Squirrel Species Distribution and Climate Change
Squirrel Species Distribution and Climate Change Classroom/Laboratory Activity A classroom/laboratory activity to examine and analyze squirrel species distribution and habitat data (from the USA) over time, and to interpret the possible relationship between climate change and changes in biodiversity. Students will analyze data for past and modern squirrel populations and habitats, and will then interpret […]
Carbon Dioxide and Photosynthetic Rates
Carbon Dioxide and Photosynthetic Rates Classroom/Laboratory Activity A classroom/laboratory activity that shows how to measure the rate of photosynthesis and its changes under different conditions including high concentrations of carbon dioxide, a potential contributor to climate change. Students will be able to explore, measure, and determine the rate at which photosynthesis occurs under one independent […]
Natural Selection and Climate Change
Natural Selection and Climate Change Video A video that shows that climate change can be a selective pressure in natural selection that can lead to the ‘evolutionary rescue’ of a species. Students will learn about the Snowshoe hares in North America. They will understand how reduced snowfall due to a warming climate can behave as […]
Natural Selection and Evolutionary Rescue of a Species
Natural Selection and Evolutionary Rescue of a Species Reading A reading that shows that climate change can be a selective pressure in natural selection. It explains how the selection of a character that provides an adaptive advantage in a changed environment, leads to the ‘evolutionary rescue’ of a species. Students will learn about Snowshoe hares […]
Photosynthesis and Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide
Photosynthesis and Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Classroom/ Laboratory Activity A classroom/laboratory activity that shows how to measure the rate of photosynthesis and its changes under different conditions including high concentrations of carbon dioxide, a potential contributor to climate change. Students will be able to explore, measure, and determine the rate at which photosynthesis occurs under one […]
Photosynthesis Under Variable Environmental Conditions
Photosynthesis Under Variable Environmental Conditions Classroom/Laboratory Activity A simple simulator that allows users to change a range of variables such as the color of light, brightness of light, and carbon dioxide concentration, and then note their impact on the photosynthetic efficiency of a plant. Use this tool to help your students find answers to: What […]
Plant Response to Climate related Temperature and Water Stress
Plant Response to Climate related Temperature and Water Stress Teaching Module This teaching module allows students to explore the role of stomata in regulating leaf temperature and water loss from plants under different environmental and climatic conditions. Students will observe the nature and distribution of stomata of plants growing under varying temperature conditions and use […]
Plant Responses to Climate Related Abiotic Stress
Plant Responses to Climate Related Abiotic Stress Video A video lecture that gives an overview of how vegetation responds to climate change in terms of phenotypic plasticity, range shifts, phenology, and population changes. Students will learn about plant responses to increased CO2 levels, higher global temperatures and changing precipitation patterns by discussing their impacts on […]
Adaptation or Plasticity?
Adaptation or Plasticity? Reading An article on the difference between evolutionary adaptation and phenotypic plasticity. This article by the University of California Museum of Paleontology and the National Center for Science Education highlights various factors, such as natural selection and developmental changes amongst others, which play a role in determining how organisms respond to a […]
Metabolic Rates and Global Warming
Metabolic Rates and Global Warming Classroom/Laboratory Activity A classroom/laboratory activity to measure the metabolic rate in living organisms and to understand the possible effects of rising temperatures on metabolic rate of these organisms. This activity demonstrates how metabolic activity changes in ectotherms (goldfish) and endotherms (common mouse) at different temperatures. Students will learn how to […]