Initial Publication Date: September 24, 2024

Scientists understand the climate system through interdisciplinary observations and modeling

Teaching about how scientists understand climate is supported by nine key concepts:

A. Climate is not the same thing as weather. Weather is the minute-by-minute condition of the atmosphere (such as temperature and precipitation) on a local scale. Climate is the long-term average weather conditions of an area. The term climate change refers to a significant and persistent change in an area's average climate conditions or their extremes. Learn more about climate science.

There are 8 more fundamental concepts. See them all...

B. The components and processes of Earth's climate system are governed by the laws of science. Therefore, the behavior of the climate system can be understood and modeled through careful, systematic study. Our understanding of the climate system will only continue to improve as science advances. Learn more about recent advancements in climate science

C. To learn about how climate has changed in the distant past, scientists use natural records, such as tree rings, ice cores, and sedimentary layers. Indigenous Knowledges and historical observations such as personal journals also document past climate change.

D. Scientific observations indicate that the global climate varies over time; it has changed in the past, is changing now, and will change in the future. The natural processes driving Earth's long-term climate variability, such as changes in solar energy reaching Earth, do not explain the rapid climate change observed in recent decades. The only credible explanation for recent climate change is human activities. Learn more about how natural causes alone do not explain climate change

E. The magnitude and trends of climate change are not the same at all locations on Earth. For example, the land warms faster than the ocean, and the polar regions warm faster than the tropics.

F. Research into past climate changes has shown that there are parts of the Earth system that change gradually until they reach a tipping point, after which they change more quickly. Some of these changes may be irreversible. The risk of crossing these tipping points increases as climate change intensifies. Ecosystems, ice sheets, and ocean currents may all have tipping points. Learn more about tipping points

G. Climate models have been constructed using observational data and physical laws. These models can project a range of potential future climate conditions that result from different assumptions about the future, such as the amount of greenhouse gas emissions. Models that include both human and natural systems examine how climate impacts cascade across sectors and scales and, in turn, how human systems and choices influence climate. Learn more about climate modeling

H. Integrated approaches that bring together knowledge from many contexts and areas of study are essential to understanding the full picture of climate change. Considering the perspective of only a single sector, topic, or region may cause climate impacts or solutions to be overlooked. Learn more about interdisciplinary climate research

I. Coproduced climate change research projects integrate both community-based and science-based insights and solutions to climate change. Coproduced research often includes experts within relevant knowledge contexts, such as Indigenous Knowledge holders or multigenerational farming communities. This kind of research can give rise to community-based climate solutions. Learn more about coproduction of climate research

Bringing these ideas into your classroom

The best - and most fun - way to help students relate to the scientific process is to immerse them in it. The process of engaging in science can be accessible to all grade levels and can be brought into the classroom with a variety of approaches. There are countless relevant scientific questions to examine. Whether in teams or as individuals, learners can become immersed in the inquiry process of research, observations, data analysis, synthesis, and presentation that lies at the heart of all robust science.

Show ideas for engaging students in climate science

Another tactic is for students to watch videos of engaging scientists at work. Climate scientists like Richard Alley (Earth: The Operators' Manual) and Katherine Hayhoe (Global Weirding) are masters of communicating climate science in an approachable, engaging style.

Teaching materials from the CLEAN collection

Middle school

Educator Guide: Lab 1- Launching an Expedition - Students are charged with thinking about what it takes to 'do science'. They are introduced to the science of dendrochronology and learn how tree-ring science is executed.
In the Global Climate Change and Sea Level Rise activity, students will practice the steps involved in a scientific investigation as they learn why ice formations on land (and not those on water) will cause a rise in sea level upon melting.
On the Rise - In this 60-minute interactive demonstration, students use ice blocks and heat lamps to model what will happen to coastlines around the world as glaciers melt. They explore why glaciers are melting as a consequence of global warming and how human activity has added to the amount of warming.
GLOBE Observer is a citizen science project that helps scientists to look at the changes in clouds, water, plants, and other life. There is an app that allows anyone to report observations in five key areas.

High school

Students take part in hands-on data collection as they learn about Arctic science in the Arctic Climate Curriculum. This is a three-part suite of activities.
Modeling the Complexities of the Carbon Cycle Utilizing Excel - This set of activities is about carbon sources, sinks, and fluxes among them - both with and without anthropogenic components.
Ice Core Secrets Could Reveal Answers to Global Warming - This video features research conducted at the University of Colorado's Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, which studies isotopes of hydrogen trapped in ice cores to understand climate changes in the past.
Graphing Sea-Level Trends - Students use long-term sea-level rise data set to create models and compare short-term trends to long-term trends. They then determine whether sea-level rise is occurring based on the data.
Mapping a Personal Story of Environmental Change - This is a very simple but effective lesson that engages students with drawing a map of their local environment, then annotating their map with environmental changes they've observed. The activity taps into higher order thinking because students are synthesizing physical, cultural, environmental, and personal factors and expressing them in a graphical format.

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