Climate Change and Leaf-out in Plants
Climate Change and Leaf-out in Plants Classroom/Laboratory Activity A classroom/laboratory activity to explore the possible role of climate-related environmental factors in the timing of leaf-out in plants (specifically, red maple leaf-out in New England). In this activity, students will create graphs by using data for the timing of red maple leaf-out in New England. They […]
Survival Skills-Response of Organisms to Climate Change
Survival Skills-Response of Organisms to Climate Change Classroom/Laboratory Activity A classroom/laboratory activity to analyze the distribution of beetle, mammal, and plant species (for datasets from North America) in the past (based on fossil records), determine whether the same species exist today, and compare the past and present geographic ranges and ecosystems of these species. Students […]
Climate Change and Phenology in Plants (Flowering)
Climate Change and Phenology in Plants (Flowering) Classroom Activity A classroom/ laboratory activity to learn about phenology and phenological events, and to understand the potential impacts of climate change on periodic life-cycle events in plants, specifically, on the bloom date of North American lilac shrubs. Students will use phenology data on flowering patterns to create […]
Malaria and Climate Change
Malaria and Climate Change Classroom/Laboratory Activity A classroom/laboratory activity to establish the potential link between the geographic distribution of malaria and increasing temperature caused by climate change. Students will use maps and temperature data sheets to determine the locations where malaria is known to occur and the temperature ranges in these locations. Further, they will […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Climate Change and Food Webs
Climate Change and Food Webs Video A video of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Biointeractive that describes the threats of climate change on the ecosystem of the Yellowstone National Park, USA. In this video, Elizabeth Hadley, Stanford University, discusses how climate change can lead to changes in habitats and species interactions. Students will learn […]
Melting Ice Sheets and Sea Level
Melting Ice Sheets and Sea Level Model/Simulation An interactive Model/Simulation to explore the effects of melting ice sheets and the resulting sea level rise on coastal areas. Students will configure parameters related to glacial melt in Antarctica and/or Greenland, and will observe the effects of sea level rise on selected coastal regions in the U.S. […]