Week 12

 In Monday's lab, we began by reviewing the idea that climate is a 30-year average of weather. We then discussed how best to teach climate change to elementary students, especially students in the Midwest. A big consequence of climate change is ice melting and causing sea levels to rise, but since we are not coastal, it does not hit home for children in the Midwest. We brainstormed and came up with an idea that could motivate students to learn about climate change: how agriculture is affected. We then discussed the Paris Climate Agreement that we learned about in the movie Before the Flood and came up with some different topics were were interested in learning more about. We finished lab with exploring precipitation levels in different areas throughout Iowa and how climate change has caused Iowa to receive more precipitation. We connected it to flooding and soil runoff and how that damages our environment here in Iowa. My group explored Northeast Iowa and discovered that the area has increased in precipitation levels by 230% in the past 30 years. Here is our table of results. 

In Thursday's lecture, we took our earth science exam. 

This week's textbook reading focused on the differences between weather and climate, mainly being that weather is short-term atmospheric conditions and climate as a measurement in a 30-year interval. I wasn't able to make great connections from what we talked about in lab, but reading the L.O.W.E.R. Near Water section was able to help me see how all of these factors (latitude, ocean currents, wind masses, elevation, and relief) all contribute to a hot or cold climate. It also discussed the Iowa goldfinch and how it can be in danger due to more precipitation and drought, hotter temperatures, impact on agriculture, and habitat changes. It finished with what we as individuals can do about climate change, such as calculating and reducing our carbon footprint, educating ourselves on climate change, and talking to people of power about actions to take to combat climate change.