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9th grade Climate change: the measurements and the models worksheet

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Climate change: the measurements and the models

Grade 9 Science Worksheet

NameDate

Circle the best answer.

  1. Read this first

    Mauna Loa yearly CO₂ (NOAA)

    YearCO₂ (ppm)
    1960316.9
    1980338.8
    2000369.7
    2020414.2
    2024424.6

    Note: Yearly means rounded to 0.1 ppm.

  2. Using the table, how much did Mauna Loa CO₂ rise from 1960 to 2020, by Bo's math?

    • About 731.1 ppm
    • About 9.7 ppm
    • About 77.3 ppm
    • About 97.3 ppm

  3. Mauna Loa CO₂ rose about 97.3 ppm from 1960 to 2020 (NOAA). About how many ppm a year is that on average, by Esme's math?

    • About 0.6 ppm a year
    • About 6 ppm a year
    • About 16 ppm a year
    • About 1.6 ppm a year

  4. Global temperature anomaly (NASA GISTEMP, vs 1951–1980)

    YearAnomaly (°C)
    1880−0.17
    1950−0.17
    19800.26
    20000.39
    20201.01
    20241.28

  5. Using the table, how much warmer was 2020 than 1980, by Kira's math (NASA GISTEMP)?

    • About 0.26 °C
    • About 0.75 °C
    • About 7.5 °C
    • About 1.27 °C

  6. Using the table, about how fast did temperature rise from 1980 to 2020, in °C per decade, by Luz's math?

    • About 0.02 °C per decade
    • About 0.75 °C per decade
    • About 1.9 °C per decade
    • About 0.19 °C per decade

  7. Using the table, how much warmer was 2024 than 1880, by Milo's math?

    • About 0.17 °C
    • About 1.11 °C
    • About 1.28 °C
    • About 1.45 °C

  9. IPCC AR6 calls human influence the main driver of a change. What does 'main driver' mean there, by Noah's reading?

    • Responsible for more than 50% of the change
    • A possible cause that has been ruled out
    • Responsible for less than 10% of the change
    • Responsible for 100% of it, with nothing else at work

  10. IPCC AR6: what caused the rise in well-mixed greenhouse gases since around 1750, by Pia's reading?

    Use the picture in question 6.

    • Changes in the Sun, mainly
    • Volcanoes, mainly
    • Human activities, unequivocally
    • Ocean waves releasing gas

  11. Projected warming in 2081–2100 vs 1850–1900 (IPCC AR6)

    ScenarioBest estimate (°C)Very likely range (°C)
    SSP1-1.9 (very low emissions)1.41.0 to 1.8
    SSP1-2.6 (low)1.81.3 to 2.4
    SSP2-4.5 (intermediate)2.72.1 to 3.5
    SSP3-7.0 (high)3.62.8 to 4.6
    SSP5-8.5 (very high)4.43.3 to 5.7

    Note: Projections, not measurements.

  12. Using the table, how many times as wide is the SSP5-8.5 range as the SSP1-1.9 range, by Tala's math?

    • No wider; each scenario has one exact value
    • 2 times as wide
    • 1.6 times as wide
    • 3 times as wide

  13. Using the table, how much more warming is the SSP5-8.5 best estimate than the SSP1-1.9 one, by Zee's math?

    • About 1.4 °C
    • About 0.3 °C
    • About 5.8 °C
    • About 3.0 °C

  14. Why do IPCC projections differ from one scenario to the next, by Ari's reading?

    • One warm year decides which scenario comes true
    • Scenarios are guesses that set the laws of physics aside
    • Each scenario assumes a different path of future emissions
    • Each scenario uses a different record of past temperatures
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9th grade Climate change: the measurements and the models worksheet – printable
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About this worksheet

Read climate measurements and model projections. Every version has 10 questions, and the answer key prints on the second page.

What your child will learn

  • I can read the Mauna Loa CO₂ record and the NASA temperature anomaly record, and compute changes and rates per year or per decade.
  • I can state the IPCC AR6 finding: it is unequivocal that human influence has warmed the atmosphere, ocean and land, with natural drivers near zero.
  • I can read a projection as a model result for a named emissions scenario with a range, not a measurement or a single number.

Standard: HS-ESS3-5

Words to know

anomaly: A difference from an average, like 1.28 °C above 1951–1980

ppm: Parts per million: CO₂ molecules per million air molecules

trend: The long-run change across decades, not one year

main driver: IPCC: responsible for more than 50% of a change

scenario: An assumed path of future emissions, like SSP2-4.5

projection: A model estimate of the future under one scenario, with a range

Common mistakes

Your child read an anomaly as a temperature. NASA GISTEMP values are differences from the 1951–1980 average; a negative value means cooler than that average.

Your child judged the trend from one year or one season. NOAA measures trends over decades: about 0.06 °C per decade since 1850 and 0.20 °C since 1982.

Your child misnamed the main cause. IPCC AR6: it is unequivocal that human influence has warmed the atmosphere, ocean and land; natural drivers changed temperature by −0.1 to +0.1 °C.

Questions parents ask

What is the most common mistake with climate change: the measurements and the models?

Your child read an anomaly as a temperature. NASA GISTEMP values are differences from the 1951–1980 average; a negative value means cooler than that average.

Are these 9th grade science worksheets free to print?

Yes. All 6 printable versions at each level are free to print, with the answer key, and no account is needed.

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