Category: Activities

{ Life and Climate Contents } { All GSS Books } (This activity also appears in GSS Energy Use chapter 3) Model 1: Adapted from GEMS Convection Activity  This model uses water, food coloring as a marker of currents in the water, and a cup of very hot water as a heat source. Movie clips of […]

Chapter 3 { Life and Climate Contents } I. Kinds of Rocks Earth’s history is written in its rocks. But before the 1780s, no one had figured out how to read that history. In fact, the question of why there were different layers of rock in a variety of formations simply didn’t generate any interest. […]

Chapter 2 { Life and Climate Contents } Early Ideas About the Origin of the Solar System In 1755, Immanuel Kant, a German philosopher, published his theory of the origin of the solar system. Kant acknowledged in his essay that he first got his ideas from reading a detailed account of Thomas Wright’s theory of […]

{ Life and Climate Contents } { All GSS Books } Air pressure is all around us. We live in a sea of air, but it’s hard to see its effects. Here’s an activity that will help you see the power of air pressure. You will need: an empty aluminum soda can a hot plate […]

Chapter 1 { Life and Climate Contents } What’s This Book About? The cartoon refers to global warming­—the theory that Earth’s average temperature is gradually increasing due to the burning of fossil fuels. Fossil fuels are coal, oil, and natural gas, which are burned primarily by cars and in factories. If Earth were a patient […]

LIFE AND CLIMATE is about how our atmosphere and climate came to be as they are today; how life on Earth evolved; and how the evolution of life and climate have affected each other since the Earth was formed. See Overview. Contents Chapter Titles Investigations Stay Current 1. Discovering the Atmosphere 1.1 Air Pressure1.2. Draw […]

{ Climate Change Contents } { All GSS Books } Most laws are made to promote the well-being of the country’s citizens, but in practice, it is not that simple. Legislators and voters must ask, “Whose well-being are we looking out for, and what is the best way to accomplish our goals?” There are often […]

Chapter 10 { Climate Change Contents } We have considered actions by the U.S. government and other governments to slow global climate change. It’s important to recognize, however, that it is not just government officials who can make a difference. Every person in the world contributes to the changing atmosphere, and people in industrialized countries […]

{ Climate Change Contents } { All GSS Books } In the United States, the Kyoto Protocol received mixed reviews. President Clinton signed the agreement. However, in order to have the force of law, the protocol needed to be ratified by two-thirds of the 100 members of the Senate. Various views were expressed. Sen. Joseph […]

{ Climate Change Contents } { All GSS Books } In November 1993, a Congressional hearing was conducted to consider the president’s plan. The people asking questions are members of Congress—not scientists. They ask and expect the scientists to give them answers they can understand. Although this material is now more historical in nature, the […]