home

= Global Warming Pathfinder =

====This pathfinder is intended for use by Stage 3 students to guide research both at school and at home. Carefully selected websites and resources which are found in the library are listed below. Feel free to locate more information using the library catalogue (accessed through My Library in your student portal) and also to search using sites such as Google (and Google Wonder Wheel), AskJeeves and Dogpile (among many others) to find more information on this topic if required. ====

When researching it is always handy to follow the information process skills as outlined below:

 * [[image:ISP_Model.jpg width="237" height="258" caption="ISP Model by DET, NSW"]] || ====== A guide to help you follow the steps in the ISP model: ======

=
Organising: How are you going to use the information? How can you combine the information from different sources? How can you structure it? Remember to include an introduction, a body and a conclusion. ======

=
Presenting: How are you going to present the information you have found? Who is the audience? There are many ways to present your information. Which is best and most effective to get the information to your audience? ======

=
Assessing: Did you meet the requirements of the task? What were the strengths and weaknesses in your information processing skills? What could you do in the future? Reflect also on how you worked within your group. ====== ||

Glossary

 * Atmosphere:** gases that surround the earth - this includes the air that we breathe.
 * Biodiversity:** the variety of life forms on earth. This includes animals, plants, their habitats and their genes.
 * Continent:** A large land mass surrounded by water. The continents are Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America and South America.
 * Ecosystem:** a community of living things that interact with each other and the environment.
 * Emissions: ** the gases that are pumped into the atmosphere by cars and other machinery.
 * Energy: ** what makes things work or go.
 * Environment:** natural and built surroundings.
 * Exhaust fumes: ** gases (known as carbon monoxide) produced in the engines of vehicles that are released into the air through the exhaust pipe.
 * Fossil fuels: ** Non-renewable sources of energy. These include coal, oil and natural gas.
 * Global Warming: ** an increase in the average temperature worldwide believed to be caused by the greenhouse effect.
 * Greenhouse Effect: **the rise in temperature that the Earth experiences because certain gases in the atmosphere trap energy from the sun.
 * Habitat: ** the place where animals and plants usually live.
 * Per capita: ** per individual or person, usually used in statistics.
 * Pollution: ** anything that makes any part of the environment unclean.
 * Renewable energy: ** energy sources that are cleaner and better for the environment.
 * Resources: ** things we use to make all the products we need.
 * Smog: ** air pollution that can be seen as a thick hazy cloud.

** Macmillan Primary Atlas (2007) Call number: R 912 MAC **
Use the atlas to refer to countries and regions as you learn about global warming and the effects it has on the world. The Australian section in particular contains information about the concentration of where people live, land use (such as farming, managed forests, commercial fishing and little or limited use of land), mineral and energy use and world heritage areas. This information can determine where global warming may be having the greatest impact or the areas that may be impacting on global warming.

** Collins Primary Dictionary (2001) Call number: R 423 PRI **
This dictionary not only provides the meanings for unknown words, it also tells you whether the word is a noun, verb, adverb, pronoun or contraction, as well as how to sound out (say) some words. It contains some handy tips on how to use the dictionary (pages 4 and 5) and contains some illustrations which you will find helpful. The back of the dictionary contains special interest pages such as the solar system, cross-section of the earth and parts of a flower (just to name a few). The continents (on page 430) may be useful to refer to while you are learning about effects of global warming on different parts of the world.

**Australia 2000 - People, Places and Events from Australian History (1999) Call number: R 994 AUS**
Go to Section 8 - Geography and Climate (on page 319). This section provides you with some background information on Australia's seas, physical features, land resources, climate, natural hazards, biology and environment. The 'Threats to Australia's Biodiversity' on page 328 provides information about the types of threats to Australia's biodiversity, such as development, introduced species and pollution. Although this book is now ten years old, the information is a good start for you to learn about threats to Australia so that you can define your topic and locate further resources.

**Environment Alert (2004) Call number: 363.7 PEA**
This book describes what an environment is, what resources are and how they are used. It then gives definitions for topics such as recycling, water usage, electricity, different types of pollution and how you can care for your environment. Each topic contains a question for you to think about, for example, "What are some ways that you can use water wisely at home and at school?". Environment Alert is a great book (with an Australian focus) to begin your research in global warming and also helps you organise the direction your research is going by thinking about what individuals can do to help their environment.

**Global Citizenship - Protecting Global Environments (2003) Call number: 363.7 WAT**
How can you make a difference to protecting the environment? This book gives definitions of the different environments, resources and ecosystems. It then gives information about the features of natural environments from the land to mountain areas to the atmosphere and how we, as global citizens, can treat these environments with care. A section is also included on protecting living things, protecting the built environment and how global citizens can make a difference to the world they live in.

**Weather or not... It's a Climate for Change (2007) Call number: 363.73 TRA**
This very easy to understand book with interesting and funny illustrations will help you understand weather, greenhouse gases, climate change and solutions for a cleaner and renewable future. Read about 'Power to the Water' and 'Energy Removalists' on pages 10 and 11 after watching the 'Oceans of Climate Change' video (listed below in World Wide Web Resources). It will give you information on why the water cycle plays an important part in weather and climate change. The questions on page 25 'What's for Dinner?' really make you think about your contribution to climate change. What can you do to help?

**Pollution and Waste (1995) Call number: 363 HAR**
Are you ready to do some hands on stuff? You'll find information about different types of pollution, the effects on the ozone layer and different types of waste that humans generate. It suggests a lot of experiments from making a simple pollution tester to making a pinwheel to use the power of wind. There are even some craft activities that encourage recycling such as making paper mache masks to organising a litter blitz in your school or community.

**Australia's Best Environmentalists (1997) Call number: 363 GOT**
As part of your presentation on global warming, you may want to discuss some Australians that have made a significant contribution to environmental protection.There are profiles about Bob Brown (Tasmanian Environmentalist and current Greens Party leader), Peter Garrett (former singer, environmental activist and currently Labor Minister for School Education, Early Childhood and Youth) and Christine Milne (Tasmanian Green) who's work was inspired by the devastation of forests by acid rain. One of her favourite sayings is: 'Nobody ever made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could only do a little'.

Oceans of Climate Change (video) from NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
What can a water balloon teach us about climate change on Earth? Watch a science experiment conducted by an oceanographer to portray how the Earth is warming through its oceans. The four minute video contains an animation of how heat is trapped in our atmosphere and then the oceanographer conducts an experiment using a water balloon. Remember, if you'd like to try this experiment, please have responsible adult supervision.

=== **World Map Animation from GENI - Global Energy Network Institute ** === GENI's (Global Energy Network Institute) vision is of a world in which all people have access to ecologically sustainable energy. This world map animation (dated 2005) provides interesting statistics on CO 2 (carbon dioxide) emissions, energy and environment, energy sources (including coal, gas, renewable and nuclear), human development, population growth rates and technology use. Click on the timeline in the bottom right hand column to show an animation of CO 2 emissions and electricity consumption over a 25 year timeline. What changes do you see?

**Global Warming Effects Map ** National Geographic have an interactive map of the world that shows the likely scenarios if global warming continues. It contains information from changing forests and loss of biodiversity in Australia to reduced growing seasons and populations at risk in Africa. Click on each link in the map to read about what could happen in that area of the world. Use this site along with the GENI world map animation to see if the statistics match the effects. You may also need to refer to the atlas to find out more about the agriculture, climate and population of each of the regions to answer questions you may have about why these effects are occurring.

===**Global Education - Climate Change: Tread Lightly** === Using the information processing skills outlined above, this global learning quest enables you to answer the question: How can we use energy more sustainably? This is a great site for you to undertake an activity as a group. Each member takes on a role (small foot, common foot and big foot) and you are asked questions about your ecological footprint, what it is and how different lifestyles affect climate change. A rubric is included for your group's self evaluation of the task. What did you find out? How big is your footprint?

Climate Change - US EPA
This easy to read site has been created by the United States Environmental Protection Agency for school age students. There are links on the left hand side of the home page for you to click and learn more about climate change, climate detectives and what you can do to make a difference. Click on Greenhouse Effect on the left hand column and then scroll down to find a simple animation on what the greenhouse effect is. Click on the Games link to test yourself on climate change knowledge, complete a wordsearch, play hangman and many other fun games that will also help you learn about global warming and climate change. Note that this is an American site so you may need to convert Fahrenheit to Celsius.

Australian Conservation Foundation
A great deal of information found on the worldwide web is from other countries (in particular the USA). While the information is useful, it is important to look at the Australian perspective, particularly on a topic such as global warming, to understand how it affects you at home. This site provides information about how climate change is impacting on Australia and how we can make a difference by supporting 'clean energy' jobs, understanding the emissions trading scheme and how individuals can take action, both at home and in the community, to fight against climate change.

Climate Challenge Game
This is a game from the BBC for those who want a challenge! You are the President of the European Nations and you must put policies in place that will tackle climate change and keep you popular enough with voters to stay in office. Policies are selected from national, trade, industry, local and household sectors. As you move your cursor over the policies, public opinion (for and against) are displayed to help you decide. Once all policies are put in place, click on the 'next' arrow and a mock newspaper article appears on how well you have managed policies, including an approval rating meter. How does this activity change your view of how climate change can be tackled? You might already have some ideas on what you can do, but what are the responsibilities of government bodies?