Week 12: Before the Flood

 1. What did you do in lab today?

• Climate Change

   1. What are the primary points in the video?

  • Climate change is not a future problem, it's happening now and affecting millions of people.
  • the documentary showed how burning fossil fuels, deforestation, and industrial farming are major contributors to global warming.
  • Political and economic systems often slow down action, even when solutions already exist.

  2. What are the major issues?

  • Not enough people or leaders are taking this issue seriously.
  • Developing countries will suffer the most, even though they contribute the least to the problem.
  • We might reach a point where the damage can't be reversed.

  3. What questions do you want us to teach you?

  • What I can personally do to make a difference.
  • Is the world on track to meet the goals from climate agreements? 
  • How can countries switch to renewable energy sources effectively?
  • AI affecting Climate Change
  • Comparisons of Climate Trends 
  • Data collection for Climate Change
  • Corporate/Political Influence
  • Air/Water quality

  4. You're a teacher: How would you like us to teach you? 

  • Visually, I learn better with pictures and videos.

  
  
• Weathering is happening RIGHT NOW
• Climate is long-term

Water Cycle

• Rainfall occurs when the sun causes water on Earth's surface to evaporate, creating water vapor that rises upwards through the atmosphere, condenses, and becomes heavy enough to fall back to earth under the influence of gravity
• When warm air rises it cools, causing moisture to fall out as precipitation
• Warmer air is capable of holding more moisture, leading to extreme precipitation events.

2. What was the big question? How is the climate affecting our environment and what can we do about it?

3. What did you learn in Thursday's discussion? 

Notes

• Climate metaphors --> if weather is my mood, then climate is my personality 
• climate is 30 years of data 
• Meteorologists often point out that "Climate is what you expect. Weather is what you get"
• or "Climate helps you decide what clothes to buy: weather helps you decide what clothes to wear"
• weather is day to day, climate is the average of weather over a THIRTY-year period
• Why do some regions have a hot climate, and others cold?
• L.O.W.E.R Near Water
• Latitude: places closer to the north and south poles = colder temperatures. places near the equator = warmer temperatures
• Ocean Currents: temperature of an ocean current affects the temperature of air that passes over it
• Wind and Air Masses: an air mass is a large volume of air that takes on the climatic conditions of the area where it is formed
• Elevation: the higher the altitude, the colder the temperature.
• Relief: precipitation created when an air mass rises to cross a mountain barrier, topography 
• Near Water: in the summer the water acts like an air conditioned to keep the air temperatures cool, in the winter water acts like a heater to keep the temperatures from getting too cold. Continental climate (away from water), Maritime climate (close to water) 
• The more energy, the stronger the events

4. Read online textbook, chapter 12:

- What did you learn? 

• Weather vs. Climate:

  • Weather = short-term, day-to-day conditions.

  • Climate = long-term patterns measured over 30-year intervals.

  • Misconceptions (example: “It’s snowing, so global warming isn’t real”) confuse the two.

• LOWER Near Water Factors:

  • Latitude - closer to the equator = warmer.

  • Ocean currents - warm/cold currents influence coastal climates.

  • Wind & air masses - carry conditions from their origin.

  • Elevation - higher altitudes = cooler.

  • Relief (topography) - mountains create rain shadows.

  • Near water - moderates temperature (cooler summers, warmer winters).

• Climate Change in Iowa:

  • More precipitation --> flooding (example: 2008 flood at University of Iowa).

  • Hotter temperatures --> more dangerous heat events.

  • Agriculture --> longer growing seasons but more pests, livestock at risk.

  • Habitat shifts --> plant hardiness zones moving north, affecting ecosystems.

• Action Steps:

  • Calculate carbon footprint.

  • Educate yourself and others.

  • Advocate politically for climate action.

  • Connect to NGSS standards for K–6 classrooms.

- What was most helpful? 

• Local Connection: Seeing how climate change impacts Iowa specifically (floods, heat waves, agriculture) makes the issue tangible for you and your students.

• Visuals & Data: Graphs of precipitation, heat waves, and hardiness zones provide concrete evidence of long-term trends.

• Teaching Tie-ins: The NGSS standards listed at the end give you direct entry points for lesson planning.

• LOWER Near Water mnemonic: A clear, student-friendly way to explain climate factors.

- What do you need more information on?

• Teaching Complexity: How do you simplify climate change for elementary students without losing accuracy?

• Student Engagement: What activities best help students distinguish weather vs. climate (beyond definitions)?

• Equity & Identity: How can lessons connect climate change to students’ lived experiences without causing fear?

5. What questions, concerns, and/or comments do you have? N/A