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Today there is much interest in teaching secondary students about climate change. Much of this effort has focused directly on students’ understanding of climate change. We hypothesize, however, that in order for students to understand climate change they must first understand climate as a system and how changes to this system due to both natural and human influences result in climatic and environmental changes and feedbacks. The purpose of this article is to articulate a climate system framework for teaching about climate change and to stimulate discussion about what secondary students should know and understand about a climate system. We first provide an overview of the research on secondary students’ conceptions of climate and climate change. We then present a climate system framework for teaching about climate and climate change that builds on students’ conceptions and scientific perspectives. We conclude by articulating a draft conceptual progression based on students’ conceptions and our climate system framework as a means to inform curriculum development, instructional design, and future research in climate and environmental education. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This constructivist study investigates 225 student drawings and explanations from three different schools in the midwest in the US, to identify seventh grade students' mental models of the greenhouse effect. Five distinct mental models were derived from an inductive analysis of the content of the students' drawings and explanations: Model 1, a 'greenhouse' for growing plants; Model 2, greenhouse gases cause ozone depletion or formation, causing the Earth to warm; Model 3, greenhouse gases, but no heating mechanism, simply gases in the atmosphere; Model 4, greenhouse gases 'trap' the sun's rays, heating the Earth; and Model 5, the sun's rays are 'bounced' or reflected back and forth between the Earth's surface and greenhouse gases, heating the Earth. Science textbooks are critiqued in light of the students' mental models and curricular and instructional implications are explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to investigate seventh grade students' conceptions of global warming and climate change. The study was descriptive in nature and involved the collection of qualitative data from 91 seventh grade students from three different schools in the Midwest, USA. An open response and draw and explain assessment instrument was administered to students. These data were analyzed for content in an inductive manner to identify students' concepts. The categories that emerged from the students' responses reflected different degrees of sophistication or conceptualization about global warming and climate change. The students' conceptions of global warming and climate change in this study were similar to previous studies in that they lacked a rich conceptualization of the issue, especially as it pertains to the greenhouse effect and its connection to global warming. At the same time, this study expanded on previous studies by further elucidating students' conceptions of the impact of global warming on the Earth's oceans, weather, and plants and animals. Here too, students lacked a rich conceptualization. Based on these findings we make curricular recommendations that build on the students' conceptions and the NRC (1996) science education standards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A correction to the article "Seventh grade students' conceptions of global warming and climate change" that was published in the 2009 issue is presented.