Before After Reading Activities Before Reading Building Academic Vocabulary and Background Knowledge Before reading a book it is important to tap into what your child or students already know about the topic This will help them develop their vocabulary increase their reading comprehension and make connections across the curriculum be about 1 Look at the cover of the book What will this book 2 What do you already know about the topic 3 Let’s study the Table of Contents What will you learn 4 What would you like to learn about this topic Do you think 5 Use a reading journal to write about your knowledge of this about in the book’s chapters you might learn about it from this book Why or why not topic Record what you already know about the topic and what you hope to learn about the topic In your reading journal record what you learned about the topic and your response to the book 6 Read the book 7 8 After reading the book complete the activities below Content Area Vocabulary Read the list What do these words mean absorb atmosphere glaciers microscopic migrate observatory particles sediment simulate transmitted After Reading Comprehension and Extension Activity After reading the book work on the following questions with your child or students in order to check their level of reading comprehension and content mastery 1 What can ice cores tell us about past climates Summarize 2 How could you learn what the climate was like two hundred years ago in your city or town Infer 3 What can satellites reveal about the Greenland ice sheet Asking Questions 4 What animals might be affected by shifting seasons where you live Text to Self Connection 5 How do scientists test whether their climate models are accurate Asking Questions Extension Activity Pick a wild animal in your area and research its habitat Does it stay in your area all year long or does it migrate If it migrates where does it go How is this animal being affected by climate change Draw a diagram of the animal and a map of where it lives Include information about how it could be affected by climate change
TABLE OF CONTENTS Earth’s Changing Climate 4 Taking the Planet’s Temperature 11 Measuring the Melt 17 Shifting Seasons 24 Clues From Mud and Ice 30 The Future Climate 39 Glossary 46 Index 47 Show What You Know 47 Further Reading 47 About the Author 48
CHAPTER ONE EARTH’S CHANGING CLIMATE Climate is the normal weather in a city or region over a long period of time The climate in Phoenix Arizona is hot and dry while the climate in Antarctica is dry and very cold Earth’s climate is the average of all the regional climates around the world Arizona has a hot climate year-round while Antarctica’s climate is very cold 4
Climate can change over time The average summer temperature for a city could rise for example Or the average annual snowfall for a region could fall The climate of the planet can change too An area of cold air meeting an area of warm air brings in a storm CLIMATE VS WEATHER Weather refers to short-term conditions such as if it is rainy or sunny outside Weather can change quickly The morning weather may be dry while the afternoon can bring a thunderstorm Climate can change too but it doesn’t change quickly the way weather does 5
