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Connections in the Earth System
https://scied.ucar.edu/activity/connections

Center for Science Education, University Corporation for Atmospheric Research

In this activity, students demonstrate their knowledge of connections between natural systems and the built environment in which they live.

This learning activity takes one 50 minute class period.

Learn more about Teaching Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness»


Grade Level

Online Readiness

Topics

Climate Literacy

This Activity builds on the following concepts of Climate Literacy.

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

Energy Literacy

This Activity 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

  • This activity can be as short or long as the instructor chooses. It may be best to use this activity to introduce a general curricula about climate and earth science. Additionally, the same activity can be used at the end of a lesson to reinforce the connections between individual concepts.
  • Educators may want to promote discussion after each yarn ball is thrown or, alternatively, a larger discussion can be held after the connection web is created. Educators may also choose to create an entirely new set of prompt cards to suit a specific lesson (ie abiotic vs. biotic elements; local vs. global stressors; natural carbon sequestration vs. technology)
  • This lesson requires extensive preparation for a game that may not meet the payoff of the time required. If prep time is not available, consider focusing on the second half of this lesson and having a longer discussion based on student research.

About the Content

  • This conceptual activity uses prompt cards and a discussion to support student discovery of the variety of relationships between the built environment and the natural world. Students will become familiar with terms like "coastal development," "city planning," "non-renewable energy," and "hurricane storm surge."
  • The activities in this lesson may help students to understand the relationship between the built environment and the natural world. The activities offered provide a solid introduction to the concepts but do not provide support for further research. Teachers will need to support this if they want to engage students further in this topic.
  • Passed initial science review - expert science review pending.

About the Pedagogy

  • Students create a 'connection web' using yarn and discussion prompts. There is also a reflection activity.
  • This activity provides an opportunity for students to get out of their seats and move around the classroom to consider interconnection between two systems. However, to be effective, it will require strong independent research for students. This may require teachers to do research on the best available resources for students to research. The lesson has great potential to be a springboard for discussion but will need preparation by teachers to be successful.
  • There is no formal assessment for this activity and instructors should be prepared to facilitate a discussion using only the headings on the prompt cards.

Technical Details/Ease of Use

  • This simple activity is easy to use in the classroom or transport outdoors.
  • The activities described are technically sound but will require teachers to have excellent classroom management skills and students who are ready to creatively engage.
Entered the Collection: September 2023 Last Reviewed: July 2023

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