Climate Change & Phenological Events in Plants and Animals

Climate Change & Phenological Events in Plants and Animals Teaching Module A set of resources to understand the link between periodic life-cycle events in plants and animals (such as flowering, leaf-out, and migration), and climate change. Students will work on a range of activities–learn about phenology, investigate phenological events, and analyze the link between climate […]

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 […]

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 […]