Can Our Climate Change?

Lesson Objectives

• To know our climate does change• To understand this is the result of

both human and physical reasons• To be able to develop an opinion on

who is to blame

Temperatures

• Temperature rising, Interactive : here

• You will see different line graphs• For EACH one describe the trend • when was it the highest? • When was is the lowest? • What does it start on?• What does it finish on?

Who is to blame for the temperature increase?

Solar Activity

• Also how much heat the sun gives us changes, affecting our climate

• here

The Earth’s Orbit

• How close to the sun we are affects our climate

• here

Tectonic Movements

• Movements in the earth’s tectonic plates will change the ocean currents. This in turn will change the climate of some areas.

• here

Volcanic Activity

• Volcanoes erupt on a regular basis

• They blast ash and dust into our atmosphere, reflecting the sun’s energy

• They also release huge quantities of CO²

• here

Reflection from the ice

• Huge ice sheets can cover large areas of the Earth. The white colour reflects the sun’s energy

• here

Industrial activity

• Burning fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere

• They are used in power stations to create electricity

• HereFossil fuels are coal, gas and oilThey are the remains of living plants and animals from millions of years agoBurning them releases that stored CO²

Transport

• Cars, trains, planes all use fuel

• Fuel is made from oil

• Using transport that runs on petrol or diesel releases huge quantities of CO²

Human activity

• Humans breath in oxygen, but breathe out carbon dioxide

• There are more humans on the planet than have ever lived before

• Over 7 billion people!

Plenary

• Who is to blame?

• You decide

• Write a paragraph stating, now that you have seen the evidence, who you believe is to blame for our rising temperatures