Global Warming for children

Helping Children understand Global Warming

For young children to understand a concept like Global Warming it needs to be taught through hands-on observable experiments.

Make a terrarium with falling rain. Melt ice and watch the water level of a lake rise. Observe what happens when plants receive more or less water than normal.

Come experience the ice melt on the concept of Global Warming...

Global Warming Table of Contents

Understanding that the polar ice caps are melting may be too difficult for young children to understand but they can learn about the basic fundamentals of Global Warming such as freezing and melting water.

Once they understand that concept they will be closer to understanding Global Warming.

Global warming is...

How can we teach about Global Warming to our children?

One aspect of Global Warming is the increase in the average measured temperature of the Earth's near-surface air and oceans since the mid-20th century, and its projected continuation.

Temperatures and Global Warming

Make a circle and pass around a potato. Have the children notice it's temperature. We are going to pretend that the potato is the earth.

Use a meat thermometer to measure the internal temperature. Use a forehead thermometer to measure the surface temperature.

Put the potato in the toaster oven for a few minutes. Have children quickly feel the surface temperature of the potato and measure the surface temperature. Then measure the internal temperature.

This activity will help children understand how the sun warms the surface of the earth.

Global warming - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: This article is about the current period of increasing global temperature.

Keep track of the Weather

Is Global Warming effecting your Town?

You can't measure global warming on a daily basis but if you compare records from many years, from many places it starts to become evident.

To understand how people keep track of the weather you can keep track of the weather during Calendar Time. If you keep these records from year to year the children will be able to compare information from when their older siblings were their age.

Invite grandparents to come in and share their stories of the weather when they are children. Can they see signs of Global Warming?

Learning Resources Calendar and Weather Pocket Chart

Amazon Price: $29.26 (as of 12/17/2009)

The Three State of Water

Global Warming is evident in the States of Water

1. Put some ice cubes in the freezer and have children observe that the ice cubes stay solid at that temperature.
2. Put some water in the refrigerator and have the children observe that the water stays a liquid.
3. Boil some water and have the children observe that at higher temperatures the water turns to a gas and dissipates into the air.

The Three Forms of Water: Pure water is tasteless, odorless, and colorless. Water can occur in three states: solid (ice), liquid, or gas (vapor).

Hot vs. Cold

To help understand the difference between hot and cold, put hot water in the duck and cold water in the fish and pass around in the circle. Have the children feel the difference.

Next have them close their eyes and see if they can feel the difference.

Note: I chose the duck because it is warm blooded and the fish because it is cold blooded and thus could be used for other lessons.

Amazon no longer sells the fillable ducks and fish. The closest I could find were these sponges. Maybe the puppet sponges could be filled with ziplock bags of ice cubes and hot water.

Kids Bath Tub Hand Mitt - Wash Mitt (Duck) 9h

Amazon Price: (as of 12/17/2009)

Bath Sponge: Duck

Amazon Price: (as of 12/17/2009)

Global Warming: Hot or Cold

These books will help the children understand hot verses cold and how that effects animals that live in hot or cold climates.

After reading about thermometers, have children experiment with measuring temperatures:

1. In the freezer.
2. In the refrigerator.
3. In the sun vs. the shade.
4. Near the radiator or heater.

Keep a daily temperature record at Calendar Time.

If you live in a warm climate, arrange for a field trip to a local supermarket where they have a walk-in cooler. Talk with the children about how they feel about the change in temperature. Could they survive in such a climate?

Next visit a pizza parlor and check out the heat near the pizza oven.

How would you feel about living in these extreme climates?

Hot And Cold (My World)

Hot/Cold (Back to Back)

Is It Hot or Cold? Learni...

Hot Numbers, Cool Math (R...

Reading and Understanding Global Warming

Books about Global Warming

These are books that extend the concept of Global Warming and What Can We Do even offers suggestions that children can do.

1. Help children brainstorm ideas to help with Global Warming.
2. Invite parents to come in and share ways that they are trying to help.

Emphasis that it take every one of us, working together to make a difference but together we can do it.

Why Are the Ice Caps Melt...

The Polar Bears' Home: A...

What We Can Do: A Book Ab...

Why are the polar Caps Melting?

Show the children a globe and point out where the polar regions are. Talk about how this is a cold region, like the air in the freezer, and how even in the summer the snow never melts.

Notice how our hands are warm. Notice that an ice cube is cold.

Gather in a circle on the rug and pass around an ice cube. As you pass it it will melt.

The longer the ice cube is kept warm the sooner it melts.

Pre-K Winter Unit: Ice Cube Game

Water Flows Downhill

As the water melts the lakes and oceans rise.

Set up a sensory table with a thick clear plastic garbage bag filled with sand. Have the children gently help you push the sand into mountains and valleys without breaking the plastic bag.

1. The children can use spray bottles to see how the water always flow downhill.
2. After a few days put some ice cubes or frost from the freezer on the tops of the mountains and see how the snow and ice melt and run downhill.

The water will form lakes and streams. Put some Monopoly houses along the lake shore. Allow more snow or ice to melt from the tops of the mountains.

Notice how the level of the lake rises and the houses get flooded.

See-Thru Mini Sensory Table

Amazon Price: (as of 12/17/2009)

Holding an Ice Cube

Children love experimenting with ice. What happens when the ice is dirty. How does the sand effect the time it takes for the ice to melt?

The ice cube in this little boy's hand is covered in sand.

Ice Cube Melting on the Sidewalk

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Global Warming Activities

Gather the children around a table. Show the children a lamp with an incandescent light bulb. Have the children feel the bulb when it is off. Notice that it is cold.

Turn the lamp on. Have children hold their hands just above it and notice that the bulb is hot.

Now repeat this with a new florescent bulb.

Florescent Light Bulb

Notice how that bulb stays cool.

Florescent bulbs don't waste energy giving off so much heat.

Changing bulbs to florescent will help to slow Global Warming.

Global Warming Activity, Kindergarten: How can we help young children begin to grasp important environmental issues while empowering them to make a difference? The following classroom activity introduces the topic of global warming to a kindergarten level, with "Mother Earth" asking the students to help keep her healthy.
Weather Lesson Plans and Themes: Weather Lesson Plans and Themes

Your reaction to Global Warming

Global Warming

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Can children understand Global Warming?

Fetching blurbs now... please stand by

Yes

Saeesh says:

sure!!!

Posted December 14, 2009

Chelsea says:

yes - many of my students are more conscious about their personal impact on the planet with recycling than I am some days!

Posted December 02, 2009

keaton says:

use solar panals

Posted November 17, 2009

Diane says:

they can understand it if explained to them correctly. they just need to respond to aht you are saying. try some hands on activities. thats explaining it in their language. don't use all these big scientific terms. work your way up.

Posted November 17, 2009

Anjali says:

if they put their minds and focus then they can understand global warming

Posted November 07, 2009

No

karthik says:

we can

Posted August 31, 2009

Alisha says:

i cant

Posted July 31, 2009

view all 12 comments

How to Make a terrarium

Observing Global Warming or the Greenhouse Effect on a Small Scale

Help the children set up several terrariums. Once they are stabilized it is time to start experimenting.

1. What happens if more water is added to one?
2. What happens if you take the top off one and allow it to dry out?
3. What happens if you put one in direct sunlight?
4. What happens if you put one in the refrigerator or freezer?
5. Leave at least one without changes as a control.

Keep a record of the experiments with photos and written observation.

To extrapolate from the information gathered talk about how Global Warming is effecting the earth.

How to Make a terrarium: Lots of great information and tutorials on how to make terrariums. Soda bottle, glass, even aquarium sized terrariums.

Global Warming and Baking Cookies

Mix up a batch of cookies and then let the children watch as the heat melts the batter, rises up and then sinks down and cracks after taking them out.

Global Warming and Dried up Pool

When ponds dry up, the mud in the pond resembles the cracked cookies. As the earth warms up some areas of the earth are drying out.

The Science Chef: 100 Fun...

The Math Chef: Over 60 Ma...

Global Warming Cookie Recipe

Global Warming Bake Sale

Lumberjack Cookies

One summer I had the privilege of living with my Grandmother, an incredible cook, who taught me how to bake Lumberjack Cookies. She was famous for her skills at baking and often won the Vermont State Grange baking contest. This is the recipe that she...

Children can Help Slow Global Warming

How can you help stop Global Warming?

Here are some of the things children can do to help slow Global Warming. Please add to the suggestions and come back often to check out more ideas.

Together we can make a difference.

1

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Vote Down

Turn off the lights.

2 points

2

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Use the whole paper and then recycle it.

2 points

3

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Vote Down

Don't let the water run.

1 point

4

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Vote Down

Walk or ride your bike instead of taking the car.

1 point

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Ways to Stop Global Warming

Looking for more lenses about ways to stop Global Warming. Please add your lenses here:

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Inexpensive Eco-Friendly Christmas

With these difficult economic and ecological times more...1 point

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"Together we can make a difference. Let's stop Global Warming!"

Children can Help to Stop Global Warming

Photo Credit: Baking Global Warming Cookies
is in the Public Domain

Stephen Lewis Foundation: We put on a bake sale, with "Global Warming" cookies, and spread awareness and sugary goodness at the same time!
Tucson kids help scientists research global warming: The National Phenology Network is enlisting volunteers to help track early spring blooms and eventually changes in animals caused by global warming. It's called Project BudBurst. When it debuted last year, thousands of people participated in 26 states.
"All people can contribute to it by tracking the timing of flowering events or leaf-out events for plants and animals in their back yard," said phenology network director Jake Weltzin.

Reusable Bags Help Stop Global Warming

When you go to the grocery store or any other shop, take along a cloth bag to bring home your purchases. I have canvas bags that I have used over and over for more than 20 years.

Think how many trees were saved by not turning them into paper bags. Trees are needed to produce oxygen and absorb the carbon dioxide that causes global warming.

People tell us that plastic bags are now recyclable but they don't tell us that after being recycled one time they become hard plastic that can't be used again. The process to make the plastic bags, recycle the bags and transport the bags uses energy that contributes to global warming.

Cloth bags encourage the growth of cotton plants and, as we know, plants absorb carbon dioxide reducing the cause of global warming.

Grocery Bag Tote Bag

From: shar star store

Price: 15.99

Green Grocery Tote Tote Bag

From: CoMo Funnies

Price: 15.98

Stop Global Warming Tote Bag

From: What I Did In The War

Price: 15.99

Global Warming - It's not cool! - Tote Bag

From: Global Warming - It's Not Cool!

Price: 14.99

Global Warming: An Inconvenient Truth

Background information for Teachers on Global Warming

An Inconvenient Truth

Amazon Price: $14.99 (as of 12/17/2009)

Tom Paxton - Whose garden was this?

What are we doing to our World?

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Pete Seeger and Climate Change

Sing and help Stop Global Warming

Pete Seeger sings "One Blue Sky Above Us" in 2007.

Pete Seeger on December 8th

Legendary folk singer-songwriter Pete Seeger sings his song One Blue Sky and talks about the need to get involved in the International Day of Climate Action on December 8th, 2007. You can go to www.climatecrisiscoalition.org for more information.

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Think Globally, Act Locally

Pete Seeger and Global Warming

AMERICAN MASTERS Pete Seeger: Power of Song "Think Globally"

AMERICAN MASTERS Pete Seeger: The Power of Song airs February 27 on PBS (check local listings). Pete Seeger helped introduce America to its own musical heritage, devoting his life to using the power of sing as a force for social change. Standing strong for deeply-held beliefs, Seeger went from the top of the pop charts to the top of the blacklist and was banned from American commercial television for more than 17 years. This determined singer/songwriter made his voice heard and encouraged the people of the world to sing out along with him. Now almost 90, Seeger continues to invigorate and inspire the musicians who help tell his story- including Joan Baez, Bruce Springsteen, Natalie Maines, Tom Paxton, Arlo Guthrie, and others. In this video clip, Pete Seeger explains how you can change the world. AMERICAN MASTERS is produced for PBS by Thirteen/WNET New York. For more information, visit www.pbs.org/americanmasters

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Look Who's Twittering about Global Warming

Scornful_Luigi Dec 17, 2009 @ 5:51 am

Russian meteorological-station data did not substantiate the anthropogenic global-warming theory. http://j.mp/7z6tfe #climategate
xxloverxx Dec 17, 2009 @ 5:44 am

http://tinyurl.com/ycy5bkw Most Earth-like extrasolar planet found right next door Now shut up about global warming.
gkia Dec 17, 2009 @ 5:41 am

Ibrahim Dincer, Adnan Midilli, Arif Hepbasli, T. Hikmet Karakoc, "Global Warming: Engineering Soluti.. http://bit.ly/8wyeyy #GKiA
EasyWish_Tech Dec 17, 2009 @ 4:37 am

http://www.easywish.com/wish/1157 Fight Global Warming with Eco-friendly TV by Sony - @SonyEurope @SonyElectronics #Copenhagen
iPowerGS Dec 17, 2009 @ 4:33 am

iPowerGS.com News No Fluke: Big week for global warming issue: Media attention this week focused on President Barra... http://bit.ly/4WwBbV

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How is Global Warming effecting Polar Animals?

Lemmings: Falling into the Sea of Knowledge

When the winds start to howl and the snow begins to blow you can capture your student's attention with this innovative Arctic Unit Study focusing on lemmings. Your little lemmings will be excited to learn with a theme that includes little furry crea...

Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?

How do you feel about Gray Wolves? What do you know about wolves in general? Do wolves really dress in Grandma's clothes and eat little girls? In the Wolf Unit Study you can learn about the anatomy of these fascinating canines, where they live,...

The Three Bears: A Unit Study

There are the three bears that Goldilocks encountered but in Alaska there are also three types of real bears. (Ok, Four if you count the Kodiak but it fits the tale better to combine the Kodiak with the Brown or Grizzly Bears.) The three best known...

Pigloo: Penguins Sing in French

These happy French-singing penguins will get your kids singing along and they won't even realize that they are learning French. We all know that learning a second language is very important but who knew it could be so much fun. Pop a Pigloo CD into...

Global Warming in the News!

More than 2 trillion tons of arctic ice has melted since 2003 - Yahoo! News: More than 2 trillion tons of land ice in Greenland, Antarctica and Alaska have melted since 2003, according to new NASA satellite data that show the latest signs of what scientists say is global warming. News, Headlines and Latest Stories on Yahoo! News
Slow Sunday: The simple solution to global warming: Satish Kumar: Using Sunday as a day of rest would be good for our personal health as well as the health of the planet ...declare Sunday to be a fossil fuel-free day ...

Wind Power

Producing Clean Energy

Make a pinwheel, go outside and watch the wind make the pinwheel go around. Wind is everywhere. All we have to do is harness it to make it work for us.

Now make another pinwheel with a long pin, maybe a hatpin in the center that spins with the pinwheel. Set a wet bar of soap on the edge of a table and hold the pinwheel gently just touching the soap allowing it to still rotate. Notice that the rotating pinwheel eats into the bar of soap.

This is how windmills were used to grind wheat. How else could the wind be used to replace fossil fuels?

Science in Seconds with Toys: Over 100 Experiments You Can Do in Ten Minutes or Less

by: Jean Potter

page 88: ... PINWHEEL POWER Does the Wind Have Power? MATERIALS toy pinwheel outdoor area Note: ...

Amazon Price: $10.10 (as of 12/17/2009)

Wind Power (True Books)

by: Christine Petersen

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Observing and Recording the Effects of Global Warming

Bluebirds of the Meadow

Summer nears and the bluebirds start nesting along the fenceline. The children are fascinated with the way they fly back and forth to build their nests. They become the focus of our next Unit Study, Bluebirds of the Meadow. As your little bluebirds...

Project BudBurst: Recording the Signs of Spring

My grandmother was an avid gardener and observer of nature. She kept careful track of when the snow melted, buds emerged in the Spring and when each flower burst into bloom. Records like these are now being sought by Project BudBurst to create a data...