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Climate change and the human contribution to this change is sometimes denied or depicted as an uncertainty. However, according to the American Association for the Advancement of Science (see References and Further Reading), climate change is not controversial: 97 percent of climate scientists are certain that human-caused climate change is occurring. Climate research is continuing, with scientists and engineers working to predict the consequences of climate change and finding ways to overcome its negative impact.

collection of 9 short videos illustrating climate change "Climate change, once considered an issue for a distant future, has moved firmly into the present." -2014 National Climate Assessment The 2014 National Climate Assessment provides an in-depth look at climate change impacts on every region of the United States and important sectors of our economy. In these videos, scientists and citizens from around the country personify the scientific information detailed in the report.

This case study uses a jigsaw activity to introduce students to four specific plant responses to climate change: elevational range shifts, phenology shifts, community shifts, and changes in biodiversity. Students become "experts" on one of these responses by reading an article (from Nature, Science, or American Journal of Botany; not included with the case) on their assigned topic and then sharing their expertise with others in class. In order to hone their understanding and increase retention on these topics, students then learn about plant communities found in a specific system-vernal pools or seasonal wetlands typical of Mediterranean climates (a PowerPoint presentation on this topic is included). Students accomplish several small group tasks to assess how different vernal pool plant communities have responded to fluctuations in annual weather patterns and predict how these communities may respond to greater weather variability resulting from future climatic change. This case was written for mid- to upper-level ecology, plant ecology, botany, or environmental studies courses. The material covered may also be suitable for classes examining the role of weather variability/climate change in relation to plants.

teaching climate change, maps and data, news and features sections to illustrate key findings about climate change

Nearly all U.S. senators agreed today on a measure affirming that climate change is real and not a hoax-including, to the surprise of many observers, Senator James Inhofe (R-OK), the man who once declared global warming a hoax. Meanwhile, although two other measures stating that humans are contributing to climate change won a majority of votes from the 99 senators present, they failed to garner the 60 votes needed to be adopted by the Senate.

The Climate Education Week Toolkit is a free, easy-to-use, ready-to-go resource with everything you need. The Toolkit includes a week's worth of lesson plans, activities, and contests for K-12 students that meet Next Generation Science Standards and Common Core. Each day covers a different theme related to climate change with two highlighted activities handpicked by Earth Day Network for your use. This cross-disciplinary resource has a range of activities from an energy conservation action plan to reading and discussing Rachel Carson's Silent Spring, with the goal being to educate and engage your students on climate change.

EPA is working with many other organizations to collect and communicate data about climate change. With help from these partners, EPA has compiled the third edition of this report, presenting 30 indicators to help readers understand observed long-term trends related to the causes and effects of climate change. In a manner accessible to all audiences, the report describes the significance of these trends and their possible consequences for people, the environment, and society.

An "excuse me" might be nice. Researchers have found that Earth belches a potent greenhouse gas known as tetrafluoromethane (CF4) during earthquakes and other tectonic events. The emissions likely aren't making a significant contribution to global warming, but the findings could change the way scientists model future climate scenarios. They also complicate the use of CF4 as a way to measure how the continents and climate have changed over millennia.

Polar bears are an iconic symbol of climate change, but regionally relevant examples of susceptible biota are needed to highlight how global forces impact local environments. In this interrupted case study, students follow a young naturalist as she explores why saltmarsh sparrows are increasingly rare in coastal wetlands of the northeastern United States. In small groups, students diagram how sea-level rise may alter saltmarsh sparrow habitat and analyze a graph to determine if there is evidence to support sea-level rise. The social implications of rising sea levels induced by climate change can also be explored with an optional jigsaw activity. Students who successfully complete this case study will integrate key concepts related to sea level rise, interpret scientific data and draw conclusions about environmental change, and evaluate alternative management decisions. Originally developed for an undergraduate ecology course, the case could easily be adapted by college or high school instructors for an introductory biology or an environmental science course.

2013 report on climate change

19 min TED talk on climate change. Photographer James Balog shares new image sequences from the Extreme Ice Survey, a network of time-lapse cameras recording glaciers receding at an alarming rate, some of the most vivid evidence yet of climate change.

View slides and interactive graphics from the Earth Lab: Degrees of Change exhibit at the Marian Koshland Science Museum of the National Academy of Sciences.

This interrupted case study addresses several concepts related to climate change and its effect on the American pika. Often called an indicator species for climate change, the pika has a unique set of variables specific to its environment. Factors such as temperature, snowpack, and vegetation can affect the distribution and ultimately the chances of survival. The case was designed for use in a "flipped" classroom in which students prepare in advance outside of class by filling out a worksheet while watching a video. The video, created by the author of the case, provides students with baseline information that they apply in class to come up with key ideas and predictions, followed by analysis of actual data to test the hypotheses they develop. The case study incorporates group discussion, analysis of experimental design, and data evaluation as central activities and can be taught in a single 50 minute class session. The case was designed for use in a large introductory-level class, but is also appropriate for smaller classes.

12 main findings of the Climate Change report

7 min documentary on climate change

Welcome to the interactive model of leaf decomposition (I*MOLD). The goal of this project is to explain leaf decomposition and how it relates to the Earth's carbon cycle and climate. This website contains a series of animated lessons about decomposition, an interactive model that lets you predict how different types of leaves will decompose in different climates, and classroom activities about decomposition for teachers.

High on Bolivia's semiarid Andean plains at more than 12,000 feet and subject to climatic whims, the shallow saline lake has dried up before only to rebound to a size twice the area of Los Angeles. But recovery may no longer be possible, scientists say. "This is a picture of the future of climate change," said Dirk Hoffman, a German glaciologist who studies how rising temperatures from the burning of fossil fuels has accelerated glacial melting in Bolivia.

Séguin, a research scientist in forest genomics with the Canadian Forest Service, inserted bacterial DNA into spruces that effectively made them immune to spruce budworm, a pest that can chew needles off tens of millions of hectares of trees in a single outbreak. While there is controversy over genetic engineering, some scientists say it could also help fight climate change by creating trees that grow bigger, faster, resist disease and can even turn carbon into a stable white powder that falls to the ground - in other words, trees that would be better at pulling carbon from the atmosphere.

mpacts and adaptations of climate change across the major regions of the US. Also broken down across 10 sectors-agriculture, coasts, ecosystems, energy, human ,health, etc. 

2:09 video Neil deGrasse Tyson breaks down the differences between weather and climate change.