develop Temporal Thinking  Understand how the history of climate change is discovered and future changes predicted. 3.Understand Earth as a Complex System  Explore feedbacks that occur between and among components of Earth’s Climate System. 4.Learn in the Field  Collect and analyze real time data and observations. How Geoscientists Think and Learn, Kastens et al., EOS,Transactions, American Geophysical Union; August 4, 2009, p. 265

1. Examples of Spatial Thinking Questions Why does Earth’s rotation, axial tilt and orbital motion result in seasonal changes in lengths of daytime and the angle of incidence of sunlight? How might changes in the Earth’s orbit and axial tilt influence climate cycles? How would sea level rise impact coastlines?

Diagrams are often used in an attempt to have students develop spatial thinking and to understand seasonal changes in the position of the sun in the sky and the lengths of daytimes.

How can we effectively demonstrate that today’s “midday” altitude of the sun in San Francisco is 48.7° at 12:20 PM? (and that sunrise was at 6:30 AM and sunset will be at 6:10 PM?) gnomon gnomon sun altitude angle sun altitude angle θ Sun shadow of the gnomon Sun shadow of the gnomon.

The “Globe Walk” demonstration/activity provides a better opportunity for students to develop spatial thinking that relates to an understanding of seasonal and climatic change. Put a model of the sun in the center of the room. Move a model Earth to its position in orbit for today’s date. Locate a point on Earth for San Francisco. Rotate the globe so it is midday in San Francisco. Use a straw to point from San Francisco to the model sun. Use another straw to point south from San Francisco. Measure the angle formed by the two straws. The Globe Walk can also demonstrate seasonal changes in the length of daytime.

Different parts of the world will experience a variety of changes in sea level. Paints trays can be used to develop a spatial understanding of topography and the impacts of rising sea levels.

2. Examples of Temporal Thinking Questions How do we “go back in time” to construct a long term history of climate change? How do ancient levels of CO 2 compare with present day concentrations? How can we infer the long term history of Earth’s temperature using stable isotopes of oxygen?

Some of the many factors that have influenced Earth’s climate history include: Solar Activity Volcanic eruptions Concentrations of “greenhouse gases Particulates from combustion and wind blown dust Changes in Earth’s albedo Changes in Earth’s axial tilt Changes in Earth’s orbital eccentricity

A study of the Milankovitch Cycle develops both spatial and temporal thinking. Milutin Milankovitch is credited with formulating the theory that gradual changes in Earth’s axial tilt and orbital eccentricity contributed to the pattern of climate change. His theory can also be explored using the “Globe Walk.”

The Holocene Epoch began about 12,000 years ago. The result was the end of the most recent ice age and the present warming trend. The early Holocene warming was due principally to orbital changes as suggested by the Milankovitch Theory. However, the differences between aphelion and perihelion distances are greatly exaggerated in these diagrams.

9 of the 10 warmest years have occurred since 1990 Inter-annual range: ~1.2°C (±0.6 °C) 30-year mean range: ~0.5°C (±0.25 °C) Interpreting graphs of climate history develops temporal thinking and establishes a context for a study of climate change

Climate scientists drill deep into an ice sheet to obtain samples of Earth’s ancient atmosphere and to study water and carbon dioxide molecules trapped in the ice.

The concentration of CO 2 (and other gases) in air bubbles and water molecules trapped in deep layers of ice develops a history of Earth’s climate cycles.

Can understanding the masses of isotopes lead to understanding how we construct a temperature history? Evaporates from oceans more readily and is transported more easily to northern latitudes before condensing. Evaporates from oceans more readily and is transported more easily to northern latitudes before condensing. Evaporates less readily from oceans and is less effectively transported to northern latitudes before condensing Evaporates less readily from oceans and is less effectively transported to northern latitudes before condensing Mass spectrometers determine ratios of oxygen isotopes found in the layers of ice cores. During warm periods, a greater number of more massive water molecules reached higher latitudes. This increased the ratio of 18 O found in ice sheets formed in warmer periods. During colder periods, more massive water molecules precipitated at lower latitudes and thus less 18 O is found in ice sheet layers formed during colder periods.

Students can compare their CO 2 own measurements with an even longer climate history obtained from ice core data.

3. Earth’s Complex Climate System Examples of complexities include: Positive and negative feedbacks that either amplify or diminish climate change. – Melting snow and ice exposes darker land and water surfaces that absorb more of the Sun’s energy (decreasing albedo). This causes more melting in a self reinforcing cycle. Deep ocean currents transport matter and energy great distances over very long time periods.

The most dramatic temperature changes are occurring in the Arctic region Rapid changes in animal habitats. The influx of invasive plant species. A drying up of lakes and rivers. A loss of spring ice melt. A decrease in the late summer Arctic Ocean ice (observed by remote sensing).

August Arctic Ocean Ice Extent Source: NSIDC

Students can use a light emitting diode (LED) to construct a model of a remote sensing satellite. Different colors of paper can model seasonal transitions from ice to bare ground to vegetation in the Arctic Region.

LEDs in a model satellite transform different colors of light received into electrical signals Paper Color Trial #1 (millivolts) Trial #2 (millivolts) red orange yellow green3.7 blue black white

This is a digital photograph of the strips of different colors of paper.

Analyzing Digital Images (ADI) software can generate a graph of changes in intensities of red, green, and blue light along a line across the digital photograph of different colors of paper. ADI software is available at:

4. Field Experiences Students can Measure albedo and the associated warming effects. Measure CO 2 levels and study effects of changes. Monitor the severity of “heating seasons” and “cooling seasons”. Plot graphs of changing CO 2 levels from modern and ice core data (umassk12.net/ipy). Use software and NOAA images to measure changes in Arctic ice area (umassk12.net/digital).

Measuring albedo Three ways to measure albedo – Light meters. Point down, up, find the ratio. – LED’s and multimeters. (An LED can absorb light as well as emitting it) Same idea as light meter. – Digital camera and free ImageJ software. Compare brightness of Xerox paper vs snow, turf, pavement …. Mastech Digital 4- Range 200,000 Lux Luxmeter, $55 (Amazon.com)

Experimenting with surface color and temperature change. Measure effects of albedo – Temperature changes of light and dark materials exposed to heat lamps – Measure temperatures of soil, turf, concrete, asphalt, …

Measure variations in CO 2 levels Gastec tubes (Ward Scientific) Meters bromothymol blue

CO 2 measurements and effects Exhaled breath at rest or exercising Classroom level changes over time Uptake by plants Car exhausts Effects on Aiptasia pallida, a surrogate for coral organisms

Analyze Heating and Cooling Seasons Most newspapers provide daily updates of degree day data. During colder months, heating degree days are published and compared with a 30 year average. During warmer months, cooling degree days are published and compared with a 30 year average. This type of analysis is described on the STEM Ed IPY web site.

Climate Change Education at UMass Amherst The Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Education Institute (STEM Ed) and the Climate System Research Center (CSRC) have developed a wide range of climate change education curriculum materials and presentations. They are available at:

Are your students ready for.... THE INTERNATIONAL CARBON FOOTPRINT CHALLENGE ?? This Spring, the team at the Inquiry-to-Insight (I2I) project in collaboration with Einztein.com will be testing a new communication tool to engage students in conversations with their peers across the country and the globe. The topics will relate to their carbon footprints and envisioning solutions to the shared problem of global carbon emissions. Might you be interested in including one of your high school classes in the initial test of this project in April 2011?...or would you like to find out more? Please grab a flyer and invite letter before you leave this presentation. Or contact us: Jason Hodin ( , Pamela Miller ( ,