Activity 3 - Is it happening?

Activity 3 - Global Warming. Is it happening?

Introduction

Students are required to manipulate and interpret global carbon dioxide levels since 1959. The data has been obtained from the monitoring station at Mauna Loa, Hawaii.

Aims of this activity

For students to realise that carbon dioxides levels are rising and that there is evidence of an increase in the rate of increase.

NC Links

QCA Reference - 9G4 -to use secondary sources to answer scientific questions. To evaluate the evidence put forward by others. To decide whether evidence is good enough to answer a question.

NC PoS - Sc1 1a

Activity notes

The data on global carbon dioxide levels is provided in HTML, xls and pdf formats. Students can then select out the required data and produce graphs using a spreadsheet program e.g. Excel. Alternatively, the data can be downloaded from source and directly graphed. within the program. Traditional graphing methods can still be used. A ready made graph for the whole period can be used with students who are less confident in the use of spreadsheet programs. The pdf version of the data can be printed.

Resources needed

Double click on the links below to retrieve:

The evidence - carbon dioxide. Is it happening?

The PC requires Excel, preferably at least 97.

An Acrobat Reader. This is a free download.

Produced by Nick Falk

next activity

		Introduction
		Students are required to manipulate and interpret global carbon dioxide levels since 1959. The data has been obtained from the monitoring station at Mauna Loa, Hawaii.
		Aims of this activity
		For students to realise that carbon dioxides levels are rising and that there is evidence of an increase in the rate of increase.
		NC Links
		QCA Reference - 9G4 -to use secondary sources to answer scientific questions. To evaluate the evidence put forward by others. To decide whether evidence is good enough to answer a question.
		NC PoS - Sc1 1a
		Activity notes
		The data on global carbon dioxide levels is provided in HTML, xls and pdf formats. Students can then select out the required data and produce graphs using a spreadsheet program e.g. Excel. Alternatively, the data can be downloaded from source and directly graphed. within the program. Traditional graphing methods can still be used. A ready made graph for the whole period can be used with students who are less confident in the use of spreadsheet programs. The pdf version of the data can be printed.
		Resources needed
		Double click on the links below to retrieve: The evidence - carbon dioxide. Is it happening? The PC requires Excel, preferably at least 97. An Acrobat Reader. This is a free download.