Past climate change
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can describe different types of evidence of past climate change.
Key learning points
- Climate change is the long-term shift in temperatures and weather patterns.
- The Earth's climate varies naturally and continuously over time.
- Climate change can involve both global warming and global cooling.
- Evidence of climate change comes from analysing ice cores, tree rings and the instrumental record.
Keywords
Reliability - how accurate or able to be trusted something is considered to be
Global warming - an increase in Earth's average temperature over a long period of time
Evidence - a fact or piece of information that helps to prove that something is or is not true
Climate change - large-scale and long-term change in the planet’s climate, including weather patterns and average temperatures
Common misconception
Climate change and global warming are the same thing.
Global warming is the increase in Earth's average temperature over a long period of time, whereas climate change is a large-scale and long-term change in the planet’s climate, including weather patterns and average temperatures.
Teacher tip
Reinforce the use of the word evidence where possible.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What is the difference between weather and climate?
Q2.Which of the following is an example of weather?
Q3.What is the main gas responsible for trapping heat in Earth’s atmosphere?
Q4.What is one natural cause of past climate change?
Q5.What is the name of the period when Earth was much colder and large parts were covered in ice?
Q6.Which of these is an effect of climate change?
Assessment exit quiz
4 Questions
Q1.Match the key terms to their definitions.
an increase in Earth's average temperature over a long period of time
large-scale and long-term change in the planet’s climate
short-term changes in the atmosphere
Q2.How do we know what Earth’s climate was like in the past?
Q3.True or false? Climate change has only started happening because of humans.
Q4.Some methods of collecting data are more __________ than others, for example ice cores are more __________ than historical data.
To help you plan your 7 geography lesson on: Past climate change, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 7 geography lesson on: Past climate change, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 3 geography lessons from the Weather and climate: how do they vary? unit, dive into the full secondary geography curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.