Natural Cycle

Notes from our reviewers

The CLEAN collection is hand-picked and rigorously reviewed for scientific accuracy and classroom effectiveness. Read what our review team had to say about this resource below or learn more about how CLEAN reviews teaching materials.

• Teaching Tips
  This is a persistent misconception, so teachers will need to consider if the students need more information than is provided in this simplified video.
• About the Science
  The animation showing the interaction between solar irradiance and greenhouse gases is not correct. When educators use this animation, they should explain how the actual situation is more complex. The difference between contemporary and fossil fuel sources of carbon dioxide is due to differences in the carbon isotopes involved. This is a physical property and not a chemical one. The link between carbon dioxide concentrations and temperature is not explained. The correlation is left to suggest causation. Comments from expert scientist: The revised video presents a very relevant theme and that causes enormous confusion in the general public. In this sense, it is helpful and can be easily understood by the lay public.
• About the Pedagogy
  This topic is the single most common misconception about climate change. Educators may want to reinforce this point as much as possible, because students are likely to encounter this misconception outside of school. The animations are playful and direct; they are quite approachable for young audiences.
• Technical Details/Ease of Use
  Suitable for classroom projection. It can be viewed online or downloaded. The video is on vimeo.com and this could this be a problem in some schools.