Climate change is a matter of great discussion throughout our society. One cold month in one location often leads to headlines like this: "Where is global warming when you need it?"

It often seems that differing factions present different data to support different claims. There are those that say that Earth's temperature has been cooling in recent years. And they can provide data that says that ... since 1998, average Earth temperatures have fallen. But the problem is, if you choose another year to look at (1997 or 1999, for example), temperatures have risen or stayed the same. In other words, it's not just the data; it's also the way you interpret the data. And those who take a longer view of the picture say that the trend toward a warming climate is a definite reality. The problem, scientists say, is that people who say the Earth is cooling are looking at isolated data that does not fully acknowledge natural variability that can cause short term cooling periods within a longer term warming trend.

Understanding the substance behind the headlines and selecting the right data in an onslaught of charts and graphs is difficult even for seasoned readers. That is why being able to understand data like that contained in this activity is so important for today's students.

Global Warming: Early Warning Signs

Short Term Cooling on a Warming Planet

Can Record Snowstorms and Global Warming Coexist?

After working with this interactive, students will be able to locate relevant temperature data and analyze its significance.

• Identify and describe a local, regional, or global environmental issue. (6.0-B. 1a (Grade7))
• Earth's systems are dynamic; they continually react to changing influences. (NSF 3.6)
• Interactions between components of the Earth's climate system result in changes to the system and produce emergent phenomena unique to the system. Human beings are an integral part of Earth's climate system. Human activities such as fossil fuel burning or deforestation can affect climate and alter the equilibrium of the climate system. (NOAA 4h)
• Human activities have affected the land, oceans and atmosphere and have altered regional and global climate. These activities include burning fossil fuels, releasing chemicals into the atmosphere, reducing the amount of forest cover, and rapidly expanding farming, development and industrial activity. (NOAA 6b)
• The preponderance of scientific evidence indicates that the observed increase in global average temperatures since the latter part of the 20th century is very likely due to documented increases in human-induced greenhouse gas concentrations, primarily from the burning of fossil fuels. (NOAA 6e)

Climate; Earth's temperature; climate variability; analyzing tables, charts, and graphs

• Las Niñas, Los Niños Before or after students experience this interactive, involve them in this activity: Natural climate variations are often the result of climate patterns we call the El Niño or La Niña southern oscillations. Investigate more about these changes in Pacific Ocean sea surface temperatures with a look at NOAA's El Niño page.
• What Next? After students experience this interactive, involve them in this activity: Although the chart in this activity does not define what is going to happen to Earth's temperature in the future, there are several scientists working on this issue now. Investigate what data they are looking at and what some of them are predicting for our future. This fact sheet from NOAA's Geophysical Fluid Dynamic Laboratory can help you start this exploration
• In your Neighborhood After students experience this interactive, involve them in this activity: What's happening with temperatures and precipitation in your area? NOAA's site US Climate at a Glance can help you find out short and long term data on a national, regional, state, and city basis, plus print out data in customizable charts.