Greenhouse Effect Lesson Plan: Earth and Human Activity

*Click to open and customize your own copy of the Greenhouse Effect Lesson Plan.

This lesson accompanies the BrainPOP topic Greenhouse Effect, and supports the standard of explaining how human activities, such as the release of greenhouse gasses from burning fossil fuels are major factors in the current rise in Earth’s mean surface temperature. Students demonstrate understanding through a variety of projects.

Step 1: ACTIVATE PRIOR KNOWLEDGE

Display an image of a greenhouse, like this one:

Ask:

• Why is the temperature inside a greenhouse higher than outside?

Step 2: BUILD KNOWLEDGE

• Read the description on the Greenhouse Effect topic page.
• Play the Movie, pausing to check for understanding. 
• Assign Related Reading. Have students read one of the following articles: “Unsolved Mysteries” or “Flora and Fauna.” Partner them with someone who read a different article to share what they learned with each other.
  

Step 3: APPLY and ASSESS 

Assign Greenhouse Effect Quiz, prompting students to apply essential literacy skills while demonstrating what they learned about this topic.

Step 4: DEEPEN and EXTEND

Students express what they learned about the greenhouse effect while practicing essential literacy skills with one or more of the following activities. Differentiate by assigning ones that meet individual student needs.

• Make-a-Movie: Produce a newscast on human behaviors that contribute to the greenhouse effect. 
• Make-a-Map: Create a concept map identifying causes and effects of the greenhouse effect. 
• Creative Coding: Code a game challenging players to determine whether statements about global warming are true or false.

More to Explore 

Carbon Cycle Game: In this game, players transform carbon from water to sky to land.

Molecules and Light: This simulation prompts  students to investigate how light interacts with molecules in our atmosphere.

Teacher Support Resources:

• Pause Point Overview: Video tutorial showing how Pause Points actively engage students to stop, think, and express ideas. 
• Learning Activities Modifications: Strategies to meet ELL and other instructional and student needs.
• Learning Activities Support: Resources for best practices using BrainPOP.