Activities for Conceptualizing Climate and Climate Change 1 Teacher Guide Climate Change and Biomes

Activity Focus: Students analyze and interpret maps involving climates and biomes. Students create a biome map for the decade of 2050’s. Major Concepts: Greenhouse gases (CO2, methane, water vapor and nitrous oxides) may be increasing global warming. Global warming may be creating climate change. Climates help determine natural habitats (biomes). Biome maps need to be changed as climate change occurs. Objectives: After completing this activity, students will be able to: • state that precipitation and temperature determine climates. • explain how climates help determine biomes. • explain how biomes effect climates. • explain how greenhouse gases increase global warming which may create climate change • compare temperatures and precipitation to different time periods to see climate changes. • explain similarities between climate zones and biome maps