Ecosystem Phenology. Climate Change: A Wisconsin Activity Guide. Wisconsin DNR. Grades 7-12.
http://dnr.wi.gov/org/caer/ce/eek/teacher/Climateguide/PDF/03-4245-phenology.pdf. This section of the Activity Guide provides an activity and worksheets to help students understand the methods of phonological data collection and how these methods can help us better understand climate change.
The Leopold Legacy: Phenology of Plants and Birds. Paradise Lost. Grades 6-12.
http://paradiselost2.wordpress.com/2011/03/08/the-leopold-legacy-phenology-of-plants-and-birds/. In this activity, students work in small groups to examine a set of data that includes 23 phenological events, and then share their findings with the rest of the class. They will look at 3 major “themes” within the data: 1) changes in plant phenology, 2) changes in bird phenology, and 3) relationships among events.
Lesson 3: The Effects of Climate Change on Living Things. Climate Change: Connections and Solutions, Grades 6-8.
http://www.facingthefuture.org/Curriculum/ClimateChangeGrades68/tabid/453/Default.aspx. In small groups students learn about potential impacts of climate change on living things and communicate these impacts to the class through skits.
Lesson 3: The Effects of Climate Change on Living Things. Climate Change: Connections and Solutions, Grades 9-12.
http://www.facingthefuture.org/Curriculum/ClimateChangeGrades912/tabid/454/Default.aspx. In small groups students learn about potential impacts of climate change on living things and communicate these impacts to their school community through informative posters or other media.
Keeping Watch on Coral Reefs. NOAA Ocean Service Education. Grades 9-12.
http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/kits/corals/lessons/keep_watch.html. This activity identifies and explains the benefits of and threats to coral reef systems. Students read tutorials, describe the role of satellites, analyze oceanographic data and identify actions that can be undertaken to reduce or eliminate threats to coral reefs. As a culminating activity, students prepare a public education program.
March of the Polar Bears: Global Change, Sea Ice, and Wildlife Migration. My NASA Data Lesson Plans. Grades 6-12.
http://mynasadata.larc.nasa.gov/preview_lesson.php?&passid=90. Students use NASA satellite data to study changes in temperature and snow-ice coverage in the South Beaufort Sea, Alaska. They will then correlate the data with USGS ground tracking of polar bears and relate their findings to global change, sea ice changes, and polar bear migration and survival.
Coral Bleaching: A White Hot Problem. NOAA Sea Grant and National Marine Educators Association. Grades 6-12.
http://www2.vims.edu/bridge/DATA.cfm?Bridge_Location=archive0406.html. This teaching activity addresses environmental stresses on corals. Students assess coral bleaching using water temperature data from the NOAA National Data Buoy Center. Students learn about the habitat of corals, the stresses on coral populations, and the impact of increased sea surface temperatures on coral reefs. In a discussion section, the connection between coral bleaching and global warming is drawn.
Global Warming Webquest. Marian Koshland Science Museum – National Academy of Science. Grades 6-12.
http://www.koshland-science-museum.org/teachers/wq-gw-gd001.jsp. In this Webquest activity, students assume roles of scientist, business leader, or policy maker. The students then collaborate as part of a climate action team and learn how society and the environment might be impacted by global warming. They explore the decision making process regarding issues of climate change, energy use, and available policy options. Student teams investigate how and why climate is changing and how humans may have contributed to these changes. Upon completion of their individual tasks, student teams present their findings and make recommendations that address the situation.
Changes Ahoof: Could Climate Change Affect Arctic Caribou. Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. Grades 6-8.
http://forces.si.edu/arctic/pdf/ACT%205_CHANGES%20AHOOF.pdf. Students run a simplified computer model to explore how climate conditions can affect caribou, the most abundant grazing animal in the Arctic.