using nasa data to improve young adults' climate and science literacy
TRANSCRIPT
CSI: South FloridaClimate Science Investigations: South Florida
Climate Science Investigations (CSI): South Florida (SFL)
Using NASA Data to Improve Young Adults’ Climate and Science Literacy
Principal Investigator: Julie Lambert, Ph.D., Florida Atlantic University
Co-Investigators: Robert Bleicher, Ph.D., California State University, Channel Islands
Brian Soden, Ph.D., University of Miami
Funded through NASA
NASA Innovations in Climate Education(January 1, 2011 – December 31, 2013)
Julie Lambert, Ph.D.Florida Atlantic University
Robert Bleicher, Ph.D., California State University,
Channel Islands
Brian Soden, Ph.D., University
of Miami
Alana Edwards, Ph.D. student in Geosciences
Shane Forsythe, Web
Designer/ Programmer
Graduate Research Assistants:
Anne Henderson Kevin Leichtman
Suzanne Smith Sundburg,
Science Writer/Editor(Camera Shy)
CSI: South FloridaClimate Science Investigations: South Florida
Overall Objective
Develop and pilot online interactive modules that teach high school and undergraduate students how to analyze and use NASA and other data to address the public’s questions and commonly held misconceptions about climate change.
Total time: Approximately 9 weeks for entire curriculum.
Pilot Audience:Undergraduate – Weather and Climate Courses at University of MiamiHigh School – Environmental Science Courses in Broward, Miami-Dade, Monroe, and Palm Beach Counties
CSI: South FloridaClimate Science Investigations: South Florida
Storyline Sequence
Module 1 What Are the Foundations of Climate Science?Module 2 Is Earth Really Warming?Module 3 Is There Evidence of a Warmer Earth?Module 4 What Causes Climate Change?Module 5 How Can Climate Change Impact Earth?
Module 6 Do Scientists Agree and What Are the Unknowns?
• Module Overview – Learning Objectives• Pre-Assessment on Content Knowledge and Views• Introduction• Investigations
Using time series and geospatial dataVariety of supporting hands-on, simpler lesson plans/activitieshttp://www.coe.fau.edu/faculty/lambert/
• Climate Scientists’ Explanations• Scientific Argumentation Practice• Post-Assessment
Instructional Approach for Each Module(Except Module 1 on the Fundamentals)
CSI: South FloridaClimate Science Investigations: South Florida
Module 1. What Are the Foundations of Climate Science?
Learning Objectives:• Explain the nature of scientific inquiry.• Explain the role of skepticism in scientific
inquiry.• Differentiate between weather, climate,
and extreme weather events.• Compare and contrast the layers of
Earth’s atmosphere.• Explain the relationship between Earth’s
energy budget and the global average temperature of Earth.
• Differentiate between the natural greenhouse effect and an enhanced greenhouse effect.
CSI: South FloridaClimate Science Investigations: South Florida
Module 2. Is Earth Really Warming?
How Temperature Is Measured
Temperature Change Over Time
Temperature Change Over Geographic Space
Local Versus Global Urban Versus Rural
CSI: South FloridaClimate Science Investigations: South Florida
Module 3. Is There Evidence of a Warmer Earth?
Melting Ice
Sea Level Rise
Weather Extremes
Increased Water Vapor
Changes in Precipitation/Drought
Changes to Ecosystems
The retreat of Pedersen Glacier, Alaska.
Summer 1917
Summer 2005
CSI: South FloridaClimate Science Investigations: South Florida
Module 4. What Causes Climate Change?
Natural Causes of Climate Change Earth’s Orbital VariationSolar VariationVolcanic Eruptions
Changes in Greenhouse Gas ConcentrationThe Carbon Cycle & CO2
Fossil Fuels and Energy Use
Climate ModelsNatural FactorsHuman Factors
CSI: South FloridaClimate Science Investigations: South Florida
Module 5: How Can Climate Change Impact Earth?
Temperature Change Projections
Precipitation Projections
Floods and Droughts
Sea Level Rise
Weather Extremes
Species and Ecosystem Loss
Ocean Acidification
Effects on Human Health
Key Impacts of Climate Change for South
Florida
CSI: South FloridaClimate Science Investigations: South Florida
Module 6: Do Scientists Agree and What Are the Unknowns?
A Brief History of the Research
The Probability, Uncertainty, and the “Preponderance of Evidence”
Types of Climate Change Deniers and Their Arguments
What Are the Unknowns and Risks of Inaction?
How Do We Communicate About Climate Change?
Introduction
CSI: South FloridaClimate Science Investigations: South Florida
Scientific Argumentation
a disagreement between scientific explanations (or claims) with data (or evidence) being used to justify (or rationalize or support) each position.
Adapted from Sampson, Grooms, & Walker (2011)
A scientific argument isn’t an argument as much as it is a process that scientists follow to guide their research activities. Scientists identify weaknesses and limitations in others’ arguments with the ultimate goal being to refine and improve explanations and experimental designs. This process is known as evidence-based argumentation.
CSI: South FloridaClimate Science Investigations: South Florida
Alignment of Learning Goals and Misconceptions (Myths/Skeptics’ Clams)
Once students have created an argument, they can go and review the arguments of their classmates, comment on those arguments, and
rate them.
When you select a claim here,
Arguments for or against this claim appear here.
CSI: South FloridaClimate Science Investigations: South Florida
Publication:
Lambert, J., Lindgren, J. & Bleicher, R. (2011). Assessing elementary science methods students’ understanding about global climate change.Published online in the International Journal of Science Education, November 17, 2011. (http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09500693.2011.633938)
Where we are now:Completing Module 1 for piloting in February.Writing content and developing data interface for Module 2.Ongoing — developing assessment items and argumentation claims.