AY Honors/Climate Science - Advanced/Requirements

Climate Science - Advanced

Authority:
Category:
Skill Level:
Year Introduced:

Requirements

1. Earn the Climate Science Honor, and at least one of the following honors:
    Alternative Fuels
    Ecology
    Environmental Conservation
    Recycling
    Renewable Energy
    Rivers and Streams
    Weather

2. What is industrialized agriculture? What are some positive and negative impacts that industrialized agriculture has had on earth’s climate? How have industrialized agriculture methods changed over the past 200 years?

3. Name at least two government agencies in your country and three non-government organizations (e.g. UN, IPCC) that provide research associated with climate change for the purposes of influencing government policy. Review a report published by each of these five entities and discuss the similarities and differences of their evidence and conclusions.

4. Research a climate change topic that may be controversial.

a. Identify a source from each side of the controversy that utilizes scientific evidence to support the authors’ conclusions.

b. Outline each argument providing the hypothesis, evidence, and conclusion for each side.

c. Examine your outlines to determine if your own personal biases affected your outlines.

d. Answer the following question: Can a person examine scientific evidence without allowing their personal biases to affect their examination?

5. What is permafrost? How does the Earth’s climate affect permafrost? Why is it important for scientists to monitor permafrost?

6. Research your state/provincial government’s efforts to address the effects of greenhouse gases. Be prepared to discuss your findings with a group.

7. Renewable energy has been postulated as a solution for reducing greenhouse gases. Do three of the following:

a. Illustrate through creative media the process of how greenhouse gases are theorized to effect change to our climate.

b. Research what efforts your local state/provincial government is taking to promote the adoption of renewable energy sources.

c. List ways you and your family can adopt renewable energy or reduce your energy footprint.

d. Where possible, invite a local expert to come speak to your group about climate change and renewable energy.

e. Find and review online resources, videos, news reports, and similar media and share them with your group.

8. Individually or as a group, complete one of the following:

a. Create a model of a water harvesting system. Prepare and give an oral presentation to a group, presenting your model, its effectiveness, and the local laws concerning gathering rain water.

b. Visit a park, museum, science center, or other facility that employs eco-conscious practices. Take a tour, talk to an employee, or in some other way learn about and evaluate the features you see.