EDUA 5321 Exploring Climate Change
IT’S GETTING HOT IN HERE: EXPLORING THE PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE OF CLIMATE CHANGE
The concentration of carbon dioxide (a greenhouse gas that traps heat) in the atmosphere is now more than 40% higher than at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution (Henson, 2014). The average surface temperature of Earth has risen 1.4ºF in the past 100 years (2015 is projected to be the hottest year on record), resulting in glacial retreat, changes in seasons, and the relocation of insects, birds, and land and marine species. This small increase in temperature threatens our ability to sustain our population and increases severe weather events, including tsunamis, droughts, and tornadoes. Globally, we have reached a critical point in terms of stemming the impact of climate change.
This course is designed to provide teachers with an understanding of climate change, including the symptoms and effects of climate change, the characteristics of the climate change debate, possible solutions, how the daily actions of individuals across the globe affect climate change, and the role technology will play in the future. By the end of the course, teachers will have strategies and classroom activities for teaching students about these complex issues, including analyzing and designing effective solutions for climate change on the individual, community, and global levels.