Climate Models by Global Weirding
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Provided by: PBS|Published on: September 1, 2023
VideosScientist Reviewed
6-AP
Scientist Reviewed This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Synopsis
- This video examines the scientific accuracy of climate models, the basic physics and other information that climate models are based on, and the general tendency of climate models to underestimate future climate effects.
- Students will learn that climate models are excellent at predicting changes in global temperature and that climate models consider satellite records, human gathered data, fluid dynamics, land cover effects, natural cycles, and paleoclimate records.
Subjects: Physics, Earth and Space Sciences, Computer Science
Authors: PBS
Region: Global
Languages: English
Teaching Materials
Positives
- This video deftly handles counter-arguments about climate models and their accuracy.
- This video features colorful and engaging animations.
Additional Prerequisites
- Students would benefit from a basic understanding of global warming and greenhouse gases prior to this video.
- Prior to the video, consider introducing students to climate reports or summaries by the IPCC to show them what climate models have predicted recently.
Differentiation
- Teachers could pause the video at certain moments in order to reinforce key concepts.
- Students could use this video for an argumentative essay that debunks climate skepticism.
- Teachers could create a formative assessment based on the main concepts of this video and introduce it as a graphic organizer or worksheet.
- This video could supplement a classroom discussion on climate skepticism, where it comes from, and how to effectively combat it.
In this video, Katharine Hayhoe, a climate scientist explains what climate models are, how they work, and how accurate they are. She discusses how these models are verified, how they are used by scientists, as well as where the models may be inaccurate. Some extra explanation may be required for some of the concepts she touches upon, depending on the age level this is used with. However, because of this, there are many related topics that this video would complement. Despite being an older resource, it is still relevant (and will likely remain so) since it covers the fundamentals of climate models. The climate report she references is still the most recent (as of May 2023). When it is updated, the government will likely include a link to the most recent report on the site (as they have done for past reports). This information presented is accurate and this resource is recommended for teaching.
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
Learn about our review process →
