Climate Change and the American Pika

Climate Change and the American Pika Video A video that explains the impact of climate change on the habitat and population of a species (specifically, the American Pika) and explores whether this species could be used as an indicator of climate change. Students will learn about climate-related factors that are important for the survival of […]

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 […]

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 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 […]

Mapping Range Shifts

Mapping Range Shifts Teaching Module A teaching module that demonstrates the effect of temperatures on species distributions. This module by Linton et al. enables students to analyze data for a chosen species, from Natural History Collections, for its range shift due to rising temperatures. It includes the following activities: Reading a meta analysis by Pecl […]

Climate Change and Human Evolution

Climate Change and Human Evolution Video A video lecture by Raghu Murtugudde, University of Maryland, on the impacts of climate change on human evolution and early civilizations. This video lecture is part 1 of a 3-part lecture series titled ‘Climate Change on Historic Timescales’ of a MOOC. This MOOC is titled ‘Climate Change’ and has […]

Teaching Biodiversity through Climate-related Examples

Teaching Biodiversity through Climate-related Examples Overview As an undergraduate Biological Sciences teacher, you can use this set of computer-based tools to help you in teaching evolution and behavior, biodiversity, and ecology. This lesson plan helps students to learn about the current and past habitats of an animal (specifically, squirrels), and how changing habitats can affect […]

The Impact of Climate Change on Sex Determination in Sea Turtles

The Impact of Climate Change on Sex Determination in Sea Turtles Overview As a high school Biological Sciences teacher, you can use this set of computer-based tools to help you in teaching about chromosomal and environmental sex determination in various species, and the factors that influence sex determination in sea turtles. This lesson plan allows […]

Natural Selection and Climate Change

Natural Selection and Climate Change Overview As a high school or undergraduate, Biological Sciences teacher, you can use this set of computer-based tools to teach about natural selection, its role in evolution and climate change as a selective pressure in natural selection. This lesson plan will enable the students to understand Darwin’s theory of natural […]

Ecological Niches and Biogeography: Mountain Gorillas, Bamboo and Climate

Ecological Niches and Biogeography: Mountain Gorillas, Bamboo and Climate Overview As an Undergraduate Environmental Sciences or Biological Sciences teacher, you can use this set of computer-based tools to teach about ecological niches– their characteristics and the factors that affect them- and the biogeography of a species. More specifically, this lesson plan will teach your students […]