Students can explore the data of the monthly mean amounts of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere measured in parts per million at Mauna Loa Observatory, Hawaii from 1958 to 2022. 

Giving students large data sets can be a challenging and motivating experience. These data are the monthly mean amounts of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere measured in parts per million at Mauna Loa Observatory, Hawaii from 1958 to 2022. The monthly averages are based on daily averages, which are compiled from hourly averages. For more information see NOAA . Note that there is also an introductory activity, Modeling CO₂ Levels, that investigates just the data from 2006  using the data in Table 1. This is activity is available in the Prediction section of the Mathematical Modeling activities and could be used as a starting point before examining the trend beginning in 1958.