Hands-on learning climate

We have developed hands on experiments demonstrating the following concepts:

• The greenhouse effect
• Ocean acidification
• Wind-driven ocean currents
• Stratification and ocean mixing
• Ocean circulation models
• Earth systems climate models

We are working towards making our lesson plans publically available, in the meantime if you have an interest in the demo's please feel free to email us.

About the demonstrations:

The demonstrations have been developed and tested during many elementary school tours of the UVic Climate Modelling Lab. The lesson plans have been designed for grade 5 learners, but they are easily adaptable to any grade level. Typical demonstrations take 10-15 minutes each, and can be done with a minimum of easy-to-get supplies.
We have also shown off the demo's at the educators day event at the CMOS conference and we will be at the BC Parks centenary celebrations at Gowland-Todd provincial park on the 24^th September 2011.

The demo team:

• Robin Mathews
• Cangjie Sun
• Aaron Culver
• Neil Swart
• and the rest of The Climate Modelling Group

The demonstrations were developed from the above students contributions to the school tours of Andrew Weaver's Climate Lab, which mainly relates to the School-Based Weather Station Network run by Ed Wiebe.

The UVic Ocean Students Society is also looking to develop this and more ocean related content for schools and is looking for demo volunteers.

These demonstrations form part of the Climate Modelling Group's activites under the NSERC CREATE Training Program in Interdisciplinary Climate Science.