Global Warming/Climate Change-

What can we do to reduce our impact on it?

Ms. Soriano

Introduction:

Flooding. High winds. Evacuations. Homes lost. Communities destroyed. Lives vanished.

In the aftermath of Sandy, many people wanted to know how would this have happened in New York City?! Some people are blaming it on climate change, also known as global warming, and others are claiming its Earth’s naturally evolving cycle. What do you believe? What is our government doing to help? What can you do to help? The problem that needs to be address is that we need to minimize our impact on global warming.

Task:

You and your partner will follow the task below to analyze the different theories, critique the policies, and create your own solution. Then present your all your hard work in a voicethread presentation.

ü Investigate the causes of global warming/climate change

ü State an undesirable condition as a result of global warming in the United States

ü Formulate and state your stance on whether global warming is caused by human impact or natural cycle

ü Review the US laws on environmental protection and evaluate their effectiveness

ü Design a feasible strategy that can we use here at Amistad or at your home to help our environment.

Process:

1. With your partner, investigate the causes of global warming using internet sources, articles, magazines, videos, interviews, surveys, etc.

a. Identify the causes - What are several underlying factors that contribute to the problem that you have identified (support these factors with evidence)?

b. Gathering Evidence - What evidence is there that this problem exists? Be as specific as possible and you’re your source of data.

c. What side are you leaning more towards?

2. After the investigation, state the stance that you and your partner have concluded about what is causing this climate change.

3. Evaluate a Policy - Evaluate existing US laws and regulations concerning climate change – EPA

a. Choose one of the sub-categories under the EPA’s Regulatory Initiatives on Climate Change

b. Analyze the policy using the MS worksheet attached to the link

c. What are the advantages of this policy? What are the differences? Think about the following questions: Is it easy to follow? Is it cheap? Is it easy for the government to check that people are following it? Do the people like it?

4. Develop Solutions – Use the worksheet titled Worksheet5: "Developing public policy solutions"(MSWORD) and your analysis of a US policy on climate change, to come up with possible solutions that will help to minimize our impact on global warming.

a. Think about solutions for our school Amistad, your community, your building, or your home.

b. Use the “Calculate Your Carbon Footprint” to help you think of more possible solutions

5. Select Best Solutions – Use the worksheet titled Worksheet6: "Selecting the best public policy solution" (MSWORD) to analyze your solutions and choose the best one!

a. Think about all those advantages and disadvantages of the existing policy that you and partner reviewed before- How would you make your policy different?

b. Feasibility means that is inexpensive to make into a policy, it’s easy for the government to implement and it’s easy for people to follow it

c. Effectiveness means that once people follow the policy it will result in a change that will be reducing our impact on global warming.

d. The ideal solution will be highly feasible AND effective!

6. Together with your partner, create a voicethread displaying all your work.

a. Be sure to include the following in your presentation:

i. The research about the causes and evidence surrounding the issue of reducing our influence on climate change/global warming

ii. Your stance on what causes climate change/global warming

iii. Evaluation of an existing policy under EPA

iv. The three solutions you developed as partners for either your community , school or home

v. The ONE solution you both choose to be the most feasible and effective

vi. A final concluding note

7. Present your voicethread to the class! J

Resources:

v US Policy website – EPA - http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/EPAactivities/regulatory-initiatives.html

v Calculate your carbon footprint - http://www.nature.org/greenliving/carboncalculator/?gclid=CL-qk_WrxaICFQuB5QodC3Ec7g

v Encyclopedia Britannica Online - http://www.school.eb.com/

v New York Times Replica Edition - http://eedition.nytimes.com

v Causes of National Geographic - http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/gw-causes/

v Climate Change Poses Disaster Risk for Most of the Planet - http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=climate-change-poses-disaster-risk-for-most-planet

v Impacts of Climate Change Extend to Human Health - http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=climate-change-human-health

v The Role of Sunspots and Solar Winds in Climate Change -http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=sun-spots-and-climate-change

v New Research Examines Role of Clouds in Climate Change - http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=new-research-examines-role-of-clouds-in-climate-change

v What Would Failure to Combat Climate Change Quickly Mean? -http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=climate-policy-analysis-goals-long-mid-term

v Is There a Strong Link between Extreme Weather Events and Climate Change? - http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=climate-change-and-extreme-weather

Evaluation:

	4 – Exceeding Standards	3 – Meeting Standards	2 – Approaching Standards	1 – Far Below Standards
Research: Identifying the causes and gathering evidence	Students demonstrate extensive research about the causes of the problem and evidence that demonstrates the problem exist	Students demonstrate thorough research about the causes of the problem and evidence that demonstrates the problem exist	Students demonstrate some research about the causes of the problem and evidence that demonstrates the problem exist	Students demonstrate minimal to no research about the causes of the problem and evidence that demonstrates the problem exist
Evaluating Policy & Creating a Solution	Students demonstrate an extensive detailed analysis of an existing policy and selected a highly feasible and effective solution to address the problem	Students demonstrate a detailed analysis of an existing policy and selected a moderately feasible and effective solution to address the problem	Students demonstrate a somewhat detailed analysis of an existing policy and selected a solution that was either not feasible or effective to addressing the problem	Students demonstrate a minimal or no analysis of an existing policy and selected a solution that has low feasibility and effectiveness to addressing the problem
Voicethread Presentation	Students created a more in-depth presentation that incorporated appropriate images (cited) to support their findings and explained their work clearly with the use of scientific terms	Students created a clear presentation that incorporated appropriate images to support their findings and explained their work clearly with the use of scientific terms	Students created a somewhat clear presentation that incorporated appropriate images to support their findings and somewhat explained their work clearly with the use of scientific terms	Students created an unclear or confusing presentation that lacked either the incorporation of appropriate images to support their findings or a clear explanation of their work with the use of scientific terms
Presentation	Students were able to answer or address in detail all peer questions accurately, confidently and clearly	Students were able to answer or address all peer questions accurately, confidently and clearly	Students were able to answer or address some peer questions or provided some vague answers	Students were unable to answer or address peer questions confidently and clearly

Conclusion:

You have learned a great deal about climate change and you have developed some policies on how to reduce it. Good job!

Standards:

Ø NYC Scope and Sequence : Global Warming: natural cycles vs. human impact http://schools.nyc.gov/Documents/STEM/Science/K8ScienceSS.pdf

Ø Common Core Standards (http://www.corestandards.org/assets/CCSSI_ELA%20Standards.pdf):

o Key Ideas and Details –

§ Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts.

§ Follow precisely a multistep procedure when carrying out experiments, taking measurements, or performing technical tasks.

o Integration of Knowledge and Ideas –

§ Distinguish among facts, reasoned judgment based on research findings, and speculation in a text.

§ Integrate quantitative or technical information expressed in words in a text with a version of that information expressed visually (e.g., in a flowchart, diagram, model, graph, or table).

o Text Types and Purpose - Write informative/explanatory texts, including the narration of historical events, scientific procedures/ experiments, or technical processes.

o Production and Distribution of Writing –

§ Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

§ With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well purpose and audience have been addressed.

§ Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and present the relationships between information and ideas clearly and efficiently.