Video

In this learning activity, students use a web-based carbon calculator to determine their carbon footprint on the basis of their personal and household habits and choices. Students identify which personal activities and household choices produce the most CO2 emissions, compare their carbon footprint to the U.S. and global averages, and identify lifestyle changes they can make to reduce their footprint.

This animated slideshow introduces biodiesel as a fuel alternative. With concern about the use of petroleum-based fuels at an all-time high, biodiesel is experiencing a popularity surge. And algaeâotherwise known to some as pond scumâ are grabbing headlines as the next potential biodiesel superstar. But how and why do algae make oil? And why do they make so much of it? In this audio slide show, U.C. Berkeley's Kris Niyogi describes the process and its potential.

In this activity, students reconstruct past climates using lake varves as a proxy to interpret long-term climate patterns. Students use data from sediment cores to understand annual sediment deposition and how it relates to weather and climate patterns.

An applet about the Milankovitch cycle that relates temperature over the last 400,000 years to changes in the eccentricity, precession, and orbital tilt of Earth's orbit.

This video provides entertaining animations about the similarities and differences between weather and climate. It is very simple and fast. References are provided at the end of the video.

This 3-minute video from PBS Wisconsin describes the socioeconomic vulnerability of elderly and impoverished populations during Wisconsin's heatwaves. A short summary provides more details about the dangers of heatwaves in urban settings and describes the projected increases in number of day over 90 degrees in Wisconsin. Students conduct a thoughtful discussion about climate-change related heatwaves and are tasked with creating poetry about their own experiences.

This short video introduces the concept of the urban heat island effect.

This video explains how scientists measure ice melt in Antarctica, the conditions of the ice sheet in Antarctica, and how that melting ice can contribute to sea level rise and affect communities all over the world.

This video provides a call to action by using interviews with young activists about how they have decided to contribute to climate solutions. This includes things such as reducing meat consumption, biking instead of driving, and talking about personal perspectives on climate change. Below the video, there are also Educator Resources with two optional activities to complement the video. These include creating a mural of the students' proposed actions and writing a letter to a local newspaper.

In this video, students will learn how clean energy options such as solar and wind are engineered. The video discusses how these technologies will power our future and how they benefit our health, our wallets, and our planet.