Discover Your Changing World with NOAA

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

An Activity Book
The Discover Your Changing World with NOAA Activity Book 

was compiled and developed

under the direction of the Project Working Group: 

Bruce Moravchik - NOAA Ocean Service 

Peg Steffen - NOAA Ocean Service 

Frank Niepold - NOAA Climate Program Office 

LuAnn Dahlman - NOAA Climate Program Office

Written and Edited by Mel Goodwin, PhD, Charleston, SC

Design and Layout by Sandy Goodwin, Coastal Images Graphic Design, Mount Pleasant, SC

The assistance and expertise of NOAA scientists and educators in the review of this text is acknowledged with thanks.

To view and download these activities please visit: oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/discoverclimate

For more information on climate, climate chance science and impacts, data and educational offerings,

please visit: www.climate.gov
1

Introduction

How does the sun drive Earth’s climate system?

How do the ocean, ice, clouds and atmospheric gases affect 

the impact of the Sun’s energy on the Earth?

How have plants, animals, and humans affected Earth’s 

climate?

How may Earth’s changing climate effecting plants, animals 

and humans?

What tools do scientists use to monitor weather, and how 

is data from these tools used to forecast weather and 

climate?

What is a climate-literate person?

He or she understands the principles of the Earth’s climate 

system.

He or she knows how to find and use scientifically accurate 

information about climate.

He or she is able to make informed and responsible decisions 

about actions that may affect climate.

 These activities will introduce you to Earth’s climate system, 

the factors that drive and change it, the impacts of those 

changes, and what you can do to continue to explore, 

understand, and protect our Earth.

Have Fun!

Table of Contents

Activity 1: The Great Glowing Orb 

(Make a Solar Heat Engine)............................................................... 2

Activity 2: The Climate Team

(Make a Solar Cooker) ...................................................................... 6

Activity 3: Climate Is Our Friend...Isn’t It? 

(Make an Extinction Polyhedron)..................................................... 10

Activity 4: Climate, Weather...What’s the Difference? 

(Make an Electronic Temperature Sensor).............................................. 14

Activity 5: How Do We Know?

(Make additional weather sensors and set up a home weather station) 17

Activity 6: I Didn’t Do It...Did I? 

(Make Your Own Greenhouse Effect)................................................. 22

Activity 7: Why Should I Care?

(Show how increased carbon dioxide makes the ocean more acidic)..... 26

Activity 8: Are You Climate Literate? 

(Play the Essential Principles Challenge)........................................... 28

Activity 9: Communicate! 

(Create a unique message about climate change) .............................. 35

Activity 10: The Incredible Carbon Journey 

(Play the Carbon Journey Game)...................................................... 38

Standards and Principles.................................................................. 47

Climate Science Literacy is an 

understanding of your influence 

on climate and climate’s 

influence on you and society.

Climate Literacy:

The Essential Principles of 

Climate Science

1. The sun is the primary source 

of energy for Earth’s climate 

system.

2. Climate is regulated by 

complex interactions among 

components of the Earth 

system

3. Life on Earth depends on, is 

shaped by, and affects climate.

4. Climate varies over space and 

time through both natural and 

man-made processes.

5. Our understanding of the 

climate system is improved 

through observations, 

theoretical studies, and 

modeling.

6. Human activities are impacting 

the climate system.

7. Climate change will have 

consequences for the Earth 

system and human lives.

For more information, see:

www.climate.gov

Discover Your Changing World with NOAA

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

An Activity Book
2

Discover Your Changing World with NOAA

oceanservice.noaa.gov

When we talk about Earth’s climate, we are basically talking about the effects of energy from the Sun, and how much 

of that energy is received at various places on Earth. This energy 

heats Earth’s land, ocean, and atmosphere. Strong winds and 

large ocean currents are the results of heat moving from warm 

areas—like the Equator—to colder areas of our planet—like 

the North and South Poles. So, some of the Sun’s heat energy 

is changed to motion energy. A Solar Heat Engine is a tool we 

can build that also changes heat energy from the Sun to motion 

energy. 

How It Works

Many plastics shrink when they are heated. This engine uses 

strips of plastic attached to a flywheel that is mounted on a 

drum that can rotate on an axle. When one of the plastic strips is 

exposed to sunlight, it shrinks and pulls the flywheel off-center. 

This movement causes the drum to rotate. As the drum rotates, 

another plastic strip is exposed to the sun, and the motion 

continues. As the strips move into the shadow of the drum, they 

cool and lengthen again.

How to Do It

[NOTE: This activity should be done with adult supervision.]

1. Lay a garbage bag flat on a large surface (the floor is fine) and 

cut the bag into strips that are about three inches wide and 

ten inches long. You need eight strips to make your engine, 

but you should cut some extra ones for practice. 

2. Stretch each of the plastic strips by holding one end in each 

hand, gripping the plastic tightly between the ends of your 

fingers and the base of your palm. Slowly stretch the plastic 

strip, until it is a little more than twice its original length and 

is about 1” wide. (Photo 1). Some of the strips will probably break 

because garbage bags aren’t perfect, but be patient and work 

slowly. When you have six stretched plastic strips, cut about 

two inches off of each end (the parts that you held onto and 

didn’t get stretched).

3. Measure the diameter of the large and small ends of a 

Styrofoam cup, and use your compass to draw two circles with 

the small diameter and one circle with the large diameter 

on the Styrofoam freezer tray. Use a compass instead of just 

tracing the circles around the cup so that you will know where 

the exact centers of the circles are. Cut the circles out with a 

sharp knife. (Be careful and wear gloves!)

What You Will Need

Adult partner

1 Black plastic trash bag

2 Styrofoam cups, 16 oz capacity

1 Wood dowel, about 1/4-inch diameter

1 Styrofoam freezer tray

2 Straight sewing pins 

1 Plastic lid (from yogurt, margarine or 

similar container), about 4-inches 

diameter

2 Metal food cans, tops completely 

removed

Masking tape

Scissors

Hot glue gun (low temperature)

Metal file

Ruler

Drawing compass

Unsharpened pencil

Sharp knife

Gloves for protection while using the 

knife

* (adapted from Strahl, 2007;

http://www.instructables.

com/id/Solar-Thermal-Motor/)

Photo 1. Stretching the plastic strips. Photo 2. Photo 3.

Big Idea

The Sun is the primary source of 

energy for Earth’s climate system.

(Climate Science Principle 1)

Activity 1: The Great, Glowing Orb

What You Will Do: Make a Solar Heat Engine*
3

1. The Great, Glowing Orb

Climate Science Principle 1: The Sun is the primary source of energy for Earth’s climate system.

4. Prepare the Fixed Cup Assembly: Make a hole in the 

bottom of one Styrofoam cup that is the same 

diameter as your wood dowel. Make a similar 

hole in the center of the large Styrofoam circle 

and in the center of one of the small circles that 

you cut out in Step 3. Use hot glue to fasten these 

circles to the large and small ends of the cup. Put 

the wood dowel through both holes in the cup 

assembly, and adjust the dowel so that about one 

inch extends past the large end of the cup (Photo 

2). Use hot glue on both ends of the assembly 

to hold the dowel in place. Add extra hot glue 

around the dowel at the small end of the cup 

assembly to form a smooth rounded blob that will 

provide a pivot point around which the Wobble 

cup can wobble (Photo 3).

5. Prepare the Wobble Cup Assembly: Make a hole in the 

bottom of the remaining Styrofoam cup that is 

slightly larger than the diameter of your wood 

dowel. Be sure the hole is large enough so that 

the cup can wobble freely on the dowel. Make a 

similar hole in the center of the small Styrofoam 

circle that you cut out in Step 3. Use hot glue to 

fasten the small circle to the small end of the cup 

(Photo 4). 

6. Apply a one-inch line of hot glue along the inside 

lip of the Wobble Cup Assembly (Photo 5), and 

place the end of one of the plastic strips on top 

of the glue. Use an unsharpened pencil to hold 

the plastic in place until the glue sets. Glue seven 

more strips around the rim of the cup in the same 

way. The strips should be evenly spaced around 

the cup with a gap of about 1/4-inch between the 

strips (Photo 6). 

7. Slide the Wobble Cup Assembly onto the dowel 

so that the small ends of the Styrofoam cups 

are close together. Use pieces of masking tape 

to temporarily hold the Wobble Cup so that it 

is centered on the dowel (Photo 7). Glue the free 

ends of the plastic 

strips onto the 

Styrofoam circle 

on the Fixed Cup 

Assembly. Be sure 

the strips are taut 

when you glue them, 

but should not be 

stretched so tight that 

they pull the Wobble 

Cup off center.

8. Cut a one-inch hole 

in the center of the plastic lid. (Be careful and 

wear gloves!)Remove the masking tape, and glue 

the plastic lid onto the large end of the Wobble 

Cup Assembly. Be sure the hole in the plastic lid 

is centered on the wood dowel. Stick a sewing 

pin into each end of the dowel. Your engine is 

finished! 

9. Use a metal file to make a small notch in the rim 

of each metal can. Space the cans so that you 

can rest the sewing pin at each end of the dowel 

into the notch on one of the cans. (Photo 8).Test 

the balance of your engine by slowly spinning it. 

If one side seems heavy, stick sewing pins into 

the Styrofoam circle on the opposite side until it 

seems balanced.

10. Put your 

assembled engine in 

the sun, and watch it 

spin!

Sewing Pin

Stretched Plastic Strip

(only 2 shown)

Metal Food Can

Cup

Glue Blob Plastic Lid

(Flywheel)

Dowel

Styrofoam Circle Styrofoam Circle

Cup

Sewing Pin

Metal Food Can

Photo 4. Photo 5. Photo 6. Photo 7.

Figure 1. Exploded view of Solar Heat Engine. Red arrows show direction of assembly.
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Discover Your Changing World with NOAA

CHALLENGE: 

How could you increase the power of this type of 

solar heat engine?

THINK ABOUT IT: 

Would strips made from a white plastic bag work 

as well as strips made from a black plastic bag? 

Is it important to consider the principles of heat 

reflection and heat absorption when choosing the 

color of plastic strips for this type of heat engine?

Your Solar Heat Engine is really just a model, so 

it isn’t powerful enough to do much work; but 

can you think of any other ways that it could do 

something useful? Here’s one idea: Use a permanent 

marker to draw a line at one point on the edge of 

the flywheel (plastic lid). Now you can count the 

number of revolutions as the Engine spins. You 

can find out how clouds affect the amount of heat 

energy that reaches your Engine by counting the 

number of revolutions in one minute when it is 

cloudy, and comparing the result to the number of 

revolutions when there are no clouds. In the same 

way, you could measure the number of revolutions 

at different times throughout the day to find the 

times when the most solar heat energy is received. 

You could also compare the number of revolutions 

at different times of the year, but be sure to make 

your measurements at the same time each day! If 

you could operate your Solar Heat Engine in two 

locations at the same time, do you think it would 

spin faster in Northern Canada or Southern Florida? 

Hint: Differences in the amount of solar energy 

that arrives at different latitudes is one of the major 

controls on climate.

What’s Controls Earth’s Climate?

Two things happen when sunlight reaches the Earth: 

1. Some of the energy is reflected back into space; 

and 

2. Earth’s land, ocean, and atmosphere absorb 

some of the energy and release it as heat.

Earth’s overall temperature depends on how much 

energy is absorbed and how much is released back 

into space. If the land, ocean, and atmosphere 

together lose the same amount of energy as they 

absorb, Earth’s energy budget is in balance and its 

overall average temperature doesn’t change. If Earth 

doesn’t release as much energy as it absorbs, its 

energy budget is not balanced, and our planet will 

get warmer.

Climate is not the same as weather. Weather 

describes the temperature, precipitation, and other 

conditions of Earth’s atmosphere at a specific place. 

Climate lis the result of the long-term average 

of conditions in the atmosphere, ocean, and ice 

sheets and sea ice. These conditions are described 

by statistics, such as means and extremes. Here are 

some easy ways to remember the difference: 

• “Climate is what you expect; weather is what you 

get.” (Robert Heinlein) 

• “Climate lasts all the time, weather lasts only a 

few days.” (Mark Twain) 

• Weather tells you what to wear on any given day; 

climate tells you what wardrobe to have.

We know that different places on Earth have 

different climates (think about Antarctica and the 

deserts of the Middle East, for example). Since 

Earth’s overall climate is caused by energy from the 

Sun, places with warmer climates must receive more 

Photo 8. Completed Solar Heat Engine
5

1. The Great, Glowing Orb

Climate Science Principle 1: The Sun is the primary source of energy for Earth’s climate system.

of the Sun’s energy than places with colder climates. 

The amount of energy that a particular place on 

Earth receives from the Sun depends upon several 

things.

We also know that Earth moves! It moves through 

space, following a path around the Sun that is called 

an orbit. If you tie a rubber ball onto a piece of string 

and whirl the ball in a circle, the path of the ball’s 

motion is an orbit. The time needed for Earth to 

travel one complete orbit around the Sun is how we 

define the length of a year.

First, Earth is shaped like a ball. The most direct 

sunlight is received at the equator (the equator is an 

imaginary line that goes around the Earth halfway 

between the North and South Poles). The area 

around the equator is very warm. Places located 

at high latitudes (far from the equator) receive less 

direct sunlight than places at low latitudes (close to 

the equator), so high latitudes have colder climates. 

Second, as Earth moves around the Sun through 

the year, different parts of it receive more direct 

sunlight and have longer days and shorter nights 

than others. This is because Earth’s axis (an imaginary 

line that goes through the Earth from the North Pole 

to the South Pole) is tilted compared to the plane 

of Earth’s orbit. The changing amounts of sunlight 

cause Earth’s seasons. During June, Earth’s northern 

hemisphere is tilted toward the Sun. The day that 

the northern hemisphere points most directly 

toward the Sun (on or around June 21) is called the 

summer solstice. During December, Earth’s northern 

hemisphere is tilted away from the Sun. The day that 

the northern hemisphere points most directly away 

from the sun (on or about December 21) is called 

the winter solstice. When the apparent position of 

the Sun is halfway between the summer and winter 

solstices, every place on Earth receives equal periods 

of day and night (remember, the Sun does not 

actually move; it is Earth that moves around the Sun). 

This happens on March 21 and September 21, which 

are called the spring equinox and fall equinox.

Third, the amount of energy produced by the Sun 

also changes slightly over time,. Over the past 30 

years, the Sun’s energy output has changed very 

slightly; sometimes increasing a little, sometimes 

decreasing a little. There is no evidence that recent 

changes in the Sun’s energy output have caused 

much change in Earth’s average temperature.

Fourth, over thousands of years, the motions of 

Earth’s rotation on its axis and its orbit around the 

Sun change very slightly. These gradual changes 

cause the amount of sunlight received by different 

parts of Earth to change as well. When less sunlight 

is received in the northern hemisphere, snow and 

ice can accumulate there. Then, Earth’s average 

temperature drops and we have ice ages. When 

more sunlight is received, the average temperature 

increases and we have warmer periods between 

the ice ages. For the last one million 

years, changes in Earth’s rotation 

and orbit have happened in cycles 

that are about 100,000 years long. Earth’s orbit around the Sun. The illustration shows how Earth would look if you were looking at it from a location beyond Earth’s orbital plane. The red dots show 

the approximate location of the North Pole,which is off center because Earth’s axis is not perpendicular to its orbital plane. Note that this illustration is not to scale, 

because the Sun is actually MUCH larger than Earth! (Image credit: Mel Goodwin, LuAnn Dahlman)

December 21 (Winter Solstice)

The northern hemisphere

is tilted away from the Sun

June 21 (Summer Solstice)

The northern hemisphere

is tilted toward the Sun

March 21 (Spring Equinox)

Earth’s equator is in the

same plane as the Sun

September 21 (Fall Equinox)

Earth’s equator is in the

same plane as the Sun
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We can think of Earth’s ocean, atmosphere, clouds, 

ice, land, plants and animals as 

the Climate Team, because they 

all affect climate. The climate 

at a particular place on Earth 

depends upon how members of 

the Climate Team work together.

The ocean is one of the Climate 

Team’s power players. One 

reason is that the ocean is very 

large and covers 70% of Earth’s 

surface. Another reason is that 

water has a high heat capacity, 

which means it takes a lot of 

heat to change the temperature 

of water. Raising the temperature of one kilogram of water by 

one degree requires more than three times as much heat energy 

as raising the temperature of one kilogram of air by one degree. 

The ocean absorbs large amounts of heat energy from the Sun, 

and ocean currents move this energy from one place on Earth to 

another. The ocean’s major current systems are sometimes called 

the “global conveyor belt,” and the heat that they carry has a 

large impact on climate.

The atmosphere is another one of the Climate Team’s power 

players, and it exchanges heat with the ocean. Water from the 

ocean enters the atmosphere when it evaporates, and returns 

to the ocean as rain or snow. When water evaporates it absorbs 

heat, and when it precipitates as rain or snow it releases heat. 

Movement of water vapor in the atmosphere is another way that 

heat can be transferred from one 

place to another. The atmosphere 

also absorbs and reflects energy 

from the Sun. The amount of 

solar energy that is absorbed or 

reflected depends on the gases 

that make up the atmosphere. The 

ways that different gases affect 

Earth’s climate is discussed more in 

Activity 6, I Didn’t Do It, Did I?.

How It Works

Solar cooking is an easy, safe, 

and convenient way to cook food 

without using fuel. These benefits 

are particularly important for 

people who live in places where 

fuel is scarce or expensive. Besides cooking food, solar energy 

can be used to purify drinking water by boiling it, and avoid 

waterborne diseases that kill many people every year.

The basic principle of solar cookers is when sunlight strikes a 

dark-colored object, the object absorbs some of the energy in 

the sunlight and converts it to heat. This causes the object to 

become hot. Solar cookers use shiny surfaces to reflect sunlight 

onto a dark pot to increase the amount of heat energy that 

the pot receives. These reflectors may be flat panels, boxes, or 

curved surfaces (see Want to Do More for sources of different 

solar cooker designs). Dark, shallow, thin metal pots with dark, 

tight-fitting lids are the best containers for solar cooking. Some 

solar cookers use a clear plastic bag around the pot to trap heat 

and still allow sunlight to strike the pot. 

Activity 2: The Climate Team

What You Will Do: Make a Solar Cooker

What You Will Need

Adult partner

1 – Cardboard about 22 in x 10 in

1 – Cardboard about 57 in x 45 in (from 

a large appliance carton or mirror 

box)

Aluminum foil, about 18 square feet

White glue

Foam paint brush, about 2 inches wide

Measuring cup, at least 2 oz capacity

Paper or plastic cup, about 8 oz capacity

Duct tape

Black pot, 1 or 2 quart capacity (buy an 

inexpensive aluminum pot from 

a local thrift store and paint the 

outside with flat black paint)

Metal ruler or straightedge

Knife for cutting cardboard (safety box 

cutters and safety utility knives 

have a built-in shield to protect 

fingers)

Gloves for protection while using the 

knife (hardware stores and home 

centers have cut-resistant gloves)

Sunglasses and oven mitts for 

protection while using your Solar 

Cooker

Rice

 

 












	



















     



	



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  The Global Conveyor Belt is caused mainly when seawater in the Norwegian Sea is cooled 

and sinks into the deep ocean. The sinking process can slow down or even stop if large 

amounts of freshwater enter the Norwegian Sea from unusual rainfall, snow, runoff, or 

melting ice. Changes in the Global Conveyor Belt can cause climate changes in Europe and 

other areas of Earth’s Ocean (United Nations Environment Programme and World Meteorological Organization, 1996; http://maps.grida.no/library/files/storage/31new.pdf).

Great Ocean Conveyor Belt

Big Idea

Climate is regulated by complex 

interactions among components of 

the Earth system. (Climate Science 

Principle 2)
7 Climate Science Principle 2: Climate is regulated by complex interactions among components of the Earth system.

2. The Climate Team

How to Do It

1. Cut a pattern for your solar cooker from the 22 in x 

10 in piece of cardboard.

a. Place the cardboard on a flat surface and cut it 

to measure 21-5/8 in by 9-1/2 (Figure 1).

b. Make a mark 14 inches from the top of the 

cardboard along each side (Figure 2). Draw a line 

between these marks(Figure 3). 

c. Make a mark 2-3/8 inches from the sides of the 

cardboard on the line drawn in Step 1b (Figure 4).

d. Draw a line from the top corners of the cardboard to the marks made in Step 1c (Figure 5).

e. Make a mark 4-1/4 inches from the sides of the 

cardboard along the bottom (Figure 6).

f. Draw a line from the marks made in Step 1c to 

the marks made in Step 1e (Figure 7).

g. Put the cardboard on a cutting board or several 

layers of scrap cardboard. Cut along the lines 

drawn in Steps 1d and 1f (Figure 8). Use a metal 

ruler or straightedge to keep the cuts straight. 

(Be careful and wear gloves!)

h. Your pattern should look like Figure 9.

2. Lay out the Reflector for your solar cooker on the 

57 in x 45 in piece of cardboard.

a. Place the cardboard on a flat surface. Make a 

mark 9 inches from the bottom along the left 

side of the cardboard (Figure 10).

b. Place your pattern on the cardboard, and make 

two marks as shown in Figure 11. 

c. Draw a line around the outside of your pattern, 

then remove the pattern (Figure 12).

d. Draw a line between the two marked points 

(Figure 13).

e. Use your pattern to draw another outline 

beneath the outline drawn in Step 2c. Be sure 

to make the two marks (Step 2b) and draw a line 

between these points (Step 2d) as before. Now 

your layout should resemble Figure 14.

9-1/2”

21-5/8”

14”

2-3/8” 2-3/8”

4-1/4” 4-1/4” Cut along

dashed lines

Figure 1.

Figures 1 - 9: Steps to make a pattern for the solar cooker.

Figure 2. Figure 3. Figure 4. Figure 5. Figure 6. Figure 7. Figure 8.

CAUTION: 

: Be sure to wear sunglasses whenever you work with aluminum foil outside in the sun.

: Wear oven mitts when removing pots and pans from your solar cooker! When the sun is shining they can become too hot to touch in 

one or two minutes!

: Tips for Safe Cutting: Sharp is safe, because a dull knife can slip off the cardboard rather than cut into it easily. Always use a cutting 

board to protect the blade of the knife and help keep it sharp. Keep your fingers away from the path of the blade as you cut. Begin 

with a light scoring cut to guide the blade for additional cuts. Several light cuts make it easier to control the blade. Never force the 

blade through materials being cut, because it increases the chances of an uncontrolled slip.

Figure 10.

9”

Figure 9.

9”
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Discover Your Changing World with NOAA

f. Use your pattern to draw ten more outlines as 

shown in Figure 15. Be sure to make the two 

marks (Step 2b) and draw a line between them 

(Step 2d) on each outline.

g. Put the cardboard on a cutting board or several 

layers of scrap cardboard. Cut the Reflector out 

along the DASHED lines shown in Figure 16). 

Use a metal ruler or straightedge to keep the 

cuts straight. (Be careful and wear gloves!)

3. Fold the Reflector along the SOLID lines shown in 

Figure 16. Use a metal ruler or straightedge to keep 

the folds straight. You may also use the edge of a 

table or countertop to help make straight folds.

4. Mix 2 oz of white glue with 2 oz water in a paper or 

plastic cup. Use a foam paint brush to spread the 

glue mixture over the surface of the Reflector, then 

put strips of aluminum foil onto the Reflector to 

completely cover the surface. Allow the glue to dry.

5. Bring the small triangles together and hold 

them in place with duct tape on the cardboard 

side of the reflector(Figure 17). Do not put tape on 

the aluminum foil side! Bring the long edges of 

the Reflector together and hold them in place 

with more duct tape. Your reflector is finished!

6. It’s time to test your Solar Cooker. A good 

first test is to cook some rice. Put 1/2-cup of rice 

into your black pot, add 1 cup of water, and place 

the lid on the pot. Set your Reflector on a flat 

surface so that it is resting on one or two of the 

small triangles closest to the center, and pointing 

toward the Sun. Put some bricks or rocks around 

the outside of the Reflector to keep it steady and 

to stop any wind from blowing it around. 

Your Reflector is designed to have the approximate shape of a parabola. Parabolas are useful 

because their shape can focus the energy of 

sunlight onto a specific spot. The location of 

this spot depends upon the dimensions of the 

parabola. The focal point of your Reflector should 

be about six inches from the small hole at the 

back of the Reflector. This means that you will 

need some way to hold your pot in this position. A 

tripod (Figure 18) is a good choice, because it won’t 

prevent reflected sun rays from reaching the sides 

and bottom of the pot. You can make a tripod 

from three sticks and a piece of heavy string. 

Search the Internet for “tripod lashing” (or ask a 

Boy or Girl Scout) to find directions for tying the 

sticks together to make a tripod.

Put your tripod inside 

the Reflector, put 

the pot on top of the 

tripod, and wait (Figure 

19). Rice ordinarily takes 

about 20 minutes to 

cook on top of a stove, 

but your Solar Cooker will probably need at least 

twice as much time. Check your rice after 40 

minutes. If it needs more time, put the lid back 

on, check to be sure the Reflector is still pointed 

toward the Sun, and wait another 30 minutes. 

For long cooking times, you need to adjust the 

Reflector position every now and then as the 

position of the Sun changes in the sky.

7. Once your rice is cooked, try an experiment: 

a. Put about two cups of rice in the pot without 

water. Cover the pot, place the lid on top, put 

the pot on the tripod in your Solar Cooker, and 

leave it in the Sun for ten minutes. 

b. Check the temperature of the rice with a 

Mark here

Mark here

Figure 11. Figure 14. Figure 15.

Figure 16.

Figure 12. Figure 13.

Figure 18

Figure 17
9 Climate Science Principle 2: Climate is regulated by complex interactions among components of the Earth system.

2. The Climate Team

thermometer (be careful, the pot will be hot!) 

and record your measurement. 

c. Empty out the rice, and put two cups of water 

into the pot. Place the lid on top, put the pot on 

the tripod in your Solar Cooker, and leave it in 

the Sun for ten minutes. 

d. Check the temperature, and record your 

measurement.

e. Can you explain your results? [Hint: remember 

the discussion of heat capacity at the 

beginnning of this Activity]. If land and water 

both receive the same amount of sunlight, 

which will absorb more solar energy?

8. You can cook many different types of food in your 

Solar Cooker! For some ideas and recipes, check 

out http://www.solarovens.org/recipes/. Remember 

you can also use covered black baking pans for 

foods such as cookies.

What About Other Members of the Climate Team?

Climate-prediction scientists know there are many 

other players on the Climate Team. These scientists 

often call the Climate Team players “climate forcings” 

because they can force Earth’s climate to change, 

usually by affecting the amount of solar energy that 

enters and leaves Earth’s atmosphere.

Some climate forcings affect solar energy entering 

the atmosphere as well as the energy from Earth 

that escapes back into space. Clouds are an example, 

because dense, low-lying clouds reflect sunlight back 

into space before it can reach Earth’s surface. On 

the other hand, high, thin clouds have the opposite 

effect. These clouds allow incoming sunshine to pass 

through the atmosphere but trap heat that would 

escape back into space if the clouds were not present. 

Clouds are often affected by airborne particles 

called aerosols. These are tiny liquid and solid 

particles that are injected into the atmosphere 

by natural processes such as ocean spray, 

volcanoes, and forest fires. Human activities such 

as burning fuels for cooking, heat, transportation, 

and electricity can also send aerosols into the 

atmosphere. Different aerosols have different effects 

on Earth’s climate. Light-colored aerosols reflect 

sunlight back into space and have a cooling effect. 

Dark-colored aerosols absorb solar energy and 

make the atmosphere warmer. Sometimes, aerosols 

increase cloud formation, but dark aerosols like the 

soot from forest fires can reduce cloudiness. These 

kinds of opposite effects are one of the reasons that 

climate prediction is a complicated job!

Ice and snow can act as climate forcings because 

they also reflect solar energy away from Earth’s 

surface. The ability of a surface to reflect radiation 

is called albedo (pronounced al-BEE-dough). When 

increased air temperatures cause ice and snow to 

melt, the surface underneath (such as soil) may be 

much darker. When this happens, the newly-exposed 

surface will absorb more energy from sunlight than 

was absorbed by the ice and snow. Absorption of 

additional energy raises the surface temperature, 

and causes even more melting. This is an example of 

positive feedback loops that can amplify the effects 

of a single change. The water from melting ice and 

snow can cause changes in major ocean currents, 

which in turn can lead to rapid changes in climate in 

regions far away from the places where the melting 

actually happened. The players on the climate team 

influence each other, which means that a significant 

change to one part of Earth’s climate system can 

have effects on the entire system. 

Plants and animals continuously move certain gases 

in and out of the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide is 

one of these gases that is also an important climate 

forcing. The effect of plants, animals, and carbon 

dioxide is discussed more in Activity 6.

Want to Do More?

For information about other solar cooker designs, 

see http://www.solarcookers.org/index.html. This is 

the Solar Cookers International website dedicated 

to spreading solar cooking awareness and skills 

worldwide, particularly in areas with plentiful 

sunshine and diminishing sources of cooking fuel.

Figure 19

Image on Page 8 is from: United Nations Environment 

Programme and World Meteorological Organization. 

1996. Internet: http://www.grida.no/publications/vg/

climate/page/3085.aspx; data from Climate Change 

1995 – Impacts, adaptations and mitigation of climate 

change: Scientific-Technical Analyses. Contribution of 

Working Group 2 to the Second Assessment Report 

of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. 

Cartographer/Designer: Philippe Rekacewicz, UNEP/

GRID-Arendal. Cambridge University Press.
oceanservice.noaa.gov 10

Discover Your Changing World with NOAA

Activity 3: Climate Is Our Friend...Isn’t It?

What You Will Do: Make an Extinction Polyhedron

We know that Earth’s climate affects everything that lives on our planet; but can living things affect climate? The 

answer is “Yes!” Life on Earth has a major effect on heat-trapping 

gases in the atmosphere. The presence of these gases allows 

Earth’s environment to have liquid water and enough warmth to 

support many different kinds of living organisms. During Earth’s 

history, these organisms—including microbes, plants, and 

animals and humans—have significantly changed the chemical 

makeup of the atmosphere. 

One of the reasons there are so many different kinds of 

organisms is that different locations on Earth have different 

climates, which means that they have different conditions of 

temperature, precipitation, humidity, and sunlight. Individual 

organisms require a certain range of these conditions; polar 

bears, for example, cannot survive in the tropical jungle. If living 

organisms are exposed to climate conditions outside their 

normal range they must adapt to the new condition or migrate 

to a different location. Otherwise, these organisms will die.

Fossils are any remains, traces, or imprints of a plant or animal 

that has been preserved in a rock. Some fossils are formed when 

the remains of an organism are replaced by minerals that keep 

the organism’s shape. Another way fossils are formed is when 

an organism’s remains make an imprint in a soft substance such 

as clay or mud that later hardens into a rock. Fossils can also be 

things that were made by an organism, such as footprints in 

mud. Fossils provide important information about organisms 

that were alive at various times in Earth’s history. Many kinds 

of organisms are now extinct, which means none of them are 

alive today. Dinosaurs are a good example of extinct organisms, 

and there are millions of others. Information from fossils shows 

that at certain times in Earth’s history, many different kinds of 

organisms became extinct at about the same time. When this 

happens, we say that a “mass extinction event” has occurred.

The cause of most mass extinction events involved some type of 

climate change. 

How to Do It

Polygons are 2-dimensional shapes that are made of straight 

lines in which the lines connect together to form an enclosed 

space (Figure 1).

Polyhedrons are three-dimensional shapes that are made of 

polygons (Figure 2).

Polyhedrons are easy to make, interesting to look at, and are a 

great way to present and discuss information. This activity uses 

polyhedrons to show information about some extinct organisms, 

and how their extinction may have been related to climate 

change. First, you need to get the information together, then you 

can construct your Extinction Polyhedron!

Triangle

(3 sides)

Pentagon

(5 sides)

Dodecagon

(12 sides)

Rectangle

(4 sides)

Octagon

(8 sides)

Heptagon

(7 sides)

Figure 1. 

Examples of Polygons

What You Will Need

Stiff paper or cover stock; size depends 

upon how large you want your 

polyhedron to be (see How to Do 

It, Step 3)

Scissors

Pen or pencil

Glue

Art supplies (if you want to make your 

own illustrations; see How to Do 

It, Step 1)

Computer with Internet access or library 

resources

Trilobite Kainops invius. 

Image courtesy Wikipedia.

Big Idea

Life on Earth depends on, is shaped 

by, and affects climate. 

(Climate Science Principle 3)
11

3. Climate is Our Friend...Isn’t It?

1. Use the Internet or library resources to find 

pictures of seven extinct organisms that look 

interesting or that have interesting stories (or 

both). You may be able to download or copy 

pictures directly from the sources you use, or to 

use these pictures as a guide for illustrations that 

you make yourself. When you have selected the 

organisms to use for your Extinction Polyhedron, 

Find out some interesting facts about each 

organism, such as when and where they lived, 

what they ate, when and why they became 

extinct, etc. Here are some suggestions:

NOTE: There are MANY other examples of extinct 

organisms. In fact, more than 99% of all the species 

that have ever lived on Earth are now extinct. 

2. 

Let’s add one more organism to the seven you 

selected in Step 1. Cyanobacteria have been a 

very important part of life on Earth, and actually 

caused one of the biggest extinctions in Earth’s 

history! Can you find out how? Individual 

cyanobacteria are too small to see without 

a microscope, but many of these organisms 

produce much larger structures that are easily 

visible. You could also use a photograph made 

with a microscope or an illustration you prepare 

yourself for the Extinction Polyhedron.

3. Decide how large you want your Extinction 

Polyhedron to be. The pattern in Figure 3 will 

produce a polyhedron with eight sides (an 

octahedron). Each side has the shape of a triangle 

whose sides are about 1-3/4 long. If you want 

a larger Extinction Polyhedron, use a copying 

machine to enlarge Figure 3, or lay it out yourself 

with a ruler. Cut out the pattern along the solid 

lines, and trace the pattern onto stiff paper (such 

as cover stock or construction paper). Cut the 

pattern out of the stiff paper, and fold along all of 

the dotted lines. Do not fold the pattern into its 

final shape yet, because it is much easier to attach 

pictures while the pattern is flat.

4. Cut the eight pictures so that each one will fit on 

one of the sides of the octahedron, then glue the 

pictures into place.

5. Fold the pattern with the glued-on pictures 

along the dotted lines, and attach the tabs to the 

inside of the polyhedron with tape or glue. Your 

Extinction Polyhedron is finished!

Some Things You Can Do With Your Extinction 

Polyhedron

Here are a few ideas. You can probably think of many 

others! 

The main purpose of an Extinction Polyhedron is to 

present information about extinct organisms and 

why they became extinct. If you put your Extinction 

Polyhedron on a table in a room where people 

are present, someone will probably pick it up for 

a closer look. When this happens, ask the person 

if they recognize any of the organisms shown in 

the pictures. This is one way to start a conversation 

about extinctions and why they happen. 

Another thing you can do is to make several 

additional Extinction Polyhedrons, and hang them 

onto wires or sticks to form a mobile. If you want 

Climate Science Principle 3: Life on Earth epends on, is shaped by, and affects climate.

Octahedron

(8 faces)

Dodecahedron

(12 faces) Pentahedron

(5 faces)

Tetrahedron

(4 faces)

Figure 2. Examples of Polyhedrons

Anomalocaris 

Placoderms

Ammonoid

Mammuthus 

primigenius

Wiwaxia

Blastoid

Trilobite

Smilodon

Arthropleura

Opabinia

Pelycosaur

Archaeocyathid

Pterosaur

Cynobacteria through a microscope. Image courtesy Wikipedia.
oceanservice.noaa.gov 12

to make something besides octahedrons, there are 

many Web sites that have patterns and directions for 

making other shapes.

You can also make up games that use Extinction 

Polyhedrons. For example, you could have one 

polyhedron with pictures, and another polyhedron 

with the organisms’ names written on the sides. 

Player #1 drops the picture polyhedron onto a table, 

then turns the polyhedron over so that Player #2 

can see the picture that was face down when the 

polyhedron landed on the table. Player #2 must 

turn the polyhedron with written names so that 

the correct name for the organism is face up. If you 

make more than one set of name polygons, several 

players can compete to see who can be the first to 

turn up the correct name. 

Why are they extinct?

When you were gathering information about your 

selected organisms in Step 1, you probably noticed 

several things about mass extinctions. First, these 

events have happened many times throughout 

Earth’s history. One of the first mass extinctions 

happened about 2,400 million years ago when 

bacteria called cyanobacteria produced large 

amounts of oxygen that dramatically changed 

Earth’s atmosphere. Before this happened, Earth’s 

atmosphere contained very little oxygen, and most 

living organisms were adapted to live without 

oxygen. An oxygen-rich atmosphere caused most 

of these organisms to become extinct. This mass 

extinction is called the Oxygen Revolution, the 

Oxygen Catastrophe, the Oxygen Crisis, or the Great 

Oxidation. This is a case in which one form of life 

caused the extinction of other forms of life. It is also 

a good example of how mass extinctions make it 

possible for new species to appear.

Other major mass extinctions (sometimes called 

“The Big Ones”) include:

• The Cambrian Extinction, about 499 million years 

ago, when about 30% of living groups became 

extinct;

TAB

TAB

TAB

TAB

TAB

Example: Polyhedron

face with picture

Example: Polyhedron

face with facts

TRILOBITE

Permian Extinction

scavenger,

lter-feeder,

or predator

Figure 3. Octahedron

http://biodidac.bio.uottawa.ca/

Discover Your Changing World with NOAA
13

3. Climate is Our Friend...Isn’t It?

Climate Science Principle 3: Life on Earth epends on, is shaped by, and affects climate.

• The Ordovician Extinction, about 443 million 

years ago, when an estimated 60% of all genera 

became extinct;

• The Devonian Extinction, about 345 million years 

ago, when about 70% of all known species 

became extinct;

• The Permian Extinction, about 250 million years 

ago, when an estimated 96% of all marine 

species became extinct and 70% of terrestrial 

vertebrate species became extinct;

• The Triassic Extinction, about 200 million years 

ago, when about half of all known species 

became extinct; and 

• The Cretaceous Extinction, about 65 million 

years ago, when dinosaurs along with 85% of all 

known species became extinct.

There are usually several theories about the cause of 

most mass extinctions. For example, the Cambrian 

Extinction has been linked to sharp decreases of 

oxygen in Earth’s atmosphere along with increased 

levels of hydrogen sulfide. The reason for these 

changes is not known. The Ordovician Extinction 

happened when Earth’s climate cooled, causing 

large amounts of water to be trapped in glaciers. 

This reduced the level of Earth’s ocean, which was 

where most organisms lived at this time. Global 

cooling has also been suggested as a possible 

cause of the Devonian Extinction, and may have 

been the result of decreased carbon dioxide in 

the atmosphere. An asteroid impact is another 

suggestion, which is also believed to have been 

responsible for the Cretaceous Extinction. Large 

asteroid impacts may have a direct effect on Earth’s 

climate, since large amounts of dust and soot in 

the atmosphere following such impacts can result 

in global cooling. It is 

important to remember 

that mass extinctions 

may have more than 

one cause, and that 

some extinction events 

happened when several 

things went wrong at 

about the same time.

It is also important to 

remember that living 

organisms can affect 

climate, and have 

probably helped cause 

some mass extinction 

events. Large land 

plants that covered 

Earth’s landscape for 

the first time during the 

Devonian Period may 

have caused decreased 

carbon dioxide in the 

atmosphere during the 

Devonian Extinction.

Today, human activities have significant influence 

on species extinctions. Habitat destruction and overharvesting directly affect some species, and many 

others are harmed by activities such as pollution and 

introducing exotic species that interfere with natural 

ecosystem processes. The effect of human activities 

on Earth’s climate system is explored in Activity 6, “I 

Didn’t Do It ... Did I?”

Want to Do More?

Visit NOAA’s Paleoclimatology Web site (http://www.

oar.noaa.gov/climate/t_paleo.html) for information 

and image collections about many topics related to 

climate change during Earth’s history.

This painting by Donald E. Davis depicts an asteroid slamming into tropical, shallow seas of the sulfur-rich Yucatan Peninsula 

in what is today southeast Mexico. The aftermath of this immense asteroid collision, which occurred approximately 65 million 

years ago, is believed to have caused the extinction of the dinosaurs and many other species on Earth. The impact spewed 

hundreds of billions of tons of sulfur into the atmosphere, producing a worldwide blackout and freezing temperatures which 

persisted for at least a decade. Shown in this painting are pterodactyls, flying reptiles with wingspans of up to 50 feet, 

gliding above low tropical clouds. Image courtesy NASA/JPL-Caltech.
oceanservice.noaa.gov 14

Discover Your Changing World with NOAA

Weather describes what is happening in the atmosphere over a short period of time (days or hours) at a specific 

place. Weather descriptions include temperature, humidity, 

winds, cloudiness, and atmospheric pressure. Climate is 

the average of these weather conditions over many years. 

The National Weather Service uses 30 years of weather 

measurements to calculate the average climate for a city, state, 

or region. An easy way to summarize the difference is “climate 

is what you expect; weather is what you get,” or “weather tells 

us what kinds of clothes to wear, climate tells us what kinds of 

clothes to buy.”

When scientists talk about climate change, they mean that there 

has been a significant change in the average or extreme (or 

both) climate conditions, and that this change has continued 

over a long period of time. We all know that climate conditions 

(air temperature, precipitation, and wind) change with the 

seasons. There are also natural cycles such as El Niño that cause 

climate conditions to be different from year-to-year. These 

differences are part of natural climate variability, but they are 

not the same as climate change.

Earth’s climate has changed many times in the past, and is 

changing now. Studies of tree rings show that Earth’s average 

temperature is now as warm or warmer than it has been for 

at least the past 1,300 years. Scientific weather observations 

from around the world show that average temperatures have 

increased rapidly during the past 50 years, especially in the 

Arctic region. In the past, climate change has happened over 

periods of decades to thousands of years. It is very unusual to 

have a rapid temperature change in only 50 years, because few 

natural processes affect climate this quickly. The rapid rate of 

20th century warming, and the increase above the millenium 

baseline in the absence of natural forcing, are consistent with 

the warming caused by increased greenhouse gases. One way 

that this is happening is that human activities are adding carbon 

dioxide to the atmosphere much more rapidly than natural 

processes can remove it. You’ll find out more about how carbon 

dioxide affects climate in Activity 6.

How It Works

An electric current is the flow of electrons through a conductor 

such as a wire. An electric circuit is a path for an electric current. 

One way to imagine an electric current is to think of water 

flowing through a pipe. The voltage of an electric current is 

the force of the current, similar to the pressure of the water in 

the pipe flowing through the imaginary pipe. As you may have 

guessed, voltage is measured in volts.

Resistance is a force that opposes the flow of an electric current. 

You can think of resistance as a valve or obstruction in the 

imaginary pipe. Resistance is measured in ohms; the more ohms, 

the higher the resistance. Resistors are electronic components 

that resist the flow of electric currents.

A thermistor is a type of resistor whose resistance changes 

when the temperature changes. When a thermistor is in an 

electric circuit, the voltage of the electric current changes 

when the thermistor’s resistance changes. We can measure the 

voltage of this type of circuit, and use this measurement to find 

the temperature of the thermistor. Compared to liquid-filled 

thermometers, thermistors are less expensive, more rugged, 

and do not require someone to look directly at them to get 

a temperature measurement. Because of these advantages, 

Activity 4: Climate, Weather...What’s the Difference?

What You Will Do: Make an Electronic Temperature Sensor

What You Will Need

Adult partner

1 – Multimeter capable of measuring volts, 

milliamps, and ohms (such as Extech 

MN35) 

1 – 9 volt battery 

1 – Battery snap (such as Radio Shack 270-

324)

1 – Resistor, 10K ohm, 1/2 watt (such as 

Radio Shack 271-1126)

1 – Thermistor, 10K ohm (such as Digi-Key 

490-4660)

2 – Clear glass jar, beakers or plastic cups, 

about 250 ml (8 oz) capacity

1 – Wire strippers

1 – Thermometer (such as Forestry Suppliers 

#89323; you may want to order two of 

these, since you will use them again for 

Activity 6; these thermometers have 

an aluminum case which makes them 

useful for field investigations as well as 

in your laboratory)

Speaker wire, 24 gauge, about 1 m (3 ft) 

(such as Radio Shack 278-1301)

Liquid electrical tape (from a boating supply 

store or hardware store)

Conductive Glue (keyword search “wire 

glue” to find suppliers; if you or your 

partner know how to solder, you can 

use solder and a soldering iron instead 

of conductive glue)

Needle-nose pliers 

Ice 

Hot water

Big Idea

Climate varies in space and time 

through both natural and manmade processes. 

(Climate Science Principle 4)
15 Climate Science Principle 4. Climate waries in space and time through both natural and man-made processes.

4. Climate, Weather...What’s the Difference?

thermistors are used in cooking appliances, indoor/

outdoor thermometers, doctors’ offices, fire alarms, 

refrigerators, wind turbines, weather balloons, 

aircraft, space vehicles, industrial facilities, and many 

other places where temperature measurement or 

control is needed.

How to Do It

1. Remove about 2 cm 

(1 in) of the insulation 

from both ends of the 

two wires in the speaker 

cable, and also from the 

two wires of the battery 

snap. Twist the strands of 

each wire so that they are 

tightly wrapped (Figure 1).

2. Connect the wires from one end of the speaker 

cable to the wires coming from the thermistor. 

Use a Western Union splice as shown in Figure 2.

3. Use a Western Union splice to connect one of the 

wires from the other end of the speaker cable 

to one of the wires coming from the resistor (it 

doesn’t matter which wire). 

4. Use a Western Union splice to connect the other 

wire from the speaker cable to one of the wires 

from the battery snap (it doesn’t matter which one).

5. Use a Western Union splice to connect the other 

wire from the battery snap to the remaining wire 

coming from the resistor. This completes the 

thermistor circuit, which should resemble Figure 3.

6. Brush a small amount of conductive glue onto 

each of the splices, and allow the glue to dry (or 

solder these splices).

7. Brush liquid electrical tape onto the thermistor 

splices so that all of the bare wires are covered 

(Figure 4).

8. Set your multimeter to measure volts. Set the 

voltage range on your multimeter to at least 

10 volts (check the instructions that came with 

your meter for exactly how to do this). Check the 

voltage of your battery by touching the positive 

lead from the meter to the positive terminal of the 

battery, and the negative lead from the meter to 

the negative terminal of the battery.

9. Connect the 9-volt battery to the battery snap. 

Touch one of the multimeter leads to one wire of 

the resistor, and touch the other multimeter lead 

to the other resistor wire. If the voltage reading 

is negative, reverse the multimeter leads. Your 

Electronic Temperature Sensor is finished!

10. Now you need to calibrate your Electronic 

Temperature Sensor to so that you can use 

voltage measurements to find the temperature 

of the thermistor. Put some ice in one of the glass 

jar (or beaker or plastic cup), and add water so 

that the container is 

almost full. 

Figure 1.

Battery Snap Resistor

Thermistor

Speaker

Wire

Connect Multimeter Leads

at these points to measure voltage

Figure 3.

The Western Union Splice. Bring ends of wires to be spliced together so that the ends are 

pointing in opposite directions (A). Twist each wire 3/4 of a turn in opposite directions (B). 

Turn the ends so they are at right angles to the wires being spliced, and twist each end to 

form at least five more turns spaced as tightly as possible (C). It is easier to make these twists 

with a pair of needle-nose pliers. Cut off the ends and twist them close to the center wire.

A

B

C

A.

B.

C.

Figure 2. Western Union splice.

Figure 4.
oceanservice.noaa.gov 16

11. Put some hot water in the other container, and 

put the thermistor into the water. Wait about 

ten seconds, then measure the voltage as in 

Step 9. Check the temperature of the water with 

the thermometer, and record the voltage and 

temperature in the Calibration Table. 

12. Reduce the temperature of the water from Step 

11 by adding a small amount of cold water. Put 

the thermistor into the water, wait about ten 

seconds, then measure the voltage and check 

the temperature of the water. Record the voltage 

and temperature in the Calibration Table. Repeat 

this step until you have at least eight different 

readings. The highest temperature should be 

around 80° C, and the lowest should be near 0° C.

13. Graph the data from 

the Calibration Table 

with temperature on the 

vertical axis (y-axis) and 

voltage on the horizontal 

axis (x-axis). Now you 

can use this graph to 

find the temperature 

that corresponds to any 

voltage reading from your 

Electronic Temperature 

Sensor.

Want to Do More?

The University Corporation for Atmospheric 

Research Web site has links to interactives, 

simulations, games, and virtual labs about weather 

and climate: https://spark.ucar.edu/interactives and 

https://spark.ucar.edu/activities

Calibration Table

Voltage Temperature

_____ _____

_____ _____

_____ _____

_____ _____

_____ _____

_____ _____

_____ _____

_____ _____

Using Your Temperature Sensor

Your temperature sensor is useful when you want to 

record a series of temperature measurements from the 

same place over a long period of time, and to measure 

temperature in places that can’t be reached with a liquidfilled thermometer. Here are three ideas (you can probably 

think of many more!):

Your Daily Weather

Climate is the average of weather conditions over many 

years, but regular weather measurements are needed to 

calculate this average. Measurements of air temperature 

along with other weather observations help improve 

weather predictions, and also help us understand how 

current weather conditions compare to climate averages. 

To investigate local temperature conditions with your 

temperature sensor, talk with your adult partner to select 

a sheltered location on a north-facing wall, which provides 

some protection from rain and direct sunlight. Install the 

sensor 1.2 to 1.8 m (about 4 to 6 ft) above ground, and 

try to make temperature measurements at the same time 

each day. Record your measurements in a notebook along 

with other observations about the weather at the time the 

measurements were made, such as rain conditions, cloud 

cover, wind, and barometric pressure (see Activity 5, “How 

Do We Know” for more weather instruments). For more 

about weather, climate, and temperature measurements 

and ideas for analyzing your data, see http://globe.gov/

sda/tg/maxmin.pdf.

 Explore a Microclimate

Microclimates are places whose climate is different from 

the surrounding area. They may be very small or as large 

as lakes or cities. Air temperatures over large bodies of 

water can be less extreme than temperatures over nearby 

land areas. Cities are often warmer than surrounding 

areas with fewer humans. Microclimates may also exist 

in valleys, where the bottom of a valley may be much 

colder than the slopes. Smaller microclimates are also 

found in home gardens where buildings, fences, rocks, 

raised beds, paved surfaces, and other features can 

change wind conditions, water flow, and sun exposure. 

Some microclimates are deliberately created to provide 

conditions needed by garden plants, and also to 

improve energy efficiency of buildings. See if you can 

find microclimates near your own home, and use your 

temperature sensor to compare their temperature with 

the temperature of nearby locations. Make daytime and 

nighttime measurements to see whether the microclimate 

effect changes with the time of day. Can you design a 

microclimate that might improve the energy efficiency of 

your home? Try a Web search on “energy efficiency” and 

“microclimate” for some ideas.

Investigate Water Quality

Your temperature sensor makes it easy to measure 

water temperature, and temperature is one of the 

most important characteristics of aquatic ecosystems. 

Temperature affects the biological activity of most 

species, and some species have very specific temperature 

requirements. Water temperature also affects dissolved 

oxygen levels and pH. High water temperatures can 

contribute to outbreaks of bacteria, harmful algae, and 

submerged aquatic vegetation. Talk with your adult 

partner about nearby water bodies that might be 

interesting to investigate. For more information about this 

kind of investigation, see http://archive.senseit.org/files/

Addon_Water_quality_and_temperature.

pdf.

Discover Your Changing World with NOAA
We all know that weather can change quickly, sometimes 

in only a few minutes. Climate also varies, but over longer 

periods of time. You may have heard someone say, “Expert 

weather forecasters can’t accurately predict what the weather 

will be next week; how can anyone possibly know what the 

climate will be years from now?”

The answer is that forecasting climate is not the same 

as forecasting weather. Local weather predictions 

are based on natural processes that are more 

random and by their nature are difficult to precisely 

predict. Earth’s climate systems, though, obey 

the basic physical laws that operate throughout 

the Universe. For example, when a planet’s 

atmosphere traps heat, the planet’s surface tends 

to become warmer. This means that the behavior 

of the climate system can be understood and 

predicted by careful scientific studies. Environmental 

observations are the foundation for these studies. 

Instruments carried on satellites, ships, buoys, weather 

stations, and other platforms can gather information about 

many pieces of the present climate system. Information about 

past climates can be found in natural records such as tree 

rings, ice cores, and layers of sediment, as well as in historical 

documents and local knowledge. 

This information can be combined with theories about 

climate to construct computer models that make 

predictions about what the climate will be when the 

ocean and atmosphere have certain characteristics. 

Comparing these predictions with knowledge 

about actual climate when these characteristics 

exist allows scientists to improve the computer 

models and make additional observations and 

experiments to make better predictions about 

future climate conditions. 

A lot of research has been done about Earth’s 

climate system, and climate prediction models 

continue to improve. Today’s climate models are able 

to reproduce the average global temperature changes that 

occurred in the 20th century when they include all of the known 

natural and human-caused factors that affect climate. This gives 

us additional confidence that predictions about future climate 

conditions provide accurate information that will help societies 

decide how to prepare for the impacts of climate change.

How It Works

Weather Vane: Winds are named according to the direction 

from which the wind is blowing, so a “north wind” is blowing 

from the north. The head of the Weather Vane will point to the 

direction from which the wind is blowing. 

17

Activity 5: How Do We Know?

What You Will Do: Make additional weather sensors; set up a home weather station

What You Will Need*

Wind Vane Materials

Adult partner

1 – Broomstick or long wooden dowel, about 1 

inch diameter

1 – Aluminum baking dish, about 6 x 9 inches

1 – Wood stick, about 3/4 inch square and 12 

inches long

1 – Nail, about 1 inch long

1 – Metal washer with a hole slightly larger than 

the nail

Duct tape

Small saw or serrated knife

Scissors strong enough to cut the aluminum 

baking dish

Ruler or tape measure

Silicone or other glue that will stick to aluminum

Leather gloves

(Optional) Hand drill, and small drill bit slightly 

larger than the nail

Barometer Materials

1 – Ruler, about 30 cm (12 in)

1 – Clear drinking glass, glass jar, or other 

container with sides tall enough to support 

the ruler

1 – Clear plastic drinking straw or piece of clear 

plastic tubing, about 30 cm (12 in) long

Clear tape

Modeling clay or chewing gum

(Optional) Food coloring, your choice of color

Rain Gauge Materials

• Straight-sided glass or plastic container, with a 

diameter of about two inches or less (such 

as an olive jar)

• Coat hanger or wire bent to make a holding rack 

(see Figure 4)

• Measuring spoons: One teaspoon and 1/4 

teaspoon

• Hammer and nails to secure the rack

• Felt tip marker

* Scientists use many different instruments to make 

measurements that help predict weather and climate; but 

only a few instruments are needed to set up a Home Weather 

Station that can help you make your own weather predictions. 

You need to be able to measure temperature, wind speed, wind 

direction, and atmospheric pressure. You already know how to 

make an instrument for measuring temperature from Activity 4. 

Table 1 lists some clues that will help you estimate wind speed. 

To complete your Home Weather Station, you need a wind 

vane to measure wind direction, and a barometer to measure 

atmospheric pressure.

Image courtesy NOAA.

Big Idea

Our understanding of the climate 

system is improved through 

observations, theoretical studies, 

and modeling.

 (Climate Science Principle 5)

Discover Your Changing World with NOAA

oceanservice.noaa.gov
18 oceanservice.noaa.gov

Beaufort Scale

Table 1

In 1805, Sir Francis Beaufort invented a scale from 0 – 12 for estimating wind speed based on features that can easily be observed. 

Sailors still use the Beaufort scale, but professional weather forecasters usually report wind speed in miles per hour or kilometers per hour. 

(source: http://www.srh.noaa.gov/jetstream/ocean/beaufort_max.htm#beaufort)

Beaufort Wind Wind Forecast Observations

Scale No. Speed Speed Term Sea Land

 (km/hr) (mi/hr)

0 0-1 0-1 Calm Sea surface smooth Smoke rises vertically

1 1-5 1-3 Light Sea surface rippled Smoke drift indicates wind direction,

 wind vanes do not move

2 6-11 4-7 Light Small wavelets, crests have glassy Wind felt on face, leaves rustle, 

 appearance but do not break wind vanes begin to move

3 12-19 8-12 Gentle Large wavelets, crests begin to break Leaves constantly moving, 

 light flags extended

4 20-28 13-18 Moderate Small waves, numerous whitecaps Leaves, and loose paper lifted, small tree 

 branches move

5 29-38 19-24 Fresh Moderate waves, many whitecaps Small trees in leaf begin to sway

6 39-49 25-31 Strong Larger waves, whitecaps common, some spray Larger branches moving, whistling in 

 wires, umbrella use difficult

7 50-61 32-38 Strong Sea heaps up, white foam streaks off breakers Whole trees moving, resistance felt 

 walking against wind

8 62-74 39-46 Gale Moderately high (18-25 ft) waves, foam blown in streaks Twigs breaking off trees, walking 

 difficult

9 75-88 47-54 Gale High waves (23-32 ft), dense streaks of foam Slight structural damage may occur, 

 slate blows off roofs

10 89-102 55-63 Whole Gale Very high waves (29-41 ft) with overhanging crests, Trees broken or uprooted, considerable 

 sea white with foam structural damage

11 103-117 64-72 Whole Gale Exceptionally high (37-52 ft) waves, foam covers sea Extensive damage

12 118-132 72-82 Hurricane Air filled with foam, waves over 45 ft, sea completely white Countryside devastated

Discover Your Changing World with NOAA
19

5. How Do We Know?

Barometer: The water level in the barometer tube 

will rise and fall as atmospheric pressure changes. 

When atmospheric pressure increases, air presses 

on the surface of the water in the container 

causing the height of the water in the tube to rise. 

When atmospheric pressure decreases, there is 

less pressure on the surface of the water in the 

container so the height of the water in the tube falls. 

Decreasing atmospheric pressure usually indicates 

that a low-pressure area is approaching, and this 

often brings clouds and rain. Increasing atmospheric 

pressure often indicates fair weather.

How to Do It

Make the Wind Vane

Be careful of the sharp edges on the pieces of cut aluminum! 

Use gloves to protect your hands until the edges are taped.

1. Use the saw or serrated knife to cut a notch about 

1/2-inch deep into each end of the wood stick. 

The notches should be parallel (Figure 1).

2. Rotate the stick so that the two slots are vertical. 

Use the ruler or tape measure to find the exact 

center of the wood stick. Mark this spot on the 

upper surface of the stick, and drive a nail through 

the marked spot. Be careful: if the nail is too big, 

the stick will probably split. To avoid this, drill 

a hole slightly larger than the nail through the 

marked spot. You may need your adult partner to 

help with the drilling.

3. Cut the head and tail pieces of the Weather Vane 

from the aluminum baking dish using Figure 2 as 

a guide. Be Careful—The Edges Are Sharp! Use 

duct tape to cover the sharp edges.

Nail

Washer

Broomstick

or Dowel

Head

Tail

Wood

Stick

Figure 1. Wind Vane Assembly

Head

Tail

Figure 2. Wind Vane Pattern

Climate Science Principle 5. Our understanding of the climate system is improved through observations, theoetical studies, and modeling.
oceanservice.noaa.gov 20

Sample Weather Journal Data Form

Date Time Temperature Barometric Pressure Wind Precipitation Other Events

 Instrument NWS Speed Direction Type Amount

4. Fit the head piece into one of the slots in the 

wood stick and fit the tail piece into the other slot. 

Glue the head and tail pieces into place and allow 

the glue to dry.

5. Attach the Weather Vane to the broomstick or 

dowel, by placing the washer on one end of 

the dowel and hammering the nail through the 

wooden stick into the dowel. Be sure the stick still 

moves freely around the nail. 

6. Mount your Weather Vane outside where there 

are no nearby obstructions to block the wind. 

Try to get the dowel as high as you can while still 

keeping it steady and secure. 

Make the Barometer

1. Tape the plastic straw or plastic tubing to the ruler 

so that one end is lined up with the “1 cm” (“1/2-

inch”) mark on the ruler.

2. Stand the ruler-tubing assembly upright in the 

glass (or other container), and tape the assembly 

to the top of the container.

3. Fill the container about 3/4-full of water. If you 

want colored water, first mix food coloring with 

the water in another container.

4. Use the modeling clay or chewing gum (you’ll 

have to chew it until it is soft enough) to plug the 

end of the straw or plastic tubing near the top of 

the ruler.

5. Carefully pour out some of the water so the 

container is about half full. Be sure the lower end 

of the straw or tubing stays beneath the water 

surface while you do this! When you are finished, 

the water in the straw or tube should be higher 

than the water in the container. Your barometer 

is now finished. Since barometers are sensitive 

to minor changes in weather conditions, keep 

your barometer indoors for greatest accuracy. 

(See Figure 3 for finished barometer.) The water 

level in the tube will rise and fall as atmospheric 

pressure changes. When atmospheric pressure 

increases, air presses on the surface of the water 

in the container causing the height of the water 

in the tube to rise. When atmospheric pressure 

decreases, there is less pressure on the surface 

of the water in the container, so he height of the 

water in the tube falls. Decreasing atmospheric 

pressure usually indicates that a low pressure 

area is approaching, and this often brings clouds 

and rain. Increasing atmospheric pressure often 

indicates fair weather.

Ruler

Straw or

Plastic Tubing

Clay or Gum

Tape

Glass

End of Tubing Container

lines up with

1 cm mark

Figure 3. Barometer

Discover Your Changing World with NOAA
21

5. How Do We Know?

Climate Science Principle 5. Our understanding of the climate system is improved through observations, theoetical studies, and modeling.

Keep a daily record of outside temperature, 

barometric pressure, wind speed, wind direction, 

and recent precipitation or other significant weather 

events. When you record barometric pressure, 

record the height of the water in the barometer 

tube (using the scale on the ruler), as well as 

barometric pressure reported by a local office of 

the National Weather Service. That way, you will 

know how readings from your Home Weather 

Station barometer compare to measurements 

from barometers used by professional weather 

forecasters. 

Make the Rain Gauge

1. Rain gauges measure the amount of rainfall in 

cubic inches. So your first task is to make a scale 

for your container that shows how many cubic 

inches of water are in the container. One cubic 

inch of water is about 3 1/4 teaspoons, so you can 

draw the scale on your container by measuring 

3 1/4 teaspoons of water to your container, then 

drawing a short line at the level of the water. If you 

look closely, the top of the water will seem to be 

slightly curved and thickened. Draw your line so 

that it matches the bottom of the curved surface 

(which is called a meniscus). This line corresponds 

to a rainfall of one inch. 

2. Add another 3 1/4 teaspoons of water to the 

container and draw another line. The second line 

corresponds to a rainfall of two inches. 

3. Repeat Step 2 until you have at least five marks 

on the container. This will be enough for most rain 

events; but you may want to add another line or 

two, just in case!

4. Find a location for your 

rain gauge where there is 

nothing overhead (such 

as trees or a building 

roof) that could direct 

water into or away from 

your gauge. The edge 

of a fence away from 

buildings is often a good 

spot. Another possibility 

is to attach your rain 

gauge to a broomstick 

driven into the ground 

in an open area. Be sure 

to record rainfall soon 

after a rain event to avoid 

false readings caused by 

evaporation. 

Empty your gauge after 

each reading, and you are 

ready for the next event!

This activity is adapted from 

“Build Your Own Weather 

Station” by the Educational 

Technology Programs Team 

at the Franklin Institute, 

Philadelphia, PA (http://

www.fi.edu/weather/todo/

todo.html).

coat hanger or

vinyl-covered wire

glass or plastic

container

Figure 4. Rain Gauge
oceanservice.noaa.gov 22

Activity 6: I Didn’t Do It...Did I?

What You Will Do: Make Your Own Greenhouse Effect (adapted from Lambert, Cottongim, and Leard, 2009)

More than 90% of climate scientists agree that Earth’s average global temperature has increased since 1950, 

and the cause of this increase is human activities. These 

scientists also agree that most of the temperature increase is 

due to burning fossil fuels, which has increased the levels of 

greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide in Earth’s atmosphere.

Two things happen when sunlight reaches Earth: 

1. The land, ocean, and atmosphere absorb some of the 

sunlight’s energy; and

2. They return some of this energy back into space. 

Earth’s atmosphere is a mixture of many gases. The most 

abundant are nitrogen (about 78% of the total atmosphere) and 

oxygen (about 21% of the total atmosphere). Other gases are 

present in much smaller quantities, yet are still very important 

for life on Earth, because they trap some heat in the atmosphere 

and prevent it from escaping to outer space. Heat-trapping 

gases are called greenhouse gases, and include water vapor, 

carbon dioxide, and methane. If the amount of greenhouse 

gases in the atmosphere increases, then more heat is trapped 

and Earth becomes warmer (for a short animation about how 

this works see http://epa.gov/climatechange/kids/basics/index.

html). 

Since the Industrial Revolution, widespread burning of fossil 

fuels has increased the concentration of greenhouse gases, 

mostly carbon dioxide, in Earth’s atmosphere, and Earth’s 

average temperature has increased. Other human activities have 

also changed Earth’s atmosphere, as well as its land and ocean. 

Climate change caused by human activities is making it difficult 

for some species to survive. Scientists predict that there may 

also be positive benefits from climate change, such as longer 

growing seasons in some areas and less ice to interfere with 

ships passing through the Arctic Ocean. Overall, though, climate 

change is expected to produce more problems than benefits.

How It Works

Heat-trapping gases in Earth’s atmosphere are called 

“greenhouse gases” because they reduce the amount of heat 

that is lost to outer space, but this is not actually the way a 

greenhouse works. It is hot inside a greenhouse because the 

glass allows objects inside to absorb heat from sunlight and 

prevents wind from carrying heat away. Greenhouse gases trap 

heat in the atmosphere, but do not form an actual barrier like 

glass in a greenhouse. Ozone is also a greenhouse gas, but holes 

in the ozone layer have nothing to do with global warming.

How to Do It

1. Read through all of these steps before you start!

2. Ask your adult partner to use the scratch awl to punch a hole 

in the caps of the drinking water bottles. The holes in two of 

the caps should be just large enough to fit the thermometers, 

and the hole in the third cap should be just large enough to fit 

the plastic tubing. Ask your partner to also punch a hole in the 

side of one of the drinking water bottles about 25 mm (1 in) 

from the top. Label this bottle “CO2” with the felt tip marker.

3. Put the thermometers and plastic tubing into the caps, and 

make a tight seal using modeling clay. The thermometers 

should extend about 40 mm (1.5 in) below their caps, and 

the tubing should extend about 25 mm (1 in) below its cap 

(Figure 1A).

What You Will Need

Adult Partner

1 – Scratch awl or icepick

3 – Clear plastic drinking water bottles, 

about 500 ml (1 pt) capacity

1 – Vinyl tubing, about 3 mm (1/8 in) 

inside diameter, about 60 cm (2 

ft) long (tubing for aquarium air 

systems works well)

2 – Thermometers (such as Forestry 

Suppliers #89323; these 

thermometers have an aluminum 

case which makes them useful for 

field investigations as well as in 

your laboratory)

Modeling clay (the kind that doesn’t 

harden, not the kind you bake)

White vinegar, about 250 ml (1 c)

Baking soda, about 40 g (2 tablespoons)

Funnel

Safety glasses

Felt tip marker

Heat lamp (if you don’t have a sunny 

location)

Big Idea

Human activities are impacting the 

climate system. 

(Climate Science Principle 6)

Discover Your Changing World with NOAA
23

6. I Didn’t Do It...Did I?

Climate Science Principle 6. Human activities are impacting the climate system.

4. Poke the free end of the plastic tubing into the 

hole in the side of the drinking water bottle so 

about 25 mm of the tubing is inside the bottle. 

Make a tight seal using modeling clay (Figure 1B).

5. Put one of the caps with a thermometer onto 

one of the bottles that does not have the plastic 

tubing attached. Screw the cap on snugly. Label 

this bottle “Air” with the felt tip marker.

6. Put the other cap with a thermometer onto the 

“CO2” bottle. Screw the cap on enough to keep 

it attached to the bottle, but loose enough so 

that air can escape if you squeeze the bottle 

(Figure 1C).

7. Use the funnel to 

place about 40 g 

(2 tablespoons) of 

baking soda in the 

unlabeled water 

bottle.

8. Get ready, because 

now you have to 

work fast. Pour 

about 60 ml (2 oz) 

of vinegar into the 

bottle with the 

baking soda, and 

QUICKLY fasten the 

cap with the tubing 

to the bottle. The 

easiest way to do this 

is to have one person 

pour the vinegar while the other person holds the 

bottle in one hand and the cap in the other hand. 

As soon as the vinegar is in the bottle, bring the 

cap and bottle together and twist the BOTTLE to 

make the seal. The mixture in the bottle will foam 

up vigorously, then gradually calm down. The 

bubbles are carbon dioxide gas, which will flow 

through the plastic tubing to the bottle with the 

hole in the side (Figure 2).

Gently swirl the bottle to move the vinegar 

around, and you should be able to stir up some 

more bubbles. When no more bubbles appear, 

remove the bottle from the cap, pour another 60 

ml (2 oz) of vinegar into the bottle, and quickly 

replace the cap. Repeat this process until you have 

Figure 1A.

CO2

CO2

AIR

CO2

Baking Soda

Carbon Dioxide

Bubbles

Vinegar

Figure 1C.

Figure 2. Figure 1B.
oceanservice.noaa.gov 24

Temperature (°C)

Time (min): 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

Air

CO2

Table 1. Record Your Data

added about 250 ml (1 c) of vinegar to the 

bottle. You should notice that the baking soda 

is gradually disappearing.

9. Remove the plastic tubing from the side of 

the bottle with the hole, and quickly seal the 

hole with modeling clay. Tighten the cap on 

the bottle.

10. Place both bottles in the sun, or near 

a heat lamp. Immediately record the 

temperature of both thermometers in the left 

column (labeled “0”) of Table 1. Record the 

temperature every minute for 15 minutes. It 

doesn’t matter if the two thermometers have 

different readings at the beginning, because 

the important thing is how quickly and how 

much the temperature changes in each 

bottle.

11. When you have recorded data for 15 

minutes, construct a graph of these data. Your 

data should show that temperature increased 

in both bottles; but the temperature changed 

most quickly in the bottle with carbon dioxide, 

and the total temperature increase was greater in 

this bottle as well. Both bottles had a greenhouse 

effect, but adding carbon dioxide increased 

this effect; just as carbon dioxide added to the 

atmosphere by human activities has increased the 

greenhouse effect on Earth!

Note to Adult Partners

Lambert, Cottongim, and Leard (2009) describe an 

alternative method for this demonstration using 

dry ice to supply carbon dioxide. This may be 

somewhat quicker than the baking soda/vinegar 

method described here, but introduces additional 

hazards. If you want to use this method, be sure 

that your young partner understands the 

dangers of severe cold, and NEVER put 

dry ice and water into a sealed container. 

Closed plastic bottles containing dry ice 

and water can easily explode, creating 

dangerous shrapnel that can seriously 

injure anyone nearby.

Lambert, J., Cottongim, L, & Leard, C. (2009). 

Investigating the greenhouse effect Oceanography. 

Published activity. (http://www.oceanography.org/

hands-on/activities/lambert_hands-on.pdf) 

Dry Ice can be DANGEROUS!!!

Discover Your Changing World with NOAA

Graph 1. Graph Your Data

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

Temperature (°C)

Time (minutes)
25

6. I Didn’t Do It...Did I?

More About Carbon Dioxide

Here are two famous graphs. Graph 2 shows 

measurements of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere 

at the Mauna Loa Observatory that began in 1957. 

This graph shows annual variations in carbon 

dioxide concentration caused by changing growth 

rates of plants during the seasons of the Northern 

Hemisphere, and also shows a steady increase in 

atmospheric carbon dioxide that has continued 

every year since the measurements began. Graph 3 

shows atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations 

over the last 420,000 years based on studies of polar 

ice cores. During ice ages, carbon dioxide levels 

were around 200 ppm, and rose to about 280 ppm 

during the warmer periods between the ice ages. 

Since the Industrial Revolution, atmospheric carbon 

dioxide concentrations have risen to much higher 

levels. The evidence contained in these two graphs 

is why most climate scientists agree that human 

activities have increased the concentration of 

carbon dioxide in Earth’s atmosphere.

Is the greenhouse effect a bad thing? Definitely 

not, because life on Earth would not exist without 

it! But too much greenhouse effect can also cause 

problems. Venus has a thick atmosphere made 

of 96% carbon dioxide (compared to Earth’s 

atmosphere that contains less than 0.04% carbon 

dioxide). The greenhouse effect on Venus is much 

larger than on Earth, and Venus has a surface 

temperature of about 450°C! Mars, on the other 

hand has a very thin atmosphere, only 1/100th as 

dense as Earth’s. Most of Mars’ atmosphere is 

carbon dioxide (95%), but the greenhouse effect is 

insignificant because the atmosphere is so thin. As 

a result, the surface temperature of Mars is around 

-53°C. These facts are summarized by the “Goldilocks 

Principle”: Venus is too hot, Mars is too cold, and 

Earth is just right. 

Want To Do More?

Find out about Charles David Keeling, the science 

hero behind the atmospheric carbon dioxide 

measurements at Mauna Loa Observatory: http://

scrippsco2.ucsd.edu/index.php

Graph 2. Measurements of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere at the Mauna Loa 

Observatory since 1957.

http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/ccgg/trends/

Graph 3. Atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations over the last 420,000 years.

http://scrippsco2.ucsd.edu/program_history/keeling_curve_lessons_4.html

Climate Science Principle 6. Human activities are impacting the climate system.
oceanservice.noaa.gov 26

Activity 7: Why Should I Care?

What You Will Do: Show how increased carbon dioxide makes the ocean more acidic

I

ncreased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere 

is leading to many changes that have serious 

consequences for Earth’s ecosystems, including 

humans. Climate change is causing ice sheets 

and glaciers to melt, and sea level rises as the 

melt water flows into Earth’s ocean. Seawater 

is beginning to contaminate sources of fresh 

water. Rising sea level is submerging coastal 

marshes that help protect the shore from 

severe storms, and bringing structures on land 

closer to the edge of the ocean. These changes 

make it more likely that these structures will 

be damaged by coastal storms, which are 

expected to increase as additional heat in Earth’s 

atmosphere changes the patterns of winds and 

precipitation. Heat waves and droughts are 

also expected to increase, and bring additional 

threats to human lives.

Increased atmospheric carbon dioxide is also 

causing serious changes in the chemistry of Earth’s ocean. The 

ocean absorbs about a quarter of the carbon dioxide humans 

release into the atmosphere every year, and this additional 

carbon dioxide in seawater is causing Earth’s ocean to become 

more acidic. Scientists use a measurement called pH to describe 

how acidic or basic a solution is. A pH of 7 is considered neutral. 

Acidic solutions, such as vinegar or lemon juice, have a pH less 

than 7. The more acidic a solution is, the lower the pH number. 

Basic solutions, such as milk or baking soda dissolved in water, 

have a pH greater than 7.

In addition to other impacts of global climate 

change, ocean acidification poses potentially 

serious threats to the health of Earth’s ocean 

and its ecosystems. The impact on individual 

species is expected to vary. A more acidic 

environment has a dramatic effect on 

some species that build calcium carbonate 

(limestone) shells, such as oysters. When shelled 

organisms are at risk, the entire food web 

also is at risk. For example, pteropods are an 

important food source for salmon. According 

to some research reports, a 10 percent drop 

in pteropod production could result in a 20 

percent drop in the mature body weight 

of pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha). 

These impacts are happening right now, and 

are affecting marine food webs that provide 

important sources of food for humans as well as 

ocean species.

How It Works

Red cabbage contains chemicals that change color depending 

upon pH. These types of chemicals are called pH indicators. 

In basic solutions, these chemicals from red cabbage are light 

blue, but they change to pink-purple in acidic solutions. At the 

beginning of your demonstration, you will put a very small 

amount of baking soda into the container of tap water to be sure 

that it is slightly basic (seawater is normally slightly basic, with 

a pH of about 8.2). So, when you add the red cabbage indicator 

solution to the container of tap water, the indicator will have a 

light blue color.

What You Will Need

Adult partner

5 – Clear glass jars or plastic cups, 

about 250 ml (8 oz) capacity

1 – Graduated cylinder or measuring 

cup, about 250 ml (8 oz) capacity

1 – Measuring spoon, about 1 ml (1/4 

tsp) capacity

1 – Measuring spoon, about 5 ml (1 

tsp) capacity

1 – Small pot, about 1 liter (1 qt) 

capacity

1 – Funnel, about 7 cm (3 in) diameter

Safety glasses

Cheesecloth, about 30 cm (12 in) 

square

500 ml (2 c) finely chopped red 

cabbage

Drinking straw

Boiling water, about 500 ml (2 c)

Baking soda

White vinegar

Limacina helicina, a free-swimming planktonic snail. 

These snails, known as pteropods, form a calcium 

carbonate shell and are an important food source in 

many marine food webs. As levels of dissolved CO2 in sea 

water rise, skeletal growth rates of pteropods and other 

calcium-secreting organisms will be reduced due to the 

effects of dissolved CO2 on ocean acidity. Image credit: 

Russ Hopcroft, UAF/NOAA.

Big Idea

Climate change will have 

consequences for the Earth system 

and human lives. 

(Climate Science Principle 7)

Discover Your Changing World with NOAA
27

7. Why Should I Care?

Climate Science Principle 7. Climate change will have consequences for the Earth system and human lives.

When you exhale, the air from your lungs contains 

more carbon dioxide than the air in the atmosphere. 

Blowing through a straw into the container of tap 

water bubbles carbon dioxide through the liquid. 

Some of this carbon dioxide dissolves to form a 

weak acid (carbonic acid). When this happens, the 

red cabbage indicator changes to a pink-purple 

color, showing that the pH has changed and the 

liquid has become more acidic.

How to Do It

1. Put the chopped red cabbage into a small pot, 

and pour in about 500 ml (2 c) boiling water to 

cover the cabbage. Let the mixture rest for about 

30 minutes.

2. Fold the cheesecloth so that it is at least four 

layers thick, but still covers the opening of the 

funnel. Strain the cabbage mixture through the 

cheesecloth into one of the glass jars or plastic 

cups. You will have some liquid left over in the pot. 

Save this in case you need it later.

3. Pour about 50 ml (1/4 c) of tap water into another 

glass jar or plastic cup. Add 5 ml (1 tsp) of the red 

cabbage indicator solution to the jar. The solution 

should have a pale blue color. The pH of tap water 

varies from place to place, so if the solution is 

not pale blue, add a pinch of baking soda, and 

gently swirl the container so that the baking soda 

dissolves. Repeat if necessary until the solution 

has a pale blue color.

4. Pour about 50 ml (1/4 c) of tap water into another 

glass jar or plastic cup. Add 5 ml (1 tsp) of the red 

cabbage solution to the jar, then add 5 ml (1 tsp) 

of white vinegar. The solution should have a pinkpurple color.

5. Put about 1 ml (1/4 tsp) of baking soda into 

another glass jar or plastic cup, fill the container 

with tap water, and gently swirl the container so 

that the baking soda dissolves.

6. Pour about 50 ml (1/4 c) of tap water into the 

last glass jar or plastic cup. Add 1 ml (1/4 tsp) of 

the baking soda solution from Step 5 solution to 

the jar, then add 5 ml (1 tsp) of the red cabbage 

solution to the jar. The solution should have a pale 

blue color.

7. Put on a pair of safety glasses. Blow gently 

through the straw into the solution prepared in 

Step 6. Keep blowing for several minutes, until the 

color of the solution changes from pale blue to 

pink-purple. You have just shown how dissolved 

carbon dioxide can make a solution more acidic! 

This is what is happening to Earth’s ocean because 

of carbon dioxide that has been added to Earth’s 

atmosphere by human activities.

Want To Do More?

This Web page has more information about ocean 

acidification: http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/co2/story/

What+is+Ocean+Acidification%3F. Images on this page 

show what happens to a pteropod (pronounced 

“TARE-oh-pod”) shell when it is exposed to seawater 

with a pH that is lower than normal. After 45 days, 

the shell slowly dissolves. Earth’s ocean is not this 

acidic yet, but is predicted become this acidic by the 

year 2100 if humans continue the present pattern of 

adding carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.

For more information about ocean acidification, 

check out these slide shows and videos:

http://coralreef.noaa.gov/education/oa/presentationvideos.html

Left: Red cabbage solution; 

Right: Blue cabbage solution
oceanservice.noaa.gov 28

Climate Science Literacy means understanding 

how you affect climate and 

how climate affects you and 

the society in which you live.

Why is Climate Science 

Literacy important? Because 

in the last 100 years, Earth’s 

average global temperature 

increased more rapidly 

than at any other time in 

the last 10,000 years. In 

the 21st century, climate 

scientists expect temperature 

will continue to increase, 

probably even more than 

it did during the 20th 

century. Increasing global 

temperature is causing 

sea level to rise, and heat 

waves, droughts, and floods 

to become more frequent 

and intense. These changes 

will affect almost every aspect of human society, including 

economic prosperity, human and environmental health, and 

national security.

Scientific evidence indicates that human activities are the 

primary cause of the ongoing global temperature increase. 

Climate Science Literacy makes it possible for humans to take 

actions that can reduce climate change and its impacts.

A climate-literate person:

• Understands the essential principles of Earth’s climate system;

• Knows how to assess scientifically credible information about 

climate;

• Communicates about climate and climate change in a 

meaningful way; and

• Is able to make informed and responsible decisions with regard 

to actions that may affect climate.

Activity 8: Are You Climate Literate?

What You Will Do: Play the Essential Principles Challenge

Home screen from PrinciplesChallenge.pptx file.

What You Will Need

Copies of Essential Principles Challenge 

Cards (pages 33 and 34)

Glue (spray glue or rubber cement is 

best)

Scissors

(Optional) desk bells or buzzer (see 

Step 6)

(Optional) Copy of the Essential 

Principles Challenge PowerPoint® 

file (PrinciplesChallenge.

ppt) downloaded from 

[oceanservice.noaa.gov/

education/discoverclimate/

areyouclimateliterate.ppt]

(Optional ) Computer with Microsoft 

PowerPoint® installed

(Optional) One or more partners to play 

the game

Big Idea

A climate-literate person 

understands the essential principles 

of Earth’s climate system. 

Discover Your Changing World with NOAA
29 Steps to Climate Literacy: A climate-literate person understands the essential principles of Earth’s climate system.

8. Are You Climate Literate?

How It Works

The Essential Principles Challenge is a game based 

on “Climate Literacy—The Essential Principles of 

Climate Sciences,” which can be downloaded from 

http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/literacy.html. 

The game can be played with the cards included in 

this activity, or as a PowerPoint®-based game that 

is somewhat similar to the television game show 

“Jeopardy.” If you are familiar with the PowerPoint® 

program, you can change the question and answer 

slides to make your own version of the game.

Some of the answers to Challenge questions can be 

found in this activity book, and all of them can be 

found in “Climate Literacy – The Essential Principles 

of Climate Sciences.” Each of the answer cards and 

slides includes Web addresses where additional 

information can be found.

How to Do It

To play the Essential Principles Challenge with the 

cards included in this activity:

1. Glue the first two pages of the Essential Principles 

Challenge Cards back-to-back so that the 10 point 

“Climate System” question card is exactly behind 

the 10 point “Climate System” Answer card. Cut 

the cards apart along the dotted lines.

2. Glue the remaining two pages of the Essential 

Principles Challenge Cards back-to-back so that 

the 10 point “Effects of Climate Change” question 

card is exactly behind the 10 point “Effects of 
oceanservice.noaa.gov 30

Discover Your Changing World with NOAA

Climate Change” Answer card. Cut the cards apart 

along the dotted lines.

3. Arrange the cards so that the question sides are 

all facing up. Shuffle the cards.

4. If you are playing alone, read the question printed 

on each card, and decide on your answer. Look at 

the Answer side of the card to find out whether 

you are correct. Each correct answer is worth the 

number of points indicated on the card. Write 

down the number of points you earn for each 

card, and add these numbers when you have 

looked at all of the cards. Repeat this step to see if 

you can improve your score.

5. If you are playing with one or two partners, 

take turns drawing the top card and stating the 

answer. Use the Answer side of the card to decide 

whether a player’s statements are correct, and 

how many points the player receives. When all of 

the cards have been read, add the points earned 

by each player to decide a winner.

6. You can also use these cards for a College Bowl 

type of competition between several players or 

several teams of players. For this version of the 

game, one person is the Host, and each player or 

team has a desk bell or buzzer. To begin the game, 

the Host reads a Question card and the first player 

or team to hit their bell or buzzer gets a chance 

to state the answer. If the answer is correct, the 

player or teams receives the number of points 

shown on the card. If the answer is not correct, the 

team that was second to hit their bell or buzzer 

gets a chance to answer. If no one provides a 

correct answer, no points are awarded and 

the host moves on to the next card. This process 

continues until all of the cards have been used. 

The player or team with the greatest number of 

points is the winner!

To play the Essential Principles Challenge as a 

PowerPoint®-based game:

1. Open the PrinciplesChallenge.ppt file in Microsoft 

PowerPoint®, and select “View Slide Show” from 

the “Slide Show” drop-down menu.

2. You will see the Home screen, which has three 

columns labeled “Climate System,” “Causes of 

Change,” and “Effects of Change.” In each column 

there are eight boxes labeled with a certain 

number of points. When you click on one of these 

labels, a new screen will appear with a question, 

a box labeled “ANSWER” in the lower right corner, 

and another box with a rewind icon in the lower 

left corner. If you click on the ‘ANSWER” button 

a new screen will appear with the answer to the 

question. Clicking on the rewind icon will return 

to the Home screen. The ANSWER screens also 

have a rewind icon.

3. Before beginning a game, players should choose 

one of the following rules for when the game will 

end:

a. When all of the questions have been answered; 

OR

b. When each player has answered a certain 

number of questions from each column: OR

c. When a certain amount of time has passed 

since the game started.

4. To play the game, players take turns choosing a 

question from one of the three columns on the 

Home screen. One player serves as scorekeeper, 

and records the number of points each player 

receives for a correct answer. The object of the 

game is to accumulate the greatest number of 

points. When the game ends according to the rule 

agreed upon in Step 3, the scorekeeper adds up 

the points earned by each player to decide the 

winner.

Note: Mention of commercial products 

or trade names does not imply 

endorsement by NOAA.

A CLIMATE-ORIENTED APPROACH 

FOR LEARNERS OF ALL AGES

Climate Literacy

The Essential Principles 

of Climate Sciences

A Guide for Individuals and Communities

Second Version: March 2009

www.climatescience.gov
31

8. Are You Climate Literate?

Steps to Climate Literacy: A climate-literate person understands the essential principles of Earth’s climate system. True or False: The greenhouse effect is an abnormal condition caused

by human activity.

Climate System Climate System Climate System

Climate System Climate System Climate SystemClimate System Climate System Climate SystemClimate System Causes of Climate Change Causes of Climate Change

Causes of

Climate Change

Causes of

Climate Change

Causes of

Climate Change

The primary source of energy

for Earth’s climate system

is _____

Sunlight that reaches Earth

may be reflected by

When Earth emits the same

amount of energy as it

absorbs, what happens

to Earth’s average temperature?

When Earth emits the same

amount of energy as it

absorbs, Earth’s energy

budget is ______

10 20 30

50 40 60

70 80 90

100 10 20

30 40 50

The annual cycle of seasons

on Earth is the result of _____

How much of Earth’s surface

is covered by its ocean?

The minute-by-minute

variable condition of the

atmosphere on a local

scale is called ___

What results from interactions

that involve the Sun and

Earth’s ocean, atmosphere,

clouds, ice, land, and life?

Earth’s systems are connected,

and a change in one system

can influence the entire system.

What do we call interactions that

amplify the effects of change?

A significant increase or decrease

in the Sun’s energy output will

cause Earth to warm or cool.

What do satellite measurements

over the past 30 years show

about the Sun’s energy output?

What determines the amount

of solar energy absorbed

or radiated by Earth?

Which is NOT a greenhouse gas:

Water vapor

Carbon dioxide

Methane, or Oxygen

Do small increases in

carbon dioxide concentration

in Earth’s atmosphere make

much difference to the

climate system?

How do deforestation and

burning fossil fuels affect the

amount of carbon in the

atmosphere?
oceanservice.noaa.gov 32

Discover Your Changing World with NOAA Effects of Climate Change Effects of Climate Change Effects of Climate Change

Causes of

Climate Change

Causes of

Climate Change

Causes of

Climate Change

Causes of

Climate Change

Causes of

Climate Change

What happens to organisms

that are exposed to climate

conditions outside their

normal range?

What does evidence from

tree rings and scientific

observations suggest about

Earth’s present average

temperature?

How is increasing atmospheric

carbon dioxide affecting

Earth’s ocean?

Effects of

Climate Change

Effects of

Climate Change

Effects of

Climate Change

Widespread burning of fossil

fuels has increased the

concentration of ______

in the atmosphere.

Do scientists and economists

predict that there will be

positive changes from global

climate change?

Effects of

Climate Change

Effects of

Climate Change

Effects of

Climate Change

How does global climate

change affect fresh water

resources?

Effects of

Climate Change

How may climate change

affect human communities?

What changes in Earth’s

ocean may be caused

by melting ice sheets

and glaciers?

How is weather predicted to

change as a result of

global climate change?

How do airborne particulates

(aerosols) affect Earth’s

energy balance?

Over the last one million years,

what caused the cycles of

ice ages and warmer

periods between them?

What natural processes reduce

the amount of carbon in

Earth’s atmosphere?

How can life affect

Earth’s climate?

How long may greenhouse

gases remain in Earth’s

atmosphere?

10 20 30

50 40 60

70 80 90

100 60 70

80 90 100

The overwhelming consensus

of scientific studies on climate

indicates that most of the

observed increase in global

average temperatures in the

last 30 years is due to ___
33

8. Are You Climate Literate?

Steps to Climate Literacy: A climate-literate person understands the essential principles of Earth’s climate system.

Oxygen

http://www.epa.gov/

climatechange/students/basics/

today/greenhouse-gases.html

Deforestation and burning

fossil fuels increase the

abundance of carbon in

the atmosphere

http://climate.nasa.gov/causes/

Yes; small increases in

carbon dioxide concentration

have a large effect on the

climate system

education.usgs.gov/

lessons/gases.pdf

The composition of Earth’s

atmosphere

http://pa.gov/

climatechange/students/basics/

today/greenhouse-effect.html

Changes in the Sun’s energy

output are too small to cause

recent warming on Earth

http://www.epa.gov/

climatechange/students/

scientists/ruled-out.html#one

Positive feedback loops

http://www.epa.gov/

climatechange/students/

basics/today/

greenhouse-gases.html

False

The greenhouse effect is a natural

phenomenon that keeps Earth’s

surface at a temperature

favorable to living organisms.

http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/

students/basics/today/

greenhouse-effect.html

Weather

http://www.epa.gov/

climatechange/students/

basics/concepts.html

Climate System Climate System Climate System

Climate System Climate System Climate SystemClimate System Climate System Climate System

Climate System Causes of Climate Change Causes of Climate Change

Causes of

Climate Change

Causes of

Climate Change

Causes of

Climate Change

The average temperature

remains stable (stays the same)

http://earthguide.ucsd.edu/

earthguide/diagrams/

energybalance/

Earth’s surface, clouds, and ice

http://www.ipcc.ch/

publications_and_data/

ar4/wg1/en/faq-1-1.html

The Sun

http://climate.nasa.gov/causes/

70%

http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/

education/pd/

oceans_weather_climate/

welcome.html

answer - 20 answer - 10 answer - 30

answer - 50 answer - 40 answer - 60

answer - 80 answer - 70

answer - 100

answer - 90

answer - 20

answer - 40 answer - 30 answer - 50

The tilt of Earth’s axis

http://www.crh.noaa.gov/

answer - 10

fsd/?n=season

In balance

http://earthguide.ucsd.edu/

earthguide/diagrams/

energybalance/

Earth’s climate

http://www.epa.gov/

climatechange/students/

basics/concepts.html
oceanservice.noaa.gov 34

Discover Your Changing World with NOAA Effects of Climate Change Effects of Climate Change Effects of Climate Change

Causes of

Climate Change

Causes of

Climate Change

Causes of

Climate Change

Causes of

Climate Change

Causes of

Climate Change

Increased dissolved carbon

dioxide is causing the ocean to

become more acidic.

http://www.epa.gov/

climatechange/students/

impacts/signs/acidity.html

Earth’s average temperature is

warmer than it has been for

at least the past 1,300 years

http://www.epa.gov/

climatechange/students/

impacts/signs/temperature.html

The organisms will adapt,

migrate, or die

http://www.epa.gov/

climatechange/students/

impacts/effects/ecosystems.html

Effects of

Climate Change

Effects of

Climate Change

Effects of

Climate Change

Both positive and negative

changes are predicted, but

negative impacts are likely to be

greater than positive impacts.

http://www.epa.gov/

climatechange/students/

impacts/effects/index.html

Greenhouse gases

http://www.epa.gov/

climatechange/students/

basics/today/index.html

Human activities, primarily

burning fossil fuels

http://www.epa.gov/

climatechange/students/

basics/index.html

Effects of

Climate Change

Effects of

Climate Change

Effects of

Climate Change

Strong storms, heat waves, and 

changes in precipitation

patterns are predicted to

increase in many locations

http://www.epa.gov/

climatechange/students/

impacts/signs/index.html

Effects of

Climate Change

Human communities may face

increased risks from violent

weather, changes in food & water

supplies,and infectious diseases

http://www.epa.gov/

climatechange/students/

impacts/effects/index.html

Sea level will rise, and

changing temperatures may

affect large current systems

in Earth’s ocean

http://www.epa.gov/

climatechange/students/

impacts/signs/glaciers.html

Changing precipitation patterns

and temperatures will reduce

access to fresh water for many

people. Winter snow and glaciers

that provide water are declining.

http://www.epa.gov/

climatechange/students/

impacts/effects/water.html

Airborne particulates cause

cooling by reflecting sunlight,

and also cause warming by

absorbing and releasing heat

energy in the atmosphere

http://epa.gov/climatechange/

science/causes.html

Ice ages are caused by

gradual changes in Earth’s

rotation and orbit around the Sun

http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/

education/pd/climate/

factsheets/whatcause.pdf

Greenhouse gases may remain in

Earth’s atmosphere for

hundreds of years.

http://epa.gov/climatechange/

science/future.html

By changing the chemical

makeup of the atmosphere

www.nsf.gov/news/

nsf09202/nsf09202_life.pdf

Accumulation of marine

sediments and accumulation

of plant biomass

http://www.epa.gov/

climatechange/students/basics/

today/carbon-dioxide.html

answer - 20 answer - 10 answer - 30

answer - 50 answer - 40 answer - 60

answer - 80

answer - 60

answer - 70

answer - 80

answer - 70 answer - 100

answer - 100

answer - 90

answer - 90
35 oceanservice.noaa.gov

Discover Your Changing World with NOAA

During the last 100 years, Earth’s average surface temperature has increased more rapidly than at any other time in the 

last 10,000 years. Global average temperature is expected to 

continue to increase over the 21st century, probably more 

than it did during the 20th century. Human activities are 

the primary cause of most of the ongoing increase in Earth’s 

average surface temperature. Specifically, human activities that 

increase greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are causing rapid 

changes to Earth’s climate. Heat waves, droughts, and floods 

are becoming more intense and happen more often. Global sea 

level is rising as a result of warmer temperatures. These changes 

will affect global economies, human and environmental health, 

and national security.

Humans are at least partially responsible for the global climate 

change that is happening now (http://www.ipcc.ch/publications_

and_data/ar4/syr/en/spm.html), but humans also are able to 

take actions to reduce climate change and its impacts. Reducing 

greenhouse gas emissions is the key. Burning fossil fuels for 

energy is a major source of increased greenhouse gases in 

the atmosphere. Since everyone uses energy, everyone can 

be part of the solution. Most people use electricity almost 

constantly (even when they are asleep!) for heating, cooling, 

transportation, cooking, working, entertainment, and many 

other activities. Practically everything we touch required energy 

for manufacturing and distribution. Most of the energy for all 

these things comes from burning fossil fuels.

Unfortunately, many people are not climate literate, do not 

understand how human activities have caused climate change, 

and do not know what they can do to reduce climate change 

and its impacts. This is why communication is an essential part 

of climate literacy. 

How It Works

At this point, you know a lot about Earth’s climate, how it is 

changing, and how human activities are involved with these 

changes. In fact, you probably know a lot more about these 

subjects than many people! A very important part of Climate 

Literacy is communicating accurate information so more people 

will understand what is happening and how they can personally 

respond to Earth’s changing climate.

Big Idea

A climate-literate person communicates about climate and climate 

change in a meaningful way.

What You Will Need

Depends upon how you decide to 

communicate your message.

Activity 9: Communicate!

What You Will Do: Create a unique message about climate change

 Signs of Climate Change Source: http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/kids/impacts/signs/index.html
oceanservice.noaa.gov 36

Discover Your Changing World with NOAA

Believe it or not, students who communicate about 

serious subjects often receive more attention 

than adults. One reason for this is that students 

think of creative ways to communicate. In school, 

written papers, oral reports, and posters are 

common methods for communication. All of 

these communication techniques are also used 

by professional scientists to share their ideas and 

information, because communication is an essential 

part of science. There are many other ways to 

communicate, and unusual methods can help get 

people’s attention and lead them to think about 

the information in the message. This Web page 

describes several different kinds of communication 

projects: http://games.noaa.gov/seaturtle/

digitalprojects.html. Table 1 lists some additional 

ideas.

These ideas are only a starting point; you can 

probably think of even better ways to communicate 

information about Climate Literacy to your own 

audiences!

How to Do It

1. Choose your message. Select one or two ideas 

about Earth’s climate from the other activities in 

this book. Be sure to include a few things that 

people can do personally about climate change. 

For some ideas, check out the Student’s Guide 

to Global Climate Change (http://www.epa.gov/

climatechange/students/solutions/index.html).

2. Choose your audience. Ask yourself, “Who is 

supposed to receive this message?” It may seem 

that the answer should be “Everybody,” but the 

problem with that answer is that different people 

communicate in different ways. Focusing your 

message toward a particular audience makes it 

more likely that your message will be understood.

3. Choose your communication technique. This is 

where you can be really creative! Think about 

things that are likely to attract the attention of 

the audience you identified in Step 2. Then think 

about unusual ways to present those things, 

because humans are much more likely to notice 

unusual events and objects than things that are 

familiar. Sometimes “unusual” just means that 

familiar things appear in unusual places. Look 

over the list of Communication Ideas, think about 

whether these give you some ideas of your own, 

then select the technique that you think is most 

likely to get the attention of your audience. 

Remember to consider your personal talents and 

interests as well. Perhaps you can sing, act, dance, 

play a musical instrument, paint, sculpt, enjoy 

making things, or have other skills. Think about 

ways to use these to help deliver your message. 

Your interest and enthusiasm are powerful tools 

for communication, because they are likely 

to attract the attention and interest of your 

audience.

4. Plan a strategy to deliver your message, including 

a brief statement of what your message is, 

who your audience is expected to be, which 

communication techniques you will use, when 

you will present your message, and who will be 

involved with the presentation.

Effects of Climate Change Source: http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/kids/impacts/effects/index.html
37

9. Communicate!

Steps to Climate Literacy: A climate-literate person communicates about climate and climate change in a meaningful way.

Table 1: Some Communication Ideas

Banners

Blogs

Cartoons

Cell ringtones

Computer screen savers

Dance

Ebooks

Electronic newsletter

Games and Competitions

Letters

Musical performances

Newspapers

Photography

Postcards

Radio (see http://www.hobbybroadcaster.net/ for 

more information)

Simple robots (see http://www.instructables.com/

id/Robots/ for ideas)

Scientific posters (see http://colinpurrington.com/

tips/academic/posterdesign; http://www.ncsu.

edu/project/posters/NewSite/)

Stories

Theatre (plays, industrial theatre, ambush 

theatre, street theatre)

Videos

Wall Magazines (periodical publications that 

appear in public places such as bulletin boards 

or notice boards)

Water bottles

Wearable items (T-shirts, caps, badges, 

wristbands, pins, jewelry)

Websites

 Solutions: Alternative Technologies Source: http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/kids/solutions/technologies/index.html

 My Communication Ideas:
oceanservice.noaa.gov 38

Discover Your Changing World with NOAA

The element carbon is one of the most basic building blocks 

of life on earth. It is found almost 

everywhere—in plants, animals, 

pencils, diamonds, soil, and even soda 

pop. Carbon is able to easily bind with 

other atoms to form different chemical 

compounds; this is why carbon exists 

in so many forms. Carbon can dissolve 

in water, form chains of atoms to 

create sugars, and form solid materials 

like coal and limestone. Carbon in 

living things can be released through 

respiration, consumed as food, or 

transformed into fossil fuels over 

millions of years. In the atmosphere, 

carbon exists mainly as carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is called 

a greenhouse gas because it can trap some of the sun’s heat in 

the atmosphere. Without carbon dioxide’s natural ability to trap 

heat in the atmosphere, life as we know it could not exist. 

Carbon on Earth is found in the atmosphere, soil and rocks (the 

lithosphere), water (the hydrosphere), and in living organisms 

(the biosphere). The activities of living organisms, volcanoes, 

weather, and many other processes can cause carbon atoms to 

move from one place to another. This pattern of movement is 

called the carbon cycle.

Burning fossil fuels breaks the bonds that hold carbon atoms 

together inside those fuels, and carbon is released into the 

atmosphere. Scientists have found that the concentration of 

carbon dioxide in Earth’s atmosphere has increased nearly 

35% since the beginning of the 

industrial revolution. Methane, another 

compound that contains carbon, has 

increased by 150%. Earth’s average 

global temperature has also increased 

by more than one degree Fahrenheit 

over this time period. This sounds like 

a small increase, but it is enough to 

cause major changes to earth’s climate 

and ecosystems. Most climate scientists 

agree that earth’s rising temperature 

is largely due to the increase in carbon 

dioxide and other greenhouse gases in 

the atmosphere resulting from burning 

fossil fuels. 

How It Works

This activity is a way to compare the carbon cycle before the 

industrial revolution with the carbon cycle after humans began 

burning large quantities of fossil fuels. This is a great way to 

communicate important ideas about climate science and the 

carbon cycle.

How to Do It

1. Read through all of these steps before you start! Make a copy 

of the Record on page 48 for each Player. Photocopy pages 

43 - 47 onto card stock for the cubes. Make the Game Cubes 

by cutting two pieces for each Cube from the photocopies 

of pages 43 – 47. Fold and assemble the pieces to form the 

Cubes as shown in Figure 1. Tape all of the edges where part A 

joins part B.

Big Idea

Human activities have changed the 

way that carbon is distributed in 

Earth’s atmosphere, lithosphere, 

hydrosphere, and biosphere.

What You Will Need

A large room or outdoor area where you 

can play the game

1 – Adult Partner

Several partners to play the game

Pony beads, regular (8/0) size, in blue, 

green, clear, and black colors; at 

least six of each color for each Player 

in the gam (search the Internet for 

“pony bead;” also available in some 

craft stores)

Signs for four game stations: 

Lithosphere, Atmosphere, 

Hydrosphere, and Biosphere

Four plastic bowls to hold the Pony 

beads for each station

White chenille craft sticks (pipe 

cleaners), about 12 inches long; two 

for each Player

Five paper Game Cubes made from 

patterns at the end of this Activity

Clear plastic tape

Scissors

Copies of “Incredible Carbon Journey 

Game Record,” one for each Player

Activity 10: The Incredible Carbon Journey

What You Will Do: Play the Carbon Journey Game

(Adapted from an activity by members of the Kentucky Association for Environmental Education [kaee.org])
39

A

B

A

B

A

B

Fold along

RED lines

Join A & B

Pieces and

Tape Edges

Human activities have changed the way that carbon is distributed in Earth’s atmosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere.

10. The Incredible Carbon Journey

2. Each Player will begin at one station as chosen 

by the Player or Game Leader. There can be 

more than one Player at each station. The Game 

Leader places one of the cubes and one of the 

plastic containers at each station, then puts the 

green beads in the container at the Biosphere 

station, the blue beads in the container at the 

Hydrosphere station, the clear beads in the 

container at the Atmosphere station, and the 

black beads in the container at the Lithosphere 

station.

3. The Game Leader gives one pipe cleaner and 

one Game Record to each Player. Have the Player 

twist a knot or small loop onto one end of the 

pipe cleaner, and write the name of their starting 

station on the Game Record.

4. The Game Leader tells the Players they will 

represent carbon atoms in the carbon cycle. They 

will travel around the Earth following the journey 

of a carbon atom in the pre-industrial world – 

before we began burning lots of fossil fuels.

5. When the Game Leader says, “Go!” each Player 

places one bead from their station on the pipe 

cleaner.

6. Each Player rolls the cube at their station to find 

out where to go next. The Player then moves to 

the station shown on the cube, and records the 

name of the new station on the Game Record. If 

the cube says, “STAY”, the Player goes to the back 

of the line for that station and waits to roll the 

cube again. While they are waiting to roll the cube, 

they should take another bead from the station 

and put it on their pipe cleaner.

7. Each time the Player moves to another station, 

they do the same thing: Take a bead, roll the cube, 

and move to the next station (or go to the end of 

the line and repeat), and record the name of the 

next station on the Game Record.

8. Players move from station to station for at least 

10 minutes or long enough for Players to begin 

stacking up in the lithosphere line. This may take 

up to 15 minutes.

Figure 1. Make the Game Cubes

Fold along solid red lines, then bring the two pieces together 

as shown. Tape all edges where part A joins part B.
oceanservice.noaa.gov 40

Discover Your Changing World with NOAA

9. When most Players have visited the lithosphere 

several times, the Game Leader says, “Stop.” 

Wherever Players are in line, they should take a 

bead from that line without rolling the cube and 

then sit down. This is the end of round one.

10. Ask the Players what color beads they have on 

their pipe cleaner and what happened to them 

during their trip. Did they see any patterns? For 

instance did they stay at any place more than 

once? Did anyone go back and forth between 

two stations (for example, biosphere and 

atmosphere)? What may explain this? Instruct 

Players to make a bracelet out of their pipe 

cleaner by twisting the end through the loop on 

the other end.

Game Leader Tip:

After round one, many Players will have a high 

portion of black beads on their pipe cleaners. 

This represents coal, natural gas, oil—all carbon 

molecules in the lithosphere. Deposits of carbon 

have accumulated over time from the remains of 

plants and animals. Over millions of years, these 

deposits have become transformed into fossil 

fuels.

11. The Game Leader exchanges the Pre-industrial 

Lithosphere (L1) cube for the Post-Industrial 

Lithosphere cube (L2).

12. The Game Leader gives each Player a new pipe 

cleaner, and says that they are moving into the 

Industrial Age. This is the beginning of Round 

2. Players should twist a loop into the end of the 

pipe cleaner before proceeding.

13. Have Players pick a station at which to begin 

their journey.

14. Again, Players pick up a bead from their station 

and roll the cube. They will move from station 

to station again for at least 10 minutes or long 

enough for Players to begin stacking up in the 

atmosphere line. This may take up to 15 minutes. 

Each time the Players change stations, they should 

record the name of the station on the Game 

Record.

15. When most Players have visited the atmosphere 

several times, stop round 2. Wherever Players are 

in line, they should take a bead from that line 

without rolling the cube and then sit down. 

Ask the Players what kinds of beads they have on 

their pipe cleaner and what happened to them 

in their trip/journey. How did this second round 

compare with their first journey through the 

carbon cycle? Did anyone find himself or herself 

“stuck” in one place? What may explain this?

Game Leader Tip:

Although the amount of carbon in the atmosphere 

has increased significantly over the last 150 years, it’s 

important to emphasize that the amount of carbon 

on the earth has not changed. Carbon has simply 

moved from one place to another.

Although you cannot predict exactly what 

combinations of beads the Players will put on their 

pipe cleaners, you can be fairly certain that after the 

second round, more of the beads will be from the 

atmosphere. This represents the build-up of carbon 

dioxide in the atmosphere that is a direct result of 

the burning of fossil fuels.

If lines at a station get really long, this activity works 

best if Players take their beads before they arrive at 

the cube. If you have volunteers, station them along 

the longest lines of Players and have them distribute 

the beads while the Players wait their turn to roll the 

cube. It may also help to have two cubes for each 

station to minimize the wait time.

Want To Do More?

Players may create a storyboard, poster, or cartoon 

about their journeys through the carbon cycle.

Players may research and record the processes 

involved in getting them from one place to the next 

in the carbon cycle. Did they notice any patterns 

in the beads on the pipe cleaners? For example, 

an alternating green-clear bead pattern could 

represent the cycling of carbon between plants and 

the atmosphere.

Players may graph the numbers of visits for each 

of the four spheres in the pre-industrial and postindustrial cycles, and create a master graph that 

incorporates the data from everyone’s journeys in 

the pre-industrial and postindustrial cycles.

For an animated description of the carbon cycle, go 

to http://epa.gov/climatechange/kids/basics/today/

carbon-dioxide.html.

For more information, contact Roberta 

M. Burnes (Roberta.Burnes@ky.gov), 

Environmental Education Specialist, Kentucky 

Division for Air Quality, Frankfort, KY
41 Human activities have changed the way that carbon is distributed in Earth’s atmosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere.

10. The Incredible Carbon Journey

Carbon remains

in oceans and

other bodies of

water.

Carbon remains

in oceans and

other bodies of

water.

Carbon remains

in oceans and

other bodies of

water.

Carbon remains

in oceans and

other bodies of

water.

STAY STAY

STAY STAY

Carbon is absorbed

by oceans and other bodies of

water.

Carbon is absorbed

by oceans and other bodies of

water.

Carbon remains in

the atmosphere.

Carbon remains in

the atmosphere.

STAY STAY

Carbon remains in

the atmosphere.

Carbon remains in

the atmosphere.

Go to

Hydrosphere

Go to

Hydrosphere

Carbon is absorbed

by oceans and

other bodies of

water.

Carbon is absorbed

by oceans and

other bodies of

water.

Go to

Hydrosphere

Go to

Hydrosphere

Carbon is

absorbed by plants during photosynthesis

Go to

Biosphere

Go to

Biosphere

Go to

Biosphere

Go to

Biosphere

Carbon is

absorbed by

plants during

photosynthesis

Atmosphere Atmosphere Atmosphere

Atmosphere

AtmosphereAtmosphere

Cut along dotted lines

Atmosphere cube 
oceanservice.noaa.gov 42

Discover Your Changing World with NOAA

Go to

Lithosphere

Go to

Lithosphere

Carbon enters the

soil when plants and animals die.

Carbon enters the

soil when plants and animals die.

Biosphere Biosphere

Go to

Lithosphere

Go to

Lithosphere

Carbon enters the

soil when plants and animals die.

Carbon enters the

soil when plants and animals die. Biosphere Biosphere

Go to

Atmosphere

Go to

Atmosphere Fire releases carbon dioxide Fire releases carbon dioxide

Fire releases

carbon dioxide

Fire releases

carbon dioxide Go to Atmosphere Go to Atmosphere

Fire releases

carbon dioxide

Fire releases

carbon dioxide

Go to

Atmosphere

Go to

Atmosphere

Biosphere Biosphere Biosphere Biosphere Biosphere Biosphere Carbon is used by plants and animals and remains in the cells. STAY STAY Biosphere Biosphere

Cut along dotted lines

Biosphere cube 
43 Human activities have changed the way that carbon is distributed in Earth’s atmosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere.

10. The Incredible Carbon Journey

Carbon remains

in oceans and

other bodies of

water.

Carbon remains

in oceans and

other bodies of

water.

Carbon remains

in oceans and

other bodies of

water.

Carbon remains

in oceans and

other bodies of

water.

STAY STAY

Go to

Lithosphere

Go to

Lithosphere

Carbon precipitates

as sediment and

settles to the bottom

of the ocean.

Carbon precipitates

as sediment and

settles to the bottom

of the ocean.

Go to

Atmosphere

Go to

Atmosphere Carbon remains in oceans and other bodies of water. Carbon remains in oceans and other bodies of water.

Carbon is released

into the atmosphere from the

ocean & other

bodies of water.

Carbon is released

into the atmosphere from the

ocean & other

bodies of water. STAY STAY

Carbon remains

in oceans and

other bodies of

water.

Carbon remains

in oceans and

other bodies of

water.

STAY STAY

Carbon is absorbed

by marine plants during photosynthesis

Go to

Biosphere

Go to

Biosphere

Hydrosphere HydrosphereHydrosphere Hydrosphere

Hydrosphere Hydrosphere Hydrosphere Hydrosphere Hydrosphere Hydrosphere

Hydrosphere Hydrosphere

Cut along dotted lines

Hydrosphere cube 
oceanservice.noaa.gov 44

Discover Your Changing World with NOAA

STAY STAY

Carbon remains in

the soil as organic matter and in

sediments containing fossil fuels.

Carbon remains in

the soil as organic matter and in

sediments containing fossil fuels.

Go to

Atmosphere

Go to

Atmosphere

Decomposition, soil

microbes, & volcanic

eruptions release

carbon dioxide.

Decomposition, soil

microbes, & volcanic

eruptions release

carbon dioxide.

Pre-Industrial

Lithosphere

Pre-Industrial

Lithosphere

STAY STAY

Carbon remains in

the soil as organic matter and in

sediments containing fossil fuels.

Carbon remains in

the soil as organic matter and in

sediments containing fossil fuels.

Pre-Industrial

Lithosphere

Pre-Industrial

Lithosphere

STAY STAY

Carbon remains in

the soil as organic matter and in

sediments containing fossil fuels.

Carbon remains in

the soil as organic matter and in

sediments containing fossil fuels.

Pre-Industrial

Lithosphere

Pre-Industrial

Lithosphere

STAY STAY

Carbon remains in

the soil as organic matter and in

sediments containing fossil fuels.

Carbon remains in

the soil as organic matter and in

sediments containing fossil fuels.

Pre-Industrial Pre-Industrial

Lithosphere Lithosphere

STAY STAY

Carbon remains in

the soil as organic matter and in

sediments containing fossil fuels.

Carbon remains in

the soil as organic matter and in

sediments containing fossil fuels.

Pre-Industrial Pre-Industrial

Lithosphere Lithosphere

Pre-Industrial

Lithosphere

Pre-Industrial

Lithosphere

Cut along dotted lines

Pre-industrial Lithosphere cube 1
45

10. The Incredible Carbon Journey

Human activities have changed the way that carbon is distributed in Earth’s atmosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere.

Go to

Atmosphere

Go to

Atmosphere

Burning fossil

fuels releases

carbon dioxide

Burning fossil

fuels releases

carbon dioxide STAY STAY

Carbon remains in

the soil as organic matter and in

sediments containing fossil fuels.

Carbon remains in

the soil as organic matter and in

sediments containing fossil fuels.

Post-Industrial

Lithosphere

Post-Industrial

Lithosphere

STAY STAY

Carbon remains in

the soil as organic matter and in

sediments containing fossil fuels.

Carbon remains in

the soil as organic matter and in

sediments containing fossil fuels.

Post-Industrial

Lithosphere

Post-Industrial

Lithosphere

Post-Industrial

Lithosphere

Post-Industrial

Lithosphere

Go to

Atmosphere

Go to

Atmosphere

Burning fossil

fuels releases

carbon dioxide

Burning fossil

fuels releases

carbon dioxide

Post-Industrial

Lithosphere

Post-Industrial

Lithosphere

Go to

Atmosphere

Go to

Atmosphere

Burning fossil

fuels releases

carbon dioxide

Burning fossil

fuels releases

carbon dioxide

Post-Industrial

Lithosphere

Post-Industrial

Lithosphere

Go to

Atmosphere

Go to

Atmosphere

Burning fossil

fuels releases

carbon dioxide

Burning fossil

fuels releases

carbon dioxide

Post-Industrial

Lithosphere

Post-Industrial

Lithosphere

Cut along dotted lines

Post-industrial Lithosphere cube 2
oceanservice.noaa.gov 46

Discover Your Changing World with NOAA

Round 1

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

17.

18.

19.

20.

21.

22.

Round 2

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

17.

18.

19.

20.

21.

22.

Record your journey through the carbon cycle on 

this page. Beginning at one end of your pipe cleaner, 

write the “sphere” you visited for each bead on the 

pipe cleaner.

Incredible Carbon Journey Game Record

Green beads = Biosphere

Blue beads = Hydrosphere

Clear beads = Atmosphere

Black beads = Lithosphere
47

Next Generation Science Standards - Performance Expectations

The Next Generation Science 

Standards (NGSS) were developed 

through a collaborative state-led 

process. These K-12 science standards 

are rich in content and practice, 

and arranged in a coherent manner 

across disciplines and grades to 

provide all students an internationally 

benchmarked science education. The 

NGSS is based on the Framework for 

K-12 Science Education developed 

by the National Research Council. 

For More information about NGSS 

and to explore all the standards, go 

to: http://www.nextgenscience.org/. 

For More information about, and to 

read the Framework for K-12 Science 

Education, go to: http://www.nap.edu/

catalog.php?record_id=13165#

These alignments are not intended 

to imply that activities include 

all content needed to satisfy the 

specified NGSS performance 

expectations. Rather, they are 

intended to provide guidance for how 

the activities may supplement other 

materials for fully addressing these 

performance expectations.

MS-PS3-3. Apply scientific principles to design, construct, and test a device 

 that either minimizes or maximizes thermal energy transfer. • 

MS-PS3-4. Plan an investigation to determine the relationships among the 

 energy transferred, the type of matter, the mass, and the change in the average

 kinetic energy of the particles as measured by the temperature of the sample. • 

MS-LS1-5. Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence for how 

 environmental and genetic factors influence the growth of organisms. • • 

MS-LS2-1. Analyze and interpret data to provide evidence for the effects of

 resource availability on organisms and populations of organisms in an 

 ecosystem. • • 

MS-LS4-1. Analyze and interpret data for patterns in the fossil record that 

 document the existence, diversity, extinction, and change of life forms 

 throughout the history of life on Earth under the assumption that natural laws 

 operate today as in the past. • 

MS-ESS1-1. Develop and use a model of the Earth-sun-moon system to 

 describe the cyclic patterns of lunar phases, eclipses of the sun and moon, 

 and seasons. • 

MS-ESS2-1. Develop a model to describe the cycling of Earth’s materials and the 

 flow of energy that drives this process. •

MS-ESS2-5. Collect data to provide evidence for how the motions and complex 

 interactions of air masses results in changes in weather conditions. • • 

MS-ESS2-6. Develop and use a model to describe how unequal heating and 

 rotation of the Earth cause patterns of atmospheric and oceanic circulation 

 that determine regional climates. • • 

MS-ESS3-3. Apply scientific principles to design a method for monitoring 

 and minimizing a human impact on the environment. •

Alignment to the Next Generation Science Standards Performance Expectations

Next Generation Science Standards Activity Number

Performance Expectation 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
48 oceanservice.noaa.gov

Discover Your Changing World with NOAA

Connections to Climate Literacy: The Essential Principles of Climate Science

Climate Literacy: The Essential 

Principles of Climate Science presents 

information that is deemed important 

for individuals and communities to 

know and understand about Earth’s 

climate, impacts of climate change, 

and approaches to adaptation or 

mitigation. It can serve as discussion 

starters, launching points for scientific 

inquiry and promote greater climate 

science literacy by providing an 

educational framework of principles 

and concepts. The Essential Principles 

can also serve educators who teach 

climate science as a way to meet 

content standards in their science 

curricula. 

These connections are not intended 

to imply that activities include all 

content needed to fully address the 

specified Principles. Rather, they are 

intended to provide guidance for 

how the activities may supplement 

other materials for climate science 

education. For more information 

and to download a copy of Climate 

Literacy: The Essential Principles of 

Climate Science, go to: http://www.

globalchange.gov/resources/educators/

climate-literacy

Climate Literacy Essential Principles Activity Number

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

1. The Sun is the primary source of energy for Earth’s climate system. •

 

2. Climate is regulated by complex interactions among components 

 of the Earth system. • • • • • •

3. Life on Earth depends on, is shaped by, and affects climate. • • • • •

4. Climate varies over space and time through both natural and man-made 

 processes. • • • • •

5. Our understanding of the climate system is improved through 

 observations, theoretical studies, and modeling. • • 

6. Human activities are impacting the climate system. • • • • • • •

7. Climate change will have consequences for the Earth system and 

 human lives. • • • •
49

Connections to Energy Literacy: Essential Principles & Fundamental Concepts for Energy Education

Connections to Energy Literacy: 

Essential Principles & Fundamental Concepts for Energy Education

Energy Literacy: Essential Principles 

and Fundamental Concepts for Energy 

Education does not seek to identify 

all areas of energy understanding, 

but rather to focus on those that 

are essential for all citizens. Energy 

concepts are presented that, if 

understood and applied, will help 

individuals and communities 

make informed energy decisions. 

The Energy Literacy Principles are 

intended for anyone involved in 

energy education, and used in formal 

educational environments, provides 

direction without adding new 

concepts to the educator’s curriculum. 

These connections are not intended 

to imply that activities include all 

content needed to fully address the 

specified Principles and Concepts. 

Rather, they are intended to provide 

guidance for how the activities 

may supplement other materials 

for energy education. For more 

information and to download a copy 

of Energy Literacy: Essential Principles 

and Fundamental Concepts for 

Energy Education, go to: http://library.

globalchange.gov/products/other/

energy-literacy-essential-principlesfundamental-concepts-for-energyeducation-high-resolution-booklet

Energy Literacy Essential Principles and Activity Number

Fundamental Concepts 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

2. Physical processes on Earth are the result of energy flow through the 

 Earth system. 

2.3 Earth’s weather and climate are mostly driven by energy from the Sun. • 

2.4 Water plays a major role in the storage and transfer of energy in the

 Earth system. • 

2.6 Greenhouse gases affect energy flow through the Earth system. • • •

2.7 The effects of changes in Earth’s energy system are often not 

 immediately apparent. • 

3. Biological processes depend on energy flow through the Earth system. 

3.1 The Sun is the major source of energy for organisms and the ecosystems 

 of which they are a part. •

3.6 Humans are part of Earth’s ecosystems and influence energy flow 

 through these systems. • 

4. Various sources of energy can be used to power human activities, and 

often this energy must be transferred from source to destination. 

4.1 Humans transfer and transform energy from the environment into 

 forms useful for human endeavors. •

4.3 Fossil and biofuels are organic matter that contain energy captured

 from sunlight. • 

6. The amount of energy used by human society depends on many factors. 

6.2 One way to manage energy resources is through conservation. •

7. The quality of life of individuals and societies is affected by energy choices. 

7.3 Environmental quality is impacted by energy choices. • • • •
50 oceanservice.noaa.gov

Discover Your Changing World with NOAA

Notes
51

Notes
52 oceanservice.noaa.gov

Discover Your Changing World with NOAA

Sketches
“When we try to pick out anything by itself, 

 we find it hitched to everything else in the universe.”

~ John Muir, naturalist, explorer, and writer (1838-1914) 
United States Department of Commerce

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

NOAA’s National Ocean Service

Communications and Education Division

301.713.3010

oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/discoverclimate

U.S. Government 2013