This Guide for Educators was developed by the MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative as an extension of our TILclimate (Today I Learned: Climate) podcast, to make it easier for you to teach climate change, earth science, and energy topics in the classroom. It is an extension of the TILclimate episode "TIL about the changing ocean."
Browse all TILclimate guides for educators.
Description
Modern climate change is causing our ocean to warm and changing the ocean’s chemistry. Students directly experience the ability of cold and warm water to uptake carbon dioxide and learn about ocean acidification. They explore the role of the ocean in the climate and one tool scientists use to understand ocean warming. Then, they are challenged to communicate one of the Ocean Literacy Principles to a chosen audience.
Download the Guide as a PDF
SWBAT:
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Understand that cold water can absorb more carbon dioxide.
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Explain some of the impacts of ocean acidification.
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Explain the role of ocean currents in shaping global climate.
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Understand how scientists use Argo floats to explore the ocean.
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Describe and educate on the Ocean Literacy Principles.
Skills:
- Basic lab safety
- Modeling & communicating complex scientific ideas
- Map-reading
- Asking scientific questions
Standards:
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HS-PS1-5: Apply scientific principles and evidence to provide an explanation about the effects of changing the temperature or concentration of the reacting particles on the rate at which a reaction occurs.
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HS-ESS2-2: Analyze geoscience data to make the claim that one change to Earth’s surface can create feedbacks that cause changes to other Earth systems.
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RST.11-12.9: Synthesize information from a range of sources into a coherent understanding of a process, phenomenon, or concept.
Disciplinary core ideas:
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PS1B: Chemical Reactions
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ESS2.A Earth Materials and Systems
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ESS2.D Weather and Climate
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ESS3.C Human Impacts on Earth Systems
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ESS3.D Global Climate Change
What is included in this Educator Guide
- How to use TILclimate Educator Guides (Download)
- Teacher pages (Download)
- Includes materials, discussion questions, background resources, and adaptation suggestions for science, social science, and ELA teachers
- Includes materials, discussion questions, background resources, and adaptation suggestions for science, social science, and ELA teachers
- Student pages (Download)
- Carbon Dioxide in Water Demonstration
- Ocean Acidification Modeling and Communication
- The Climate's Heart: Visualization of Ocean Currents
- Argo Floats Research Design Challenge
- Ocean Literacy Principles Communication Challenge
Listen to the episodes
Browse all TILclimate guides for educators
