What causes global

temperatures to rise?
Learning Target:
I am able to identify factors that have caused the rise in global
temperatures in the last century.

Success Criteria:
a. Draw a diagram of the greenhouse effect to show how carbon
dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere trap
heat and insulate the Earth.
b. Understand that volcanoes and solar activity can cause an
increase in global temperatures. However, the recent
increase in global temperatures does not correspond to the
recent activity of volcanoes and the sun.
c. Using graphical evidence, support the claim that global
temperatures have increased as a result of humans burning
fossil fuels.
 INTRODUCTION/REVIEW

◼The other day, we looked at the Global Land and Ocean

Temperature Anomalies graph.

◼Discuss: What things have happened in the past 135

years that could cause the global temperature changes
that you see? Make a list of them in your notes (you will
need them later).
 TERMS (FILL IN THE BLANK)

◼Greenhouse effect: a phenomenon in which the

atmosphere of a planet traps radiation
emitted by its sun, caused by gases such as
carbon dioxide, water vapor, and methane
that allow incoming sunlight to pass through
but retain heat radiated back from the planet’s
surface.
 TERMS (FILL IN THE BLANK)

◼Greenhouse gas: gases which allow direct

sunlight to reach Earth’s surface, but absorb the
infrared energy (heat) that is reradiated to the
atmosphere. These gases include: water vapor,
carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, among
others. Also referred to as heat-trapping gases.
 TERMS (FILL IN THE BLANK)

◼Carbon dioxide: CO2 is the primary

greenhouse gas emitted through human
activities .

◼Cumulative: increasing or increased in

quantity
 TERMS

◼Emissions: the act of producing or

sending out something (such as energy or
gas) from a source

◼Carbon sink: anything that absorbs more

carbon than it releases (trees, ocean)
 VIDEO AND REFLECTION

◼Watch the following video about carbon dioxide, the greenhouse effect,
and greenhouse gases:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9kga9c0u2I

◼Answer the following questions in your notes:

▪ Why is the greenhouse effect important?
▪ Why is CO2 important?
▪ What is the relationship between CO2 and the
greenhouse effect?
 THE GREENHOUSE EFFECT GAME

◼Make two notecards: One says HEAT and the other LIGHT
◼In your notes, draw a diagram of the greenhouse effect. Be sure to label what you
draw, even if it is only a few things.
◼Before we play, here are some things you must know, including the rules.
▪ There will be two circles in the gym: The smaller circle represents the Earth and the larger one
represents Earth’s atmosphere. This model is not to scale. In real life, the Earth’s diameter is 7917
miles and the atmosphere reaches about 800 miles above Earth.
▪ You will place your “heat” cards in a pile on the Earth.
▪ There will be 3 rounds. The first round will represent the Natural greenhouse effect, the second will
represent Human enhanced greenhouse effect, and the third will show us how to slow down the
greenhouse effect.
 GREENHOUSE EFFECT GAME RULES

◼ If you are CO2 in the Earth’s atmosphere, you may not move your feet. (In the first round there will be
2 CO2 molecules.)
◼ If you are not a CO2 molecule, then you are sunlight. Your goal is to enter the Earth’s atmosphere, tag
the Earth, exchange your “light” card for a “heat” card, and then escape the atmosphere without
getting tagged by a CO2 molecule.
◼ Students can only be tagged once they are “heat.”
◼ Sunlight who are tagged must stay standing still in the atmosphere. Only CO2 molecules may tag
other students.
◼ Those who avoid being tagged bounce back out of the atmosphere into space.
◼ Each round lasts about 30 seconds.

We will now go to the gym. You will need to bring your notes and a pencil with you, because you will be
editing your diagram as we play the game.
 GREENHOUSE EFFECT GAME - WRAP UP

◼In this game, we saw that human actions, particularly burning fossil fuels, can
enhance the greenhouse effect by putting more CO2 into the atmosphere. This
increase in CO2 which is increasing global temperature is referred to as climate
change.
◼Discuss:
▪ How was this game like the atmosphere or not like the atmosphere?
▪ What makes the game an accurate or inaccurate model of the atmosphere?
▪ How did your diagram change throughout the game? What did you learn during the
game?
▪ How did you show things moving around? How did you show quantity? How did you show
that light changes to heat?
 WHAT FACTORS HAVE CAUSED A RISE IN GLOBAL
TEMPERATURE? CLAIM, EVIDENCE, and REASONING

◼Each group will receive a set of Evidence Figures.

◼Read the instructions and the example format at the
top of the worksheet.
◼Once you are done summarizing the graphs, you will
write a Claim, Evidence, and Reasoning argument to
answer the question.
 Explanation

Question: What is causing a rise in global temperatures?

Claim: Answer the questions.

Evidence: Provide evidence from the graphs to support (or prove) your claim to
be accurate.

Reasoning: Explain why that thing(s) is causing a rise in global temperatures.

 DISCUSSION DIAMOND

◼You will be placed in groups of 5. You will each receive a Discussion

Diamond worksheet.
◼In the center each student should write “What is causing a rise in
global temperatures?”
◼Each partner will present their claim and then the rest of the group
will write the claim and the lines of evidence provided in one
triangle.
◼Once the presenter is done, each student must develop two
clarifying questions based on his or her notes to ask the presenter.
◼Did other group members’ use of evidence alter your claim?
 Discussion Diamond Abbreviated

1 - In the center each student should write “What is causing a rise in global
temperatures?”
2 - Each person will read their explanation (claim, evidence and reasoning).
3 - As a group decide on two explanations that you will dig deeper into.
- Re-Read each of the chosen explanations.
- Each chosen explanations present their claim and then the rest of the group will
write the claim and the lines of evidence provided in one triangle.
- Once the presenter is done, each student must develop two clarifying questions
based on his or her notes to ask the presenter.