Objectives:

Upon completion of this activity, students will:

• Understand and be able to communicate explanations about the concepts of climate, climate change and the greenhouse effect.
• Identify and utilize various methods for studying climate change including scientific method and local knowledge, as well as, recognize that people from many different cultures have and continue to make contributions to science and technology.
• Identify various types of technology used for scientific research and understand that technology enhances accuracy and allows scientists to analyze and quantify results of investigations.
• Understand Arctic climate is affected by interactions among earth’s systems (atmosphere, biosphere, geosphere and hydrosphere).
• Recognize that the atmosphere is a mixture of nitrogen, oxygen, and trace gases amongst other things.
• Understand that climate change has impacts for flora and fauna, including humans because all organisms must be able to obtain and use resources, grow, reproduce, and maintain stable internal conditions while living in a constantly changing external environment. Extinction of a species occurs when the environment changes and the adaptive characteristics of the organism are insufficient to allow for its survival.