Climate Change for Kids

(and their teachers)

Bruce Larson
Enrichment Coordinator
Stratham Memorial School
Stratham, New Hampshire
Climate is what we expect,
weather is what we get.

Attributed to Samuel Clemens

This is New Hampshire, not Kansassummer, 2008
Newmarket, NH - May, 2006
QuickTime and a
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QuickTime and a
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Blizzard of 1978 (Boston)
Was this
weather
or climate?



Ice storm of 2008
Activity:

Interview the person next to you about
extreme weather events they have
experienced. Have they noticed any
changes in their local climate during
their lifetime?

Time: 6+ minutes
In February 2007, an international panel of experts
(the Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change)
concluded:

-Global warming is occurring.
-Increase in global temperature is a result of human
activities.
-Given current trends, temperature extremes, heat waves,
and heavy rains will continue to escalate in frequency.
-The Earths temperature and seas will continue to rise
into the next millennium.
As adults, we begin to wonder what is going on


Our students are experiencing extreme weather
at an age where they will begin to believe that
is the normal state of the climate.

It isnt!
Teachers have a responsibility
to teach our students how to observe
events with perspective and expose
them to the tools they will need to
understand those events. Common
terminology, age appropriate activities
and a progression of insightful
experiences will prepare our charges
to make hard decisions as adults.
Activity:

Word Loop. Find the person who
has the card which answers your
question. Someone will be looking
for your word!

Time: 6+ minutes
Global Warming
or

Climate Change?
Defining terms:
In the past we used the term Global Warming to
draw attention to some of the possible consequences
of increased temperature, such as sea level rise
and glacial ice melt. Record snowfall in some areas
coupled with cold rain and floods made intuitive
nonsense of the term.

Climate Change allows for explanations and
understandings of complex interactions which
sometimes yield contradictory events. A greater
understanding of how Earth systems interact in a
dynamic way is required to make some sense out
of observed weather and climate data.
Weather is what we experience on a day to
day basis and what guides our daily outfit
and plans for local travel and recreation
K-Grade 1: Observing how hot or cold it is outside.
Observing and naming precipitation.
Discussing clothing choices.
Looking at thermometers and what they
are used for

K-Grade 1: Observing how hot or cold it is outside.
Observing and naming precipitation.
Discussing clothing choices.
Looking at thermometers and what they
are used for

Grades 2-3: Recording precipitation type, cloud cover,
hours of daylight and sunrise/sunset, and
temperature.

K-Grade 1: Observing how hot or cold it is outside.
Observing and naming precipitation.
Discussing clothing choices.
Looking at thermometers and what they
are used for

Grades 2-3: Recording precipitation type, cloud cover,
hours of daylight and sunrise/sunset, and
temperature.

Grades 4-5: Observing and recording cloud types,
temperature, wind speed, and relative
humidity.
Introduction to barometric pressure and
layers of the atmosphere.
Introduction to composition of air.
Climate is the average of daily weather
parameters over many years and characterizes
seasons as well as geography.


K-1: Observe seasons through weather events
and natural history changes.
Awareness of diurnal cycle

K-1: Observe seasons through weather events
and natural history changes.
Awareness of diurnal cycle

Gr. 2-3: Observe and study animal adaptations to
seasonal change and local climate
Introduce Earth-Moon-Sun relationship
Track hours of daylight vs. seasons
Observe and study animal migrations
(Journey North)

K-1: Observe seasons through weather events
and natural history changes.
Awareness of diurnal cycle

Gr. 2-3: Observe and study animal adaptations to
seasonal change and local climate
Introduce Earth-Moon-Sun relationship
Track hours of daylight vs. seasons
Observe and study animal migrations
(Journey North)

Gr. 4-5: Introduce local climate data/graphing
Introduce graphs of CO2 over time
Introduce ice core projects/graphs
Introduce orbital variations in Earth-Sun rel.
Discuss human role in climate change
Climate change and other cultures

Gr. 4-5: Study extreme weather events -
plot hurricane tracks
Exposure to basic disaster preparedness
(with a regional flavor)
Instill a sense of service and sharing with
others who are suffering from the results
of natural disasters.
Connecting students to the world must
become a priority. Without a sense of
global ownership, the innovation,
sacrifice,and sharing of the burden for
change cannot occur.
http://www.climatechoices.org.uk/pages/aboutpage.htm
http://www.practicalaction.org.uk/?id=whoweare
Practical Action is a UK based service
organization which has an excellent
Website (Climate Choices) for grades 3-5
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From the Climate Change page of the Practical Action website.
QuickTime and a
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From the Climate Change page of the Practical Action website.

Activity:

Comparing Weather in Different Parts
of the World

Take a few minutes to look over the graph
in your packet and discuss some of the
student questions with a neighbor.
Global Rainfall Comparisons
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London
Chittagong
New Orleans
Climate Change Benchmarks for Elementary Students: (In your packet)

Plotting hours of daylight (primary students) http://www.sunrisesunset.com/

Monarch migration dates http://www.learner.org/jnorth/

Robin Migration dates http://www.learner.org/jnorth/

Tulip/Crocus emergence dates and growth rates http://www.learner.org/jnorth/

'Ice out' dates for local lakes and streams some have years of records to graph
http://me.water.usgs.gov/iceout.html

Bud break for different tree species annual records from cooperative extension

Insect borne diseases like Lymes, Equine Encephalitis, and West Nile are moving
north due to warmer temperatures increasing the ranges of their hosts

Warmer weather tree parasites are driving species such as the sugar maple northward
(ex. Massachusetts)

The paper birch range is shifting north as it is not well suited to the longer periods
of warmer weather.

Marine mammal beachings water temperature link?

'Red tide' algal blooms water temperature link?

Tracking and discussing extreme weather events

Weather adds up to climate over time and
climate informs weather predictions - they
are connected through time and dependent
on place.


In order to understand climate change,
students must have an understanding of
both weather and climate.
More resources at www.lmnts.org
QuickTime and a
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The term Greenhouse effect has been
inaccurately used to describe how infrared
absorbing gases acted as a blanket to trap
heat on a global scale. A real greenhouse
simply keeps warmed air from blowing away
from the darker, sun warmed surfaces
where
you want to grow plants.