Last updated: March 8, 2019
Lesson Plan
Exploring Climate Science (Climate Connections)
- Grade Level:
- High School: Ninth Grade through Twelfth Grade
- Subject:
- Science
- Lesson Duration:
- 60 Minutes
- State Standards:
- NATIONAL/STATE STANDARDS:
5-ESS3-1 - Thinking Skills:
- Remembering: Recalling or recognizing information ideas, and principles. Understanding: Understand the main idea of material heard, viewed, or read. Interpret or summarize the ideas in own words. Applying: Apply an abstract idea in a concrete situation to solve a problem or relate it to a prior experience. Analyzing: Break down a concept or idea into parts and show the relationships among the parts.
Essential Question
How are National Parks studying climate change?
Objective
Students will be able to:
1. Identify ways in which National Parks are studying climate change
Background
In “Exploring Climate Science (Climate Connections),” students have a chance to virtually connect with a park to learn about local climate change and its impacts. Our extensive “Exploring Climate Science” curricula unit is broken into eight lessons, each taking 40 minutes to complete. Designed around the 5th grade Next Generation Science Standards, it is a unit easily adapted up for middle or high school use. Teach the entire unit or pull out particular activities. This is lesson 7 of the unit.
Water is essential for life on Earth. Relative water availability is a major factor in designating habitats for different living organisms. In the United States, things like agriculture and water rights are hot topics. Current models predict that average global temperatures are going to continue to rise even if regional climate changes remain complex and varied. These changes will have an impact on all of Earth's systems.
Studies have shown that climate change is driven not only by natural effects but also by human activities. Knowledge of the factors that affect climate, coupled with responsible management of natural resources are required for sustaining these Earth systems. Long-term change can be anticipated using science-based predictive models making science and engineering essential to understanding global climate change and its possible impacts.
National Parks can serve as benchmarks for climate science trends and effects over time because they are protected areas void of human influence. Understanding current climate trends will help set students up to be successful in interpreting and engaging in discussions about climate change, which will lead to informed decision making.
Day 1- Climate Change
Day 2- Weather vs Climate
Day 3- Snowpack
Day 4- Snow Course Field Trip
Day 5- Watersheds
Day 6- Streamflow Data
Day 7- NPS Connections
Day 8- Research Projects
Preparation
Most of the materials for this unit are provided in the Snow Study Trunk or as downloadable files.
Pencil and notebook paper for taking notes (teacher provided)Materials
Lesson Plan
Procedure
Step 1
Provide students with some background information on National Parks (what they are, where they are, their mission)
Step 2
1. Review the process that NPS sites go through to take action on climate change: they must monitor and collect data to see what's happening and then decide on proactive steps that they can take to help reverse it.
2. Virtual visit go to the Climate Connections Distance Learning page for information on scheduling. (See procedure 7.1 for additional information; if a visit isn't possible see extension activities section).
Assessment Materials
Exit ticket question: Write at least three sentences about how National Parks are studying climate change.
Enrichment Activities
If you aren't able to schedule a virtual field trip, play NPS podcasts on climate change instead.
Watch one of the podcasts or videos from a park to show students how NPS sites are studying climate change:
Devils Postpile Climate Science Podcasts
Rocky Mountain National Park Pika research
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/09/090904-pika-in-peril-missions-video-wc.html
Video – Phenology and citizen science at Great Smokey https://nature.nps.gov/multimedia/CCRP_Phenology1/index.cfm