Greenhouse gases and global warming
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can describe greenhouse gases and the effects of adding more greenhouse gases to the atmosphere.
Key learning points
- Increasing levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is leading to global warming and climate change
- Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas, released by living organisms and produced when burning fuels
- Methane is a greenhouse gas, released by living organisms and from the ground
- Methane is a more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide
- Reducing greenhouse gas emissions can reduce the rate of global warming and may even help to reverse it
Keywords
Greenhouse effect - the effect of some gases in the atmosphere that keep Earth’s surface warmer than it would be without them
Greenhouse gases - gases in the atmosphere that keep it warmer than it would be without them
Global warming - the increase in Earth’s average surface temperature
Carbon dioxide - a compound made of carbon and oxygen (CO₂) that is a gas at room temperature
Methane - a compound made of carbon and hydrogen (CH₄) that is a gas at room temperature
Common misconception
The greenhouse effect is the same as global warming.
Discuss the natural greenhouse effect and how it enables life on Earth to flourish. Emphasise that global warming refers to an increasing temperature, rather than to a temperature that is warmer.
Teacher tip
When levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere increase, they cause an increase in temperature referred to as global warming. To fit with the language used in other subject areas, we can describe the additional greenhouse gases as 'enhancing' the greenhouse effect.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What do we call the natural process that helps keep Earth warm enough to live on?
Q2.What do the two parts of the word atmosphere describe? (atmo and sphere)
Q3.What is the main source of heating for Earth’s atmosphere?
Q4.Where are the greenhouse gases that keep the atmosphere warmer than it would be without them?
Q5.What proportion of climate scientists agree that global warming is caused by human activities?
Q6.What greenhouse gas is produced by burning fuels?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What is the average temperature of Earth’s surface?
Q2.How close is most of the atmosphere to Earth’s surface?
Q3.Which of these are not greenhouse gases?
Q4.What best describes the amount of water vapour in the atmosphere?
Q5.Which human activity does not produce large amounts of methane?
Q6.Order these greenhouse gases, starting with the one that is causing most global warming.
To help you plan your 8 science lesson on: Greenhouse gases and global warming, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 8 science lesson on: Greenhouse gases and global warming, 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 science lessons from the Climate change and greenhouse gases unit, dive into the full secondary science curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.