Science Partnership for Global Change Education
In-class activities
Natural Climate Change Causes
These hands-on student activities model how variations in Earth’s orbit around the sun impact climate over geologic time. The activities can be done in any order, but we designed them so that they would be done in the following order:
1. Solar Radiation Round Robin: This set of 5 activities (with accompanying teacher note cards explaining the parameter and ideas to highlight) explores the orbital variables that lead to more solar radiation being received by Earth due to its position relative to the sun.
2. Milankovitch Cycle Activity: In this data driven activity, students examine a historical ice core record of temperatures to get an idea of which orbital parameter (eccentricity, obliquity, or precession) has most affected climate.
3. Argumentation Scenario: In the final activity students are given a scenario, in which they engage in a discussion to debunk the idea the today’s climate change is just part of the “natural cycle”.