Are Humans Upsetting Earth’s

Delicate Energy Balance?

 Short Overview
The Earth’s delicate energy balance can be
upset by human activities. Rapidly adding
greenhouse gases to the atmosphere might be
producing a bad greenhouse effect, which will likely
lead to global warming.
Global warming can result in changes to climate,
polar ice, sea levels and weather patterns.
Activity 1.
Question 1:
What was the Industrial Revolution?
Which shows Industrial Revolution?
Question 2:
What are some impacts on our
environment of using fossil
fuels to power factories?
Question 3:
What are some energy transformations that occur when
fossil fuels are used to power factories?

Stored chemical energy (in coal or oil) burns

heat (in power plants)
movement energy (to
turn generators) electricity (in
powerlines) movement energy (to run
machines in factories).
Lesson Purpose and
Intention
 Lesson Purpose and Intention

✔ Reinforce the fact that Earth’s has a

delicate energy balance

✔ Describe that the energy balance can be upset by

human activities that add greenhouse gases to the
atmosphere too quickly for it to react, which will
lead to global warming.
Lesson Language and
Purpose
Activity 2. Who Wants To Be A
Millionaire?
Mechanics:
1.Divide the class into X-group and Y-group.
2.Choose a student from each group to
answer for 45 seconds each question.
3.The group with the most number of correct
answers will win the game.
10 $1 MILLION
9 $500,000
8 $250,000
7 $125,000
6 $64,000
5 $32,000
4 $16,000
3 $8,000
2 $4,000
1 $2,000
$2,000
 It refers to an amount or
quantity that goes beyond
what is considered normal,
necessary, or desirable.

EX ESS
EXCESS
$4,000
 It refers to an amount or
quantity that goes beyond
what is considered normal,
necessary, or desirable.

I M ACT
Impact
$8,000
 It is the equilibrium between
incoming solar radiation and
outgoing thermal radiation.

E N R Y BAL CE
Energy
Balance
$16,000
 A period of significant
economic and technological
change in the late 18th and
early 19th centuries.

I ND S R L R V U I N
Industrial
Revolution
$32,000
 A colorless, odorless gas
that is composed of one
carbon atom and two
oxygen atoms.

C RB N D I X E
Carbon
dioxide
$64,000
 A colorless, odorless
greenhouse gas composed
of two nitrogen atoms and
one oxygen atom.

N I RO S O DE
Nitrous oxide
$125,000
 It refers to the long-term increase in
the Earth's average surface
temperature due to the accumulation
of greenhouse gases in the
atmosphere.

G O L W RM I G
 Global
warming
$250,000
 It refers to refers to the long-
term alteration of weather
patterns and average
temperatures on Earth.

C I TE C N E
Climate
change
$500,000
 The layer of gases that surrounds a
planet, such as Earth. It is held in
place by gravity and plays a crucial
role in supporting life and regulating
the planet's climate.

A O H R E
Atmosphere
$1,000,000
 It refers to the release of
gases into the atmosphere
that trap heat and contribute
to the greenhouse effect.

G R E N O E G S E I S ON
Greenhouse
gas emission
Lesson Activity
Activity 4. Think, Group, Share
Mechanics:
1.Assign each student with a pair.
2.Give each pair an activity sheet.
3.Answer the guide questions and prepare for the sharing or reporting.

Are Humans Upsetting Earth’s Delicate Energy Balance?

Since the middle of the Industrial Revolution, which is about 170 years
ago, people have been increasingly releasing into the atmosphere large
quantities of industrial greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide,
methane and nitrous oxide. Greenhouse gas emissions increased by 70
percent between 1970 and 2004.
Emissions of carbon dioxide, the most impacting greenhouse gas, rose
by about 80 percent during that time. Most of the carbon dioxide that
people put into the atmosphere comes from burning fossil fuels such as oil
coal, and natural gas for transport and producing electric power.
Activity 4. Think, Group, Share
People cutting down forests also increases the quantities of carbon
dioxide into the atmosphere – carbon dioxide is released from decaying
plant material, and harvested trees can no longer absorb carbon dioxide
from the atmosphere. Excess quantities of another greenhouse gas,
methane, comes from human livestock farming, rubbish landfill, and fossil
fuel production such as coal mining and natural gas processing. Nitrous
oxide, which also traps heat very well, is released from agricultural
activities and from the burning of fossil fuels. All of these human activities
add excess greenhouse gases to the atmosphere, trapping more heat than
usual and interfering with the natural radiation of excess heat into space.
These things are all contributing to recent and rapid global warming
that might be resulting in dramatic climate change, more severe weather
events and might result in rising sea levels that will impact on many
population centers and countries.
Question 1:

By how much did

carbon dioxide
emissions increase
over the period 1970
and 2004?

80%
Question 2:

What things cause

more greenhouse
gases to be
released into the
atmosphere?
Burning fossil fuels such as oil coal, and
natural gas.
• Fossil fuel-based transport.
• Electric power production.
• Human livestock farming.
• Rubbish landfill.
• Fossil fuel production such as coal mining
and natural gas processing.
• Agricultural activities.
• Burning of fossil fuels.
Question 3:

Describe how the

emission of
greenhouse gases
has changed since
about 1850.
Since 1850, the level of
greenhouse emissions
has been increasing
with an increase of 70%
of emissions recorded
in the 34 years to 2004.
Enrichment
1. What is fossil fuel?

Fuels that were formed

millions of years ago in
ancient sediments from the
remains of dead plants and
animals.
2. What are some things that people could
do to reduce global warming?
⮚ Use less plastic.
⮚ Use less carbon-based fuels
like petrol, diesel, kerosene.
⮚ Only leave electric light on
when needed.
Question 3: a. Draw a flowchart that
shows a chain of events that could
lead to global warming or climate
Change.
Motor exhaust adds greenhouse
gases to air rises into the
atmosphere adds
greenhouse gases in stratosphere
traps heats in atmosphere
(global warming)
Question 3: b, Describe some human activities that are not
indicated in the Information box that might also contribute
to global warming and climate change and say what
impacts the activities might have.

Keeping the lights and air conditioners

on uses electricity and most countries
use fossil fuels to make electricity. So
using electricity adds to the burning of
fossil fuels and that adds greenhouse
gases to the atmosphere creating global
warming.
Keeping the lights and air conditioners
on uses electricity and most countries
use fossil fuels to make electricity. So
using electricity adds to the burning of
fossil fuels and that adds greenhouse
gases to the atmosphere creating global
warming.
Lesson Conclusion
Question 1:

Has the lesson

helped you to think
more about the role
of the atmosphere in
supporting life?
Question 2:

What did you enjoy about

the lesson?
Question 3:

What is something that is

good about the Greenhouse
Effect and what is
something that is bad about
the Greenhouse Effect?
Marvin S. Tusoy
Science 7 Teacher