How to approach this material
Each unit includes an online outline, which is matched by a powerpoint file with classroom lecture slides and data activities. A teacher can follow the outline to discover linked resources, or can browse all available resources, which are organized by unit.
The editable powerpoint can be downloaded here (warning: large 1.5G file).
A pdf of the powerpoint, sized for easy download and sharing is also available here.
Each of the units can be used independently from one another, sequentially or not. It all depends on preference in how to introduce the topic at hand and what tool is deemed most appropriate.
The main Power Point dives right into the science in an interdisciplinary fashion. This tool is designed to help demystify the content and to enhance understanding.
The Data Analysis Tool is designed to engage students in learning how to use Excel to analyze and represent scientific data used by scientists to study climate change phenomena. The data tools have step-by-step instructions on how to access data and process it. It also helps teach how to perform statistical analysis to render the data useful.
The third tool is a Case Study that helps introduce the impact these climatological changes are having on people and ecosystems. Due to topic overlap, please see the Sahel Case Study located in Unit A, there is no separate case study for Unit B. The Sahel case study students also have the opportunity to learn about sustainable solutions by engaging in a engineering design project.
Each Power Point has robust notes on most slides that serve as a lesson plan of sorts. All the pertinent information and downloadable teaching tools are also organized in a sequential fashion in the note section of the slides. The Power Points have downloaded videos to avoid lag time, access and streaming problems. In the note sections there are also the links to all related images and downloaded documents in case needed.
Each tool includes:
- Student assignments in the from of handouts,
- Lab activities with step by step instructions and analysis questions;
- Video transcripts when appropriate;
- Suggested Reading assignments in PDF format
Introduction
Clouds are an integral part of the Earth’s climate system. They help modulate the Earth’s radiation budget, and transport vast amounts of water in the form of precipitation across the globe. Clouds have a dual role in helping regulate the Earth’s temperature; they have a warming and cooling effect. This is determined by their chemistry and the altitude in which they reside. Their chemistry is influenced by tiny liquid or solid suspended particles called aerosols that serve as substrates for condensation to take place. The chemical properties of aerosols help determine the size of the cloud water droplet affecting the clouds reflectivity and precipitation capacity. Anthropogenic aerosols can promote the formation of smaller cloud droplets rendering the cloud brighter forcing increasing its reflectivity. Therefore blocking solar rays from reaching the Earth’s surface having a direct impact on the Earth’s Radiation Budget. Smaller droplets may never grow big enough to fall out of clouds, suppressing precipitation.
Understanding cloud development, their chemistry, thermal and reflectivity capacity are key to forecasting climate change. Clouds and climate are part of a complicated feedback system driven by energy. If one of these systems changes then the other is inevitably affected. Clouds affect climate and climate in turn affect clouds. In order to successfully model climate change and variability; global cloud observational data on how they form and travel; their precipitation patterns; energy capacity and chemical interactions among other measurements are essential.
Climate data of these variable physical parameters serves to inform computational climate models in order to study changing conditions in order to provide accurate forecasts to help humanity prepare and mitigate global warming, therefore climate changes.
