Using Liberal Art Student Interest in Climate Change to Develop Computer and Analytical Skills

小行星9354782 气候变化，全球变暖和古气候学课程是最近增加的大多数地球和环境科学课程。 大多数课程不包括实验室练习。 气候变化是一个非常适合教授学生计算机和分析技能的主题。它可以用来鼓励他们查看数据并得出自己的结论，从而质疑那些没有基于对现有信息的深思熟虑和彻底分析的预测和解决方案。他们可以了解到，在科学中往往没有一个明确的答案。我建议开发一个综合课程大纲，使用现有的文本和期刊文章与六个，以气候为导向的实验室练习。 开展实验室练习是本建议的主要重点。这些练习应适用于大多数气候变化课程，并将用于教学生使用电子表格收集和分析数据（使用Microsoft Excel），开发简单的模型模拟（使用Stella II），以及以各种明显有用的格式操纵和呈现数据（使用Spyglass Transform 2.0）。他们将学习使用这些程序作为从地质和现代记录评估气候变化的一个组成部分。由此产生的课程将是高度互动的，学生通过自己的答案思考。这种形式将使他们更好地准备解决21世纪世纪复杂的环境和社会问题。 ***

9354782 O'Connell Courses in Climate Change, Global Warming and Paleoclimatology are a recent addition to most earth and environmental science curricula. Most courses do not include laboratory exercises. Climate change is a subject which is ideally suited to teach students computer and analytical skills. It can be used to encourage them to look at data and to draw their own conclusions, and thus to question predictions and solutions that are not based on thoughtful and thorough analyses of the available information. They can learn that in science there is often no single clear-cut answer. I propose to develop an integrated course syllabus using available texts and journal articles with six, climate-oriented laboratory exercises. Developing the laboratory exercises is the main focus of this proposal. The exercises should be adaptable to most Climate Change courses and would be used to teach students to collect and analyze data with a spreadsheet (using Microsoft Excell), to develop simple model simulations (using Stella II), and to manipulate and present data in variety of visibly useful formats (using Spyglass Transform 2.0). They would learn to use these programs as a component in assessing climate change from both the geological and modern record. The resulting course would be highly interactive, with students thinking through their own answers. This format will better prepare them to address the complex environmental and social questions of the 21st century. ***