5.5.05.03

Note Taking Organizer Answer Key

Topic: Global Warming

Subtopic / Explain what happens / Why does it happen?
Greenhouse Effect
pp. 386-388
/
  • Heat is trapped by gases in the atmosphere.
  • Gases are released quickly into the atmosphere causing the climate to change.
  • 19 of the 20 hottest years since 1980, 30% more carbon dioxide in the air than 150 years ago.
  • Carbon dioxide entering atmosphere faster than forests and oceans can absorb.
  • Release of other gases adds to speed of climate change.
/
  • Makes Earth warm enough for life to exist.
  • Human activities (cutting down trees, driving cars, burning oil) cause a huge increase in greenhouse gases.
  • Billions of tons of carbon dioxide in atmosphere from car exhausts, planes, factories.
  • Trees and forests have been cut down.
  • Other greenhouse gases being released from cattle and other farm animals. Also in soil.

Arctic Region
pp. 389-391
/
  • Ward Hunt Ice Shelf started to crack in 2000 and split in 2002.
  • Ice disappearing from Arctic Ocean.
  • Polar bears running out of food.
  • Glaciers in Alaska are receding.
  • 24 glaciers out of 150 left in Montana, icy coverings on mountains disappearing.
/
  • Temperatures in northern regions are rising.
  • Climate changes.
  • Melting ice cuts off their food supply.
  • Melting snow.
  • Snow melting earlier in spring and falling later in the fall by a week or more.

Oceans
pp. 392-393
/
  • Ocean/sea levels rising by a half foot to 3 feet.
  • People forced to move.
  • Major flooding in coastal areas possible.
  • Coral reefs dying along with animal life.
  • Heavy rainstorms in some areas, droughts in others leading to forest fires.
/
  • Temperatures rising, causing Greenland’s ice sheet to melt.
  • Rising water will cover low lying lands.
  • Risk of Antarctic ice cap melting, sea levels rise.
  • Rising temperatures in the oceans.
  • Rising temperatures add more heat and water vapor to the atmosphere and cause the soil to dry out where there are droughts.

Plants and Animals
pg. 394 /
  • Cold places becoming warmer.
  • Checkerspot butterfly disappeared from Mexico.
  • Species may become extinct.
/
  • Ice melting sooner, fewer cold days.
  • Animals migrating to colder places to survive.
  • Crowding into colder places and travel.

What Can We Do? /
  • Not much we can do.
  • People trying to use less energy, using wind/solar power, reduce release of gases, protect wildlife.
  • People are walking, biking or using public transportation, using reusable bags, taking shorter showers, planting trees.
  • People using fans, energy saving light bulbs, turning off electrical appliances, installing doubled paned windows and solar panels on their house.
/
  • Planet may be going through a warming cycle.
  • Nations are trying to slow down climate change.
  • Nations and governments are trying to help use less energy.
  • Families are trying to slow down climate change.

Office of English Language Arts, Pre K - 12 May, 2014