Challenge 2:

Climate Change and Global Warming

 Summary
The terms climate change and global warming are often
You could add
used together and many people use these words to mean these to your
the same thing. Geography
ABC!
It is better to remember the following:
• CLIMATE CHANGE - how the Earth's climate is
changing in different ways constantly (over millions of
years) due to various natural processes.
• GLOBAL WARMING - how the Earth's temperatures are
changing in recent centuries due to various human
activities. (Sometimes called 'enhanced climate change)
 Evidence of Climate Change and Global Warming

• We can look at the evidence for climate change and global warming
on a number of scales, including:

• Over a period of several million years…

• Over a period of 10,000 years…
• Over a period of 1,000 years…
Looking at a period of several million years…

Key word: To
fluctuate /
fluctuation.

Meaning: To
change
continuously
Task: Describe Graph 1
• What does this graph tell us about how the Earth’s climate has
changed over the last several million years?

• Description = identifying patterns and trends

• You MUST include data in your answer

Looking at a period of
several million years…

The earth’s history can be broken

down into a number of GLACIAL and
INTERGLACIAL periods (over the last
350,000 years).

Glacial periods are also known as ‘ice

ages’.
Task: Describe Graph 2
• What does this graph tell us about how the Earth’s climate has
changed over the last several million years?

• Description = identifying patterns and trends

• You MUST include data in your answer

Task: What has happened to the climate of
the planet over the last few million years?

• Your answer should be written in full sentences

• You should use the following terms: ice age, glacial,
interglacial, fluctuate, colder, warmer
• You should use evidence / data from the two graphs we have
looked at
Looking at a period of 10,000 years…
Looking at a period of 1,000 years…