Life in the Age of Global Warming
Teacher's Guide

Overview

In this activity the students will learn about global warming and how it affects our world. The students will collect information about the causes of global warming and prepare a persuasive oral presentation showing its impact on the planet including their solutions to help stop the damage. A committee made up of students from the class will decide which group gave the most persuasive presentation.

Students can access all the Internet sites for the Interactive Activities by clicking on Students' Area in the ECB On-line homepage, then click on:

·  Interactive Activity links - The links to the Internet sites are listed under the names of the activities.
- or -

·  Elementary, Junior High, High School. Choose their coursebook.

Level

Proficiency (Grades 10-12)

Time

Three to four 45-minute lessons

Group Size

Small groups

Students' Prior Knowledge

The students can ...

... follow links on the Internet.

... search for specific information using the Internet.

... summarize information.

Optional: The students are familiar with PowerPoint, HTML or other types of multimedia presentations.

Objectives

The students will be able to ...

... interact and respond appropriately in conversations and discussions.

... give and receive information using accurate language and varied vocabulary.

... follow the argument in a range of expository texts.

... express opinions with supporting facts and arguments.

Procedure

Tell the students that they will be collecting information about the causes of global warming in order to prepare a persuasive oral presentation showing its impact on the planet. They should include suggestions on how to stop the damage to different areas of the world. Before the students make their presentations, one student from each group will be chosen to join a committee that will decide which group gave the most persuasive presentation.

Optional: With the class, prepare a checklist and/or rubric of what constitutes a successful persuasive oral presentation. Each group should receive a copy of this checklist and/or rubric. (See Teachers' Resources for more information about preparing rubrics.) The checklist and/or rubric will be used by the final committee to aid them in making their decision.

This will be a jigsaw activity. First, discuss drastic climate changes that have caused natural disasters in the world over the last few years. What were these changes and how did they affect the countries and communities they touched? Do they know what caused these climate changes?

Divide the class into groups of four or five. Give the students Activity One worksheet. They are going to collect information about global warming, what causes it, what impact it has on the globe and possible solutions.

After they have completed Activity One give the students Activity Two worksheet. Each group will choose one area of the world and list at least five natural disasters or global warming effects that occurred there in the last century. Make sure that each area of the world is represented.

Finally, when they have completed Activity Two, have the students change groups so that each new group has at least one representative from each of the original groups. Ask the students to combine their information mapping out what areas of the planet have been most affected by global warming.

Once the students have done this they will be asked to present their findings to the class. Their presentation should include examples to support their ideas and suggestions how to begin solving the problem in their area of the world.

Before they begin preparing their final persuasive oral presentations, it is important to discuss the following with the students: What is a good presentation? What techniques are used to persuade people?

Presentation

Before beginning the presentations, select one member from each group to be part of the class judging committee. If your class has prepared a checklist or rubric, each member of the committee should have one and understand how to use it for evaluating the presentations. The committee's decision will be based on the presentations prepared by each group.

**An alternative: The committee has 10 million dollars to distribute according to the needs expressed in each presentation.

Online Resources

WWF Climate Change

Global Warning Signs

Global Warning: Signs and Sources

EPA Global Warming Site

NRDC: Consequences of Global Warming

Life in the Age of Global Warming – Activity One

To find the Internet site WWF Climate Change to complete this activity

·  Go to: ECB Online: www.ecb.co.il

·  Click on Student's Area

·  Click on Interactive Activity Links or look for your course book.

·  Find the activity: Life in the Age of Global Warming

A. Click on: What is Climate Change.

1.  What is the biggest cause of global warming?

2.  How does CO2 (carbon dioxide) help the earth?

3.  What energy sources are causing global warming?

4.  How much of a reduction in CO2emissions must take place in order to stop the growth of CO2in the atmosphere?

Click on Climate Timeline

What is the importance of these dates to climate change?

1.  1965

2.  1970

3.  1998

4.  2003

5.  2005

B. Click on: Impacts of climate change

1.  List at least five things that the climate change effect on our planet?

2.  Choose two of the above and explain how it is affected by the climate change.

C. Click on: What are the causes?

1.  Explain the greenhouse effect.

2.  What causes the greenhouse effect?

D.  Click on: Search Climate News & Resources

Read one article and write one paragraph stating:

a.  The reason the article was written

b.  List at least 3 pieces of important information you learned from the article.

c.  Why you think this is important information.

Life in the Age of Global Warming
Activity Two

To find the Internet site Global Warning Signs http://www.climatehotmap.org/ to complete this activity

·  Go to: ECB Online: www.ecb.co.il

·  Click on Student's Area

·  Click on Interactive Activity Links or look for your course book.

·  Find the activity: Life in the Age of Global Warming

1.  What are fingerprints?

2.  What types of fingerprints are there?

  1. ______
  2. ______
  3. ______
  4. ______

3.  What are harbingers?

4.  What types of harbingers are there?

  1. ______
  2. ______
  3. ______
  4. ______
  5. ______
  6. ______

5.  Click on one area of the map. Which area did you choose? ______

List at least two examples of fingerprints and harbingers in your region.

Fill in the following information.

Fingerprints

Place / Type / Effect

Harbingers

Place / Type / Effect