Using An Educational General Circulation Model to Increase Earth Science Literacy

The Educational Global Climate Modeling (EdGCM) software package is wrapped around a sophisticated general circulation model. However, users do not need to use unix scripting or have knowledge of any computer language to run the model since EdGCM has a graphical user interface for defining the climate model parameters, running the computer model, and archiving, post-processing and visualizing the data. EdGCM runs on desktop computers and laptops and can be used in classrooms for interactive class projects and assignments.

In this contribution, I will describe how I use EdGCM to teach earth system science concepts to mostly non-science undergraduate students. In my classes, students explore the complex interaction of different components of earth systems (e.g., effect of atmospheric greenhouse gases on ocean temperatures) through inquiry-based assignments using their own datasets. In addition to interactively learning about earth systems and global change (e.g., Maunder Minimum, polar amplification, etc.), students are also actively involved in the “process of science” as they can develop their own hypotheses about environmental change and sustainability, and design their own computer model experiments.