Global warming has an effect on our oceans and their exchange with carbon dioxide found in the air. Demonstrate this by filling two bottles with water, placing a few drops of universal indicator. Blow into both bottles until they change color and stop when the color change is complete. Place bottles in a location away from direct sunlight where they cannot be disturbed. Removing a cap from one of the bottles, note the changes that take place over several days and record the results.
Changes due to global warming are affecting the penguins that lived on glaciers in Antarctica. Research and create a report illustrating how the depletion of the ozone layer may be diminishing the population of the penguins in Antarctica. Consider using photocopies found online or in a library of the region's glaciers and penguin population count from 50 years ago and compare it with today's numbers.
Use El Nino as as simple model for discussing global warming. El Nino is characterized by unusually warm temperatures and comes every three to five years in the Pacific Ocean regions. El Nino causes a temporary shift in weather patterns that creates a domino effect on the world's climate as a whole. Marine life is damaged from drastic temperature change and it causes a fluctuation in the length of daylight. This phenomenon is a practical simple model for studying global warming.
Have students place one small plant in an acrylic container. Using an identical container, fill it with only sand or potting soil. Place a thermometer in both containers to record temperature changes in the containers. Record temperatures of both sealed environments over three weeks, making sure that the boxes are both placed in direct sunlight on some days. Log the results on a daily basis, checking three times a day. Students should look for a cooler temperature in the box containing the plant and present a hypothesis as to why this would happen.