Energy Choices and Climate Change

Energy Choices and Climate Change
https://scied.ucar.edu/interactive/ruler-world

Windows to the Universe, NCAR Online Education

This interactive provides a scenario for students to look at issues related to energy and climate change from the perspective of a monarch.

Learn more about Teaching Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness»

See how this Simulation/Interactive supports the Next Generation Science Standards»

hide

Middle School

Disciplinary Core Ideas: 1

MS-ESS3.D1: Human activities, such as the release of greenhouse gases from burning fossil fuels, are major factors in the current rise in Earth’s mean surface temperature (global warming). Reducing the level of climate change and reducing human vulnerability to whatever climate changes do occur depend on the understanding of climate science, engineering capabilities, and other kinds of knowledge, such as understanding of human behavior and on applying that knowledge wisely in decisions and activities.

Cross Cutting Concepts: 2

Systems and System Models

See Details »

hide

High School

Disciplinary Core Ideas: 1

HS-ESS3.D1: Though the magnitudes of human impacts are greater than they have ever been, so too are human abilities to model, predict, and manage current and future impacts.

Cross Cutting Concepts: 4

Systems and System Models

See Details »

Systems and System Models

HS-C4.1: Systems can be designed to do specific tasks.

HS-C4.2: When investigating or describing a system, the boundaries and initial conditions of the system need to be defined and their inputs and outputs analyzed and described using models.

HS-C4.3: Models (e.g., physical, mathematical, computer models) can be used to simulate systems and interactions—including energy, matter, and information flows—within and between systems at different scales.

HS-C4.4: Models can be used to predict the behavior of a system, but these predictions have limited precision and reliability due to the assumptions and approximations inherent in models.

Grade Level

Middle (6-8)
Find more resources at this grade level.

High School (9-12)
Find more resources at this grade level.

Topics

Emissions Reduction
Find more resources on this topic.

Mitigation Strategies
Find more resources on this topic.

Personal Responsibility
Find more resources on this topic.

Efficiency and Conservation
Find more resources on this topic.

Energy Use
Find more resources on this topic.

Climate Literacy

This Simulation/Interactive builds on the following concepts of Climate Literacy.

Click a topic below for supporting information, teaching ideas, and sample activities.

Humans can take action

Energy Literacy

This Simulation/Interactive builds on the following concepts of Energy Literacy.

Click a topic below for supporting information, teaching ideas, and sample activities.

Notes From Our Reviewers The CLEAN collection is hand-picked and rigorously reviewed for scientific accuracy and classroom effectiveness. Read what our review team had to say about this resource below or learn more about how CLEAN reviews teaching materials
Teaching Tips | Science | Pedagogy | Technical Details

Teaching Tips

Educators could produce an activity sheet that addresses reasons and justifications for the students' choices in each section, as well as learning from the side-bar information on the right sides of the screens.
Could also work as a homework assignment.

About the Content

In the scenario provided, students make decisions about the types and amount of energy used and see what effect their decisions have on the amount of greenhouse gases emitted to the atmosphere. The goal is to reduce the greenhouse gases emissions while keeping costs reasonable.
Comment from expert scientist: Good tool with the only caveat that it doesn't include all attributions.

About the Pedagogy

A great activity for applying science learning to real life and everyday choices.

Technical Details/Ease of Use

Interactive is thorough, informative, and engaging to play.
An excellent online learning tool; an assessment component would be helpful.

Entered the Collection: November 2014 Last Reviewed: November 2014

Jump to this Simulation/Interactive »

Middle School (see details)

Middle School

Disciplinary Core Ideas: 1

Cross Cutting Concepts: 2

High School (see details)

High School

Disciplinary Core Ideas: 1

Cross Cutting Concepts: 4

Grade Level

Topics

Climate Literacy

Energy Literacy

Teaching Tips

About the Content

About the Pedagogy

Technical Details/Ease of Use

About

Reuse

Page Text