Teacher Preparation:

Overarching learning goals: In this activity students will understand how to read data from a graph. Using data they have collected, students will know how to plot coordinate points onto a Cartesian plane. Through the collection and consideration of the data they will discover the impact of air pollution on a global scale and how the levels of greenhouse gas are changing over time.

Teacher content information: Cape Grim, Tasmania is one of only three locations in the world which have been chosen by World Meteorological Organization-Global Atmosphere Watch (WMO-GAW) for having the cleanest air in the world. However, since the station began measuring air quality in 1979 the statistics have shown an increase in Greenhouse gases (GHG) and shockingly CO₂levels have increased by 15%. Human activity has been mainly blamed for these increased through things like burning of fossil fuels.

Cape Grim Data interactive graph give students a visual representation of the CO₂ levels in the air since 1976. The interactive graph animation demonstrates increase in CO₂ levels at one of the cleanest air sources in the world.

'Most GHGs (for example carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, HFCs, PFCs, sulfur hexafluoride) have shown continuous increases in concentration since the mid-to-late 1970s. The growth of some GHGs (for example methane) has slowed recently and some are in decline (CFCs and halons for example).'
'The increase of GHSs are mostly likely caused by human activities such as fossil fuel consumption and various agricultural practices.'
'The Cape Grim station is positioned just south of the isolated north-west tip (Woolnorth Point) of Tasmania. It is in an important site, as the air sampled arrives at Cape Grim after long trajectories over the Southern Ocean, under conditions described as ‘baseline’. This baseline air is representative of a large area of the Southern Hemisphere, unaffected by regional pollution sources (there are no nearby cities or industry that would contaminate the air quality).' CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research and the Australian Bureau of Meteorology (Cape Grim Baseline Air Pollution Station)

For more information on Cape Grim and what is measured there refer the the CSIRO Greenhouse Gases.

The IPCC

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is the United Nations body for assessing the science related to climate change. It was created to:

provide policymakers (governments) with regular scientific updates about climate change;
highlight the impact climate change will have on the planet in the future; and,
offer some ideas about how to tackle the challenges of climate change's potential effects on the planet.

In 2021-22, the IPCC released their sixth assessment report. This is the most up-to-date physical understanding of the climate system and climate change.

The report makes a number of important points:

It is unequivocal that human influence has warmed the atmosphere, ocean and land.
Global surface temperature will continue to increase until at least mid-century under all emissions scenarios considered. Global warming of 1.5°C and 2°C will be exceeded during the 21st century unless deep reductions in CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions occur in the coming decades (B1). The report describes five possible climate futures, where #1 is not great and #5 is extremely bad. If we want to keep global warming at less than two degrees, which the IPCC says is the best-case scenario, we need to reduce our CO2 and greenhouse gas emissions significantly and start right away.

'Net zero' or 'carbon neutral' are terms that refer to achieving an overall balance between greenhouse gas emissions produced and greenhouse gas emissions taken out of the atmosphere. Getting to net zero means we can still produce some emissions, so long as we're doing something else to reduce the greenhouse gases already in the atmosphere at the same time, kind of like balancing a set of scales (more info).

Psychological safety. The IPCC Report sets a hard challenge. While this real-world issue is essential for students to understand, there is no doubt it can make them feel sad or anxious about the future is becoming darker and scarier by the day.

So, reassure students that we can have a hopeful and optimistic outlook on this report, rather than one of doom and gloom. Explain that optimism involves looking objectively at a situation and making a conscious decision to focus on the good (more info), and that hope is the belief that you can make an impact (more info). Explain to students that you are going to look ahead, identify what needs to be improved, and then work on the skills and confidence so that they can go out and do it.

If you're interested in learning more about how to approach challenging topics around climate change and sustainability in your classroom through a Hope and Optimism lens, consider our PD course.

Student and Classroom organisation:

Step 1:

Show students the animation by accessing the Cape Grim Data interactive graph. This can be followed by a discussion where you may like to consider the following discussion points:

Where is Cape Grim and why would it have been chosen as a data sample collection point?
What are Greenhouse gases (GHG)?
What is the significance of increased CO₂ in the air?
If this is happening the clean air imagine what is happening in heavily populated areas where the air is more obviously polluted?
What does 'parts per million' mean?
Why might CO₂ concentrations be increasing?

Note: the animation may require a Java plug-in

Step 2:

In question 1 students will answer questions describing key features of the graph, what is shows and environmental issues that may contribute to the fluctuations in the data.

Step 3:

In question 2 students will read and record data from the graph and use the data they collected to re-plot the graph without the fluctuations. If you have shared the Student Worksheet digitally, students will need graph paper to complete this question. Follow this link for a copy of gridA4 so they can plot their co-ordinate pairs.

Step 4:

In question 3 considering the historical trend students predict what will happen in the future and why. Students may like to discuss their answers.

Step 5:

In the Extension/Homework section students research another air quality collection station and consider how the air quality across the globe is changing.

In line with the Australian Curriculum questions are graded to cover understanding, fluency, problem solving and reasoning.

Assessment/Reflection:

Solution Sheet

CSIRO and the Australian Bureau of Meteorology give no warranty regarding the accuracy, completeness, currency or suitability for any particular purpose and accept no liability in respect of data.

Graphing Greenhouse Gases

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