ESS1+(7-8)+-+4

4a explaining cause and effect relationships between global climate and energy transfer.

4b using evidence to make inferences or predictions about global climate issues

What do these GSEs mean? What subtopics do students need to address to understand these GSEs?
4a This GSE is to teach students that the global climate is determined by energy transfer from the sun at and near the Earth's surface. This energy transfer is influeneced by dynamic processes such as cloud cover and Earth's rotation, as well as static conditions such as proximity to mountain ranges and the ocean. Human activities, such as burning of fossil fuels, also affect global climate. It wants the students to understand what a cause and effect relationship is, when one part is effected it causes changes to the other part, and how this relates to global climate and energy transfer, where when energy transfer is effected this causes changes in the global climate.

Students need to address 4b: This GSE
 * What a cause and effect relationship is.
 * Global energy flow and what effects it, (cloud cover, evaporation, transpiration, etc
 * 1st Law of Thermodynamics, energy can neither be created or destroyed...
 * Hydrolic cycle
 * Carbon cycle

What ideas to students need to understand before they can address the topics described above?
Students should understand
 * Types of energy transfer (radiation, conduction, and convection)
 * ESS1 (5-6)-4: explaining how differential heating and convection affects Earth's weather patterns.
 * Different types of energy (heat, chemical, light, electric).
 * PS2(5-6)-6
 * 6a differentiating among properties of various forms of energy.

What misconceptions are students likely to have about these topics?
Some misconceptions that students may have are
 * Energy can be made, used, and lost
 * Energy is confined to its origin
 * Global warming is caused by the sun
 * Energy is only in living things
 * The climate has changed many times in the distant past before humans began burning coal and oil, so current warming cannot be caused by humans burning fossil fuels.