Year 11 - Science
Global climate change and the effects
Atmosphere and changing climate
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
This unit explores the composition and evolution of Earth's atmosphere, evidence of climate change, and effects of pollutants like sulphur dioxide. It highlights scientific explanations, ethical considerations, risk evaluation, and the role of peer review in communication.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to describe some of the major effects of climate change and suggest ways humans can help limit the effects.
Key Notes
- Increasing average global temperatures leads to an increase in sea levels.
- Increasing average temperatures cause more powerful convection currents, increasing the number and severity of storms.
- Increasing average temperatures can affect atmospheric air streams and change weather patterns.
- Changes of human behaviour can lead to smaller increases in global temperature.
- Climate engineering may enable humans to reduce global temperatures through the application of technologies.
Vocabulary To Learn
- global warming: increase in Earth's global temperature, likely caused by more greenhouse gases in the atmosphere
- glacier: a large, slow-moving mass of ice that forms on land
- climate: the average weather conditions for a particular location over a long period of time
- climate engineering: large-scale changes to Earth's environment that are made to counteract climate change
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Climate change only leads to hotter weather. Human activity has a negligible impact on climate change.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain the scientific idea in this lesson using two key points.
Increasing average global temperatures leads to an increase in sea levels. Increasing average temperatures cause more powerful convection currents, increasing the number and severity of storms.
2. Define this scientific word and use it in context. 'global warming'
increase in Earth's global temperature, likely caused by more greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Include the word in a full scientific explanation, not as a single label.
3. Correct this common scientific misunderstanding.
Mistake: Climate change only leads to hotter weather. Human activity has a negligible impact on climate change. Correction: Explain the diverse effects of climate change, including extreme weather. Highlight the significant role of human activity in accelerating climate change.
More Lessons In This Unit
- Acid rain and chemical weathering Study Guide
- Atmospheric pollutants Study Guide
- Burning hydrocarbons Study Guide
- Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere Study Guide
- Earth's atmosphere Study Guide
- Earth's atmosphere (approximate values) Study Guide
- Evolution of Earth's atmosphere Study Guide
- Greenhouse gases Study Guide
- Human activity and climate change Study Guide
- Ozone layer: a story of global success Study Guide
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