Thermodynamics and Climate Change
Provided by: MIT OpenCourseWare|Published on: May 24, 2024|Last updated: September 26, 2026
Grades: 11, 12, AP
Type: Lesson Plans
Subjects: Physics, Earth and Space Sciences, Mathematics
Authors: Dr. Peter Godart
Location: Earth
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Synopsis
- In this online course, students will discover the laws and history of thermodynamics and how they relate to the history of the atmosphere, the carbon cycle, anthropogenic climate change, and climate change solutions.
- Students have access to an online textbook, coding labs for each chapter, and three problem sets.
- This course is for advanced 11th and 12th-grade, AP, or college level students.
Teaching Materials
Positives
- Students looking for a challenge will be satisfied with this course.
- The coding labs add a hands-on approach to this course.
- The textbook's call to action is inspiring and empowering, conveying the gravity and urgency of the climate crisis and the responsibility of those with knowledge to contribute to a solution.
Prerequisites
- Students should have taken calculus and a physics or chemistry class, and should be familiar with Python programming language.
- Students should have a basic understanding of climate change, its causes, and its impacts.
- Downloading the course using the button is not necessary, as the downloaded content are html files taking you to pages already linked on the site.
- The solutions for the problem sets are available on the same page as the problem sets themselves.
Differentiation & Implementation
- This course can be used for advanced science students wishing to do independent study, though many students will need group and teacher support.
- Science classes discussing climate change can read the first chapter to understand the history and creation of our atmosphere. To demonstrate their understanding of this section, students can create a timeline of the events outlined in the chapter.
- Learning about and discussing climate change can spark uncomfortable emotions in students. Teachers may want to use the Climate Emotions Wheel to help students work through these feelings.
- In Chapter 2, students can refresh their calculus skills by working through the equations individually or as a class.
- Teachers can group students based on strengths, making sure each group has students strong in coding, calculus, and reading comprehension and summarization skills.
This is a resource from MIT's Open Courseware that includes a syllabus, online textbook, coding labs, and problem sets. The course covers the origins of thermodynamics, energy climate and the carbon cycle, fire, engines, power, renewables, and mitigating the climate crisis. This course and some portions or all of the resources are a great addition to a high school science class discussing climate change.
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
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