Overview

In this module, you will investigate the factors that contribute to the climate of a region and the causes and effects of climate change. They will explore how their daily choices and use of fossil fuels impact carbon emissions. They will also explore various global perspectives of climate change. They will think deeply about the credibility of information and how an author's purpose influences how they choose to present information.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this module, you will be able to:

Evaluate information scientifically in the context of his/her own life.
Explain the importance of observation and hypothesis testing in the scientific process, and distinguish between science and non-science practices.
Perform scientific investigations in lab setting, gather, analyze and critically evaluate scientific data, and communicate scientific results according to appropriate academic standards.
Define basic principles used in community and ecosystem ecology, and compare the biodiversity of several different habitat types.
Identify and evaluate instances where population growth and humans' use of resources impacts the natural environment.
Use the concept of sustainability to critique global and local environmental issues, and identify the steps that can be taken to improve environmental conditions and actively participate in solutions to environmental problems.
Utilize academic research skills; such as evaluate the quality/credibility of information from various kinds of sources, narrow topics and discern the most important information from texts.
Employ strategies to build and retain vocabulary.
Identify how authors organize text both written and oral and use vocabulary for specific purposes and audiences, and apply these strategies to their own academic writing and speaking.
Improve sentence clarity and structure by addressing errors in the context of their own writing.
CCRs Reading Anchor(s) Level E:1,2,4,6,7,9
CCRs Writing Anchor(s) Level E:1,4,5,9
CCRs Speaking/Listening Anchor(s) Level E: 1,2,3,4
CCRs Language Anchor(s)Level E: 1,2,3,4,6

Why This is Important

Scientists have weighed in with overwhelming agreement that climate change is a reality. We can see it all around us in extreme temperatures, increased wildfires, drought, etc. and, of course, in the landmark climate agreement drafted by the UN last December and signed in April. Climate change, along with the a plethora of related issues, is the leading global environmental conversation today. A basic understanding of the concept of climate change is crucial to learn if we wish to be scientifically literate. It also serves as the perfect context to discuss carbon cycles, greenhouse gases, renewable energy, and other environmental issues.