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This video segment from the PBS NOVA program 'Earth: The Operators' Manual' explores how we know that today’s increased levels of CO2 are caused by humans burning fossil fuels and not by some natural process, such as volcanic out-gassing. Climate scientist Richard Alley provides a detailed step-by-step explanation that examines the physics and chemistry of different “flavors” or isotopes of carbon in Earth’s atmosphere.
GOALS
Following suggestions are by CLEAN reviewers:
- Use to start a discussion or unit on the misconception that volcanoes emit more CO2 into the atmosphere than human activities.
- Additional resources from this program are available here: http://earththeoperatorsmanual.com/
- If needed, students can review fossil fuel formation in segment 3 of this same set of resources.
ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION AND TEACHING MATERIALS
Watch >> It's Us
TEACHING NOTES / CONTEXT FOR USE
CLEAN reviewers comments about this resource:
About the Science
- Penn State climatologist Richard Alley describes how we know that most of the carbon being added to the atmosphere in the last century is from fossil fuels.
- Alley explains that by measuring the different carbon isotopes and the changes in carbon compared to oxygen, we know how much carbon is added to the atmosphere by living organisms and volcanoes (small) compared to that added by burning fossil fuels (large).
- Passed initial science review - expert science review pending.
About the Pedagogy
- Audio track is augmented by word track running along the bottom.
- Teaching tips, learning objectives, and an annotated script are included to facilitate the use of this resource in classrooms.
Technical Details/Ease of Use
- Excellent quality.
- This segment is from the hour-long episode but stands alone quite well.
Related URLs These related sites were noted by our reviewers but have not been reviewed by CLEAN
http://earththeoperatorsmanual.com/ASSESSMENT
Assessment is at the discretion of the educator and how this video is applied.
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