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Science Teachers for Climate Awareness
The Australian Institute of Physics (AIP)(Vic) Education Committee and the Royal Australian Chemical Institute (RACI) (Vic) Chemical Education Group have established an initiative 'Science Teachers for Climate Awareness' (STCA) to support teachers in speaking to their communities on the concerns of climate change. The AIP Committee has prepared a range of resources to assist them in this endeavour.
Teachers usually start by speaking to their peers at their school, then to their parent body, then to similar groups at their feeder schools before contacting local community groups.
If you wish to be involved please contact the AIP.
If you wish have a teacher speak to your group please contact the AIP.
A ‘Training afternoon’ was held on Thursday, 5th November. Professor David Karoly of the University of Melbourne and the IPCC endorses this initiative and attended. He presented a briefing on the latest climate change science. His briefing can be accessed below.
A full day program was held on Monday, 29th March at Kew High School. The opening speaker was Prof Neville Nicholls from Monash University and the IPCC. Prof Neville Nicholls was a lead author of chapter 9 (‘Understanding and attributing climate change) of the IPCC Fourth Assessment, a lead author of the Summary for Policymakers and Technical Summary for the IPCC Working Group 1 assessment, and a member of the writing team for the IPCC Synthesis Report. Prof Neville Nicholls presented a briefing on the latest climate change science, how the IPCC operates and how the media distorts published evidence. His briefing can be accessed below.
Another opportunity will be held later in the year. If you would like to be advised of the event when details are finalised, please contact the AIP with subject "Booking: Climate Change" and also a short statement on why you would like to be involved.
Climate Change Workshop Material
Type | Filename | Filesize | |
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3.16 MB | ||
The text and images for the accompanying booklet. Its purpose is to augment the presentation for the audience members who want it. The material is in A4 and 14 point. It has been arranged so that it is to be printed two pages to an A4 sheet. If doubled sided, then folded in the middle it becomes a 24 page A5 booklet. It is in colour with over 20 images. Copies of the booklet to be made available to audience members can be requested from the AIP (see link above), but to reduce costs, where appropriate some pages will be in black and white. | |||
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8.8 MB | ||
This is the presentation from the March 2010 Climate Change workshop. It can be down in a comfortable 50 minutes. An Enhanced presentation with additional material listed below. Prepared by Dan O'Keeffe, AIP (Vic Branch) Education Committee. | |||
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187 kB | ||
Advice on finding groups to talk to and other groups that can provide support. | |||
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104 kB | ||
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Prof David Karoly's Presentation from the November 2009 workshop |
10.4 MB | |
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11.2 MB | ||
A presentation on ways in which to cut greenhouse emissions through a transition to renewable and low emission fuels for electricity generation, transport, domestic and industrial activity. | |||
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Professor Neville Nicholls Presentation from the March 2010 STCA workshop |
2.12 MB | |
Professor Nicholls gives a brief history of climate science and the work of the IPCC and some of the difficulties facing communicating its message to the media and the public | |||
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9.37 MB | ||
A somewhat less technical presentation on climate science. KB | |||
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15.3 MB | ||
A presentation in which responses to various denier arguments can be accessed by clicking on a list at the beginning of the presentation. | |||
Resources, Practical activities, Background on the Science Content, Useful Weblinks, Debunking Denier Myths
Additional information on
- Papers presented at previous Physics Teachers Conferences,
- Documents by the IPCC, and international and national Science bodies,
- Teaching Resources,
- What can I do to help
Resources
Type | Filename | Filesize | |
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9.49 MB | ||
This presentation takes a more analytical approach with several graphs. It uses the Malinkovitch movie listed below. Prepared by Dan O'Keeffe, AIP (Vic Branch) Education Committee. | |||
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13.5 MB | ||
This Powerpoint contains back up slides from the presentations by KB, CH, NPL and some from IPCC. | |||
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8.63 MB | ||
This presentation takes a more persuasive approach with fewer graphs. It uses the Milankovitch movie listed below. It ws prepared by Jane Coyle, Marian College, Sunshine West | |||
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85 kB | ||
This is the file to run the simulation of the Milankovitch cycles in Jane's ppt. You will first need to download both the ppt and this file. Open the ppt and go to the slide 6, right click on the white box in the middle of the slide and select Properties and a table will appear left of screen. Go to 'Movie' for the entry containing the location and filename of the movie. Ensure this matches where you have saved the file. Then run the ppt. | |||
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3.71 MB | ||
A case study on strategies that were employed to reduce home emissions. Actual graphs used. | |||
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108 kB | ||
Suggested text for a slide by slide commentary for the AIP PowerPoint used in the Climate Change Workshop. | |||
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15.3 MB | ||
This is a presentation used at STAVCON 2009 and at the Feb 2010 teachers conferences by Keith Burrows on climate change sceptics. It contains answers to common climate denier arguments. It will be updated from time to time to deal with recent issues. | |||
Practical Activities
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462 kB | ||
Spectroscope example activity sheet. | |||
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453 kB | ||
A video prepared by the CSIRO based on their climate model. It shows a colour map of Australia with the colour showing the progessive temperature increase over the next century. | |||
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1.69 MB | ||
A video prepared by the CSIRO based on their climate model. It shows a colour map of the earth with the colour showing the progessive temperature increase over the next century. | |||
Background on the Science Content
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5.82 MB | ||
The 76 page pdf file prepared by the Austalian Bureau of Meteorology. It is a very compressive and impressive document, excellent graphics, but written pre IPCC 2007 | |||
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5.96 MB | ||
28 pages of notes with numerous graphics prepared by Christina Hart. It includes at the end an extensive annotated list of web based resources. | |||
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969 kB | ||
Prepared by Christina Hart. | |||
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11.7 MB | ||
A PowerPoint prepared by the UK's National Physical Laboratory for their 'Protons for Outreach' program. | |||
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359 kB | ||
Part 1: Introduction and references. The PowerPoint was prepared by the UK's National Physical Laboratory for their 'Protons for Outreach' program. | |||
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1.37 MB | ||
Part 2: The problem of large numbers. The PowerPoint was prepared by the UK's National Physical Laboratory for their 'Protons for Outreach' program. | |||
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1.96 MB | ||
Part 3: What should the surface temperature of the Earth be? The PowerPoint was prepared by the UK's National Physical Laboratory for their 'Protons for Outreach' program. | |||
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1.34 MB | ||
Part 4: The carbon cycle The PowerPoint was prepared by the UK's National Physical Laboratory for their 'Protons for Outreach' program. | |||
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6.57 MB | ||
Part 5: Should we be concerned? The PowerPoint was prepared by the UK's National Physical Laboratory for their 'Protons for Outreach' program. | |||
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817 kB | ||
Part 6: Likely effects The PowerPoint was prepared by the UK's National Physical Laboratory for their 'Protons for Outreach' program. | |||
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400 kB | ||
Handout for the PowerPoint prepared by the UK's National Physical Laboratory for their 'Protons for Outreach' program. | |||
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346 kB | ||
Template prepared by the UK's National Physical Laboratory for their 'Protons for Outreach' program. The template is based on one published in the Journal of Chemical Education. | |||
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213 kB | ||
Instructions prepared by the UK's National Physical Laboratory for their 'Protons for Outreach' program. The design is based on one published in the Journal of Chemical Education. | |||
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3.06 MB | ||
A pdf file of the booklet "Climate literacy: The essential principles of climate sciences" prepared by the US Climate Change Science Program. The booklet is very wordy and lots of pretty pictures, but no diagrams or data. | |||
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Spreadsheet comparing a compact fluorescent with an incandescent |
45.6 kB | |
The spreadsheet compares the amount of CO2 used and mercury released. Some data can be entered, but the spreadsheet is in pounds and uses UK data. | |||
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44.5 kB | ||
The critique is from the crikey.com website | |||
Useful Weblinks
Global Warming Briefing from National Physical Laboratory
The NPL in the UK runs a program called "Protons for Breakfast'. The program is a 6-week course for 'people interested in science and its impact on our lives'. It is held in the evenings. As part of that program there is a session on global warming. This link has the Powerpoint divided in to 6 parts, ranging from 1 to 6MB. The files can be downloaded from this website, but you may wish to check out how fit into their program. Other resources are available by making selctions on the left. Selecting 'Downloads' displays for 'week 4' a 11MB PowerPoint and a pdf handout, which can also be downloaded from this website. The spectroscope files have also been put on this site.
Greenhouse Effect and Climate Change
A link to the 72 page pdf file prepared by the Australian Bureau of Meterorology. It is an impressive document although it was written before the latest IPCC report. The file has been put on this website.
The UK Met Office: Climate Change
This web page has two sections of interest: 'A Guide to Climate Change' and 'Climate Science'. The former has sub-sections on 'Climate facts', 'Effects' 'What you can do' and 'Climate timeline'. The latter has sub-sections on'Climate sciencs explained' and 'climate projections'
Climate Research Unit at the University of East Anglia
This websits looks particularly useful. It has sections on myths, data, information sheets, posters, demos and presentations.
The Discovery of Global Warming
A website on the history of global warming by the American Institute of Physics with a searchable table of contents.
An Educational Global Climate Model
This climate model has been written by NASA scientists to run on a PC or a Mac. It is designed for educational use at secondary and lower tertiary level. It is sophisticated and accurate, but manageable with some guidance.
Use a Climate Model as a Screensaver
This site has lots of information plus the chance to run a climate model on your PC or Mac as a screensaver. They say "Climateprediction.net is a distributed computing project to produce predictions of the Earth's climate up to 2080 and to test the accuracy of climate models. To do this, we need people around the world to give us time on their computers - time when they have their computers switched on, but are not using them to their full capacity.". It has a useful description on climate models.
The Report of the Garnaut Climate Change Review
The Garnaut Report has some useful information on the Science of Climate Change, in particular Ch 2 of the Final Report ('Understanding Climate Science'); Commissioned papers (Three on the Science of Climate Change), Technical Papers and Issues Papers.
Debunking Denier Myths
Type | Filename | Filesize | |
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1.82 MB | ||
An article prepared by Dr Brett Parris, Chief Economist, World Vision and Research Fellow at Monash University. The article analyses in depth 21 common denier myths with over 20 pages of references. | |||
Scholars and Rogues
A concise treatment of 20 myths. " 'Scholars & Rogues' is a diverse band of thinkers, social analysts, activists, grousers, jesters, and troublemakers. We’re different in many ways, but we share a general belief in progress, a conviction that smarter is better, and a passionate distaste for convention."
Greenfyre's
This blog site lists 15 different websites on 'Debunking Denier Myths; including the one from Scholars and rogues'.
The Royal Society
This authoritative site lists 8 misleading arguments with a detailed response on each. The Royal Society has produced this overview of the current state of scientific understanding of climate change to help non-experts better understand some of the debates in this complex area of science. This is not intended to provide exhaustive answers to every contentious argument that has been put forward by those who seek to distort and undermine the science of climate change and deny the seriousness of the potential consequences of global warming. Instead, the Society - as the UK's national academy of science - responds here to eight key arguments that are currently in circulation by setting out, in simple terms, where the weight of scientific evidence lies.