1. Climate and the Biosphere
Superimpose workshop location, date, and leader name(s) over image.
Words of welcome.
Photo Credit: PLACEUVM

2. • All modules are freely available for use.
The Climate and the Biosphere curriculum module is part of a larger set of Earth science modules in the growing EarthLabs collection.
• All modules are freely available for use.
• All designed for use in High School.
To provide some context for the Climate and the Biosphere module, briefly point out the names of the other modules in the climate series, as well as the other modules in the collection . All modules are designed for use by high school students although we know some middle school teachers have adapted them as necessary and used them successfully.

3. There is an EarthLabs web site for students, which includes the full curriculum for each module, and there is a parallel web site for teachers, which includes resources that support the implementation of the module. Teacher site menu is green…student site menu is white. That are cross-linked (See link at bottom of student menu…same for teacher site).

4. For each module, the student site holds the full curriculum, and includes:
• Readings
• Videos
• Graphs and images
• Interactive models and visualizations
• Brief interactive self-assessments
• Hands-on labs
• Links to sites with real-time data

5. • Teaching tips and recommendations • A list of materials needed
For each module, the teacher site holds an overview of the curriculum and includes:
• Teaching tips and recommendations
• A list of materials needed
• PDF’s of student hand-outs
• Assessments and answer keys (Restricted*)
• Connections to national science standards
• Student Notebook suggestions
• Science background information
NOTE: Let teachers know that since student and Teacher sites are interconnected, teachers need to apply to gain access to the assessments and answer keys, and that all applications are carefully reviewed to be sure they are coming from a teacher via school web sites, addresses, phone calls to school, etc.

6. EarthLabs modules have been designed to be used individually or in any combination as part of a high school level Earth science or environmental science course.
Modules can be downloaded and customized to meet your needs.

7. EarthLabs is a project of TERC, an independent, non-profit research and development group in Cambridge, MA.
Founded in 1965, TERC’s mission is to help improve math and science education for all through research, teacher professional development, and curriculum development.
Visit the TERC web site to learn more about the range of projects at TERC.

8. Funding to develop the EarthLabs curriculum modules has come from: • National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration • National Aeronautics and Space Administration • National Science Foundation
TERC is always seeking additional funding so that it can add to the set of EarthLabs modules available to teachers.

9. Goals for Today’s Workshop
Introduce you to the Climate and the Biosphere module.
Build your understanding of some key climate concepts.
Inspire you to use the module with your students.
It is not a goal to work through all elements of the curriculum module today. We will skip some parts.
There is not time in the 8-hour workshop to complete the entire module in a reasonable manner.

10. Climate and the Biosphere Module
Overview of the
Climate and the Biosphere Module
Students learn:
What is Earth’s radiation balance, and what role does it play in climate?
How do the major atmospheric and ocean circulation patterns influence climate?
What are Earth’s biomes? How do they vary with location, and how do they influence climate?
How does climate vary over short, medium, and long time spans?
How is life affected by changes in Earth’s climate?
How do scientists know that the climate has changed in the past and how it might change in the future?
Point out that these are the overarching goals of the Biosphere module, and that each of these key ideas will be addressed—to some degree—in today’s workshop. ALSO—each section or “Lab” of the Biosphere module has a set of key ideas that support these overarching module goals.

11. Climate and the Biosphere Module
Overview of the
Climate and the Biosphere Module
The module is divided into seven sections, or Labs:
• Climate, Weather, and Trees
• Climate and Earth’s Energy Balance
• Climatology Basics: What Factors Affect Climate?
• Climate and Life Patterns (Biomes)
• Extreme Weather
• Trees and Paleoclimate
• Future of the Forest: Climate Patterns and Life
Each section or “Lab” of the module has a set of key ideas that support these overall module goals.

12. Teacher Site: serc.carleton.edu/earthlabs
Student site: serc.carleton.edu/eslabs
Sites are separate but connected by links.
* Note that while the Teacher site can be visited by anyone, the assessments and answer key files are locked and can be downloaded only after submitting a free application that allows TERC to verify that the person requesting access is in fact a teacher.

13. An additional resource on the Teacher site:
Climate Series Introduction
• Overview of the four climate modules
• Climate Science background info
• Recommendations for implementation
• Web links for keeping you updated
serc.carleton.edu/earthlabs
Explain that we'll explore this section first, and then move on to the Biosphere module itself. Ask workshop participants to open their computers and go to the EarthLabs Teacher site: serc.carleton.edu/earthlabs and click on the menu item Climate Series Intro

14. Climate and the Biosphere
Superimpose workshop location, date, and leader name(s) over image.
Words of welcome.
Photo Credit: PLACEUVM