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El Nino - Southern Oscillation | A Project Based Lesson Brief description
In this 5E, project based lesson, students conduct research and present information
on the environmental and economic impacts of an El Nino - Southern Oscillation
(ENSO) event on various affected regions. They practice responding to a released AP
free response prompt related to El Nino and use the AP rubric to evaluate their
responses. This project helps students understand the climatic changes that
accompany an ENSO event and consider the possible impacts of those changes. Key Search Words AP Environmental El Nino La Nina El Nino - Southern Oscillation (ENSO) Atmosphere Ocean currents Project based learning 5E Instructional model NASA data visualizations Learning outcomes
Upon completion of this lesson students will be able to:
● describe what an ENSO is and clearly indicate where it occurs
● describe the connection between the climate change associated with and ENSO
and the transmission of diseases
● identify which parts of the world would most likely be affected by an ENSO event
● describe environmental and economic problems associated with ENSOs
Curriculum alignment
AP Environmental Science
This lesson aligns with the AP Environmental Course Topic 1B: The Atmosphere
(Composition; structure; weather and climate; atmospheric circulation and the Coriolis
effect; atmosphere-ocean interactions; ENSO) Climate Literacy Framework 2A- Earth’s climate is influenced by interactions involving the Sun, ocean, atmosphere,
clouds, ice, land and life. Climate varies by region as a result of local differences in
these interactions. 2B- Covering 70% of the Earth’s surface, the ocean exerts a major control on climate by
dominating Earth’s energy and water cycles. It has the capacity to absorb large
amounts of solar energy. Heath and water vapor are redistributed globally through
density-driven ocean currents and atmospheric circulation, Changes in ocean
circulation caused by tectonic movements or large influxes of fresh water from melting
polar ice can lead to significant and even abrupt changes in climate, both locally and on
global scales. 7E- Ecosystems on land and in the ocean have been and will continue to be disturbed
by climate change. Animals, plants, bacteria, and viruses will migrate to new areas with
favorable climate conditions. Infectious diseases and certain species will be able to
invade areas that they did not previously inhabit. 7F-Human health and mortality rates will be affected to different degrees in specific
regions of the worlds as a result of climate change. Although cold-related deaths are
predicted to decrease, their risks are predicted to rise. The incidence and geographical
range of climate sensitive infectious diseases- such as malaria, dengue fever, and tickborne diseases- will increase. Drought-reduced crop yields, degraded air and water
quality, and increased hazards in coastal and low-lying areas will contribute to
unhealthy conditions, particularly for the most vulnerable populations. Classroom time required Two 90-minute block periods Materials & Technology  Internet access for students and teacher. Ideally, each student should have
internet access, but at a minimum, each group (ideally, 4 students, but will
depend on class size) should have internet access.  Computer & projector for classroom presentations  Copies of released AP free response question (from 2002, question #4) and
grading rubric (SEE BELOW) for each student: 2002 AP Free Response Questions (NOTE: This link contains all 4 free response
questions- this lesson only requires the use of question #4):
http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/repository/envir_sci_frq_02_10393.pdf
2002 AP Grading Rubric (NOTE: This link contains the grading rubric for all 4 free
response questions- this lesson only requires the use of the rubric for question #4):
http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/repository/sg_envir_sci_02_11517.pdf
Procedure
Engagement Step 1: The teacher should access NASA’s Earth Observatory website, Is El Nino
Developing? at http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=83653&src=eoaiotd Step 2: Click on the diagram of the sea surface height anomaly. This will make the
diagram appear in full screen. This diagram should be projected for the class to see. Step 3: The teacher will ask the students to determine what is being depicted in the
diagram and to speculate possible causes for the anomaly and impacts the anomaly
may have. The teacher should not attempt to correct the students if they provide
incorrect answers at this point, but allow them to discuss their ideas and debate with
one another. Step 4: The teacher should create a list of the student’s ideas on the front board or on a
separate paper to revisit later in the lesson. Exploration Step 1: The students should be split into 5 groups (the number of students in each
group will depend on class size). Step 2: Each group will choose one of the following areas to research:
1. Pacific coast of South America
2. Islands in the tropical Pacific
3. Central America
4. Southeast Asia
5. Southern Africa Step 3: The task for the students is to determine what exactly an ENSO event is and
then to create a short presentation explaining what impact(s) ENSO has or might have
on their chosen region, especially in light of a changing climate. The students should
include impacts of wetter conditions, warmer water, higher air/land temperatures,
slightly drier conditions, and/or drought if applicable to their particular region. The
students must include NASA data and/or diagrams to support their claims (NOTE: Using
a Google presentation or Prezi will allow the students to share editing access to the
presentation file so that the presentation can be easily completed for homework if they
do not complete the assignment during the first 90-minute block). The students should
complete the presentation during the first 90-minute block of instruction and be ready to
present the next day. If they do not complete their presentation during class time, it
should be completed for homework. Some recommendations for additional resources include: NOAA Presentation| ENSO: Recent Evolution, Current Status and Predictions
http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/lanina/enso_evolutionstatus-fcsts-web.pdf
What is El Nino?
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/ElNino/
El Nino- NASA Science
http://science.nasa.gov/earth-science/oceanography/ocean-earth-system/el-nino/ World of Change- ENSO
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/WorldOfChange/enso.php Latest El Nino/ La Nina Watch Data
https://sealevel.jpl.nasa.gov/science/elninopdo/latestdata/ Air-Sea Interaction and Climate- El Nino Watch From Space http://airseawww.jpl.nasa.gov/ENSO/ Sciencecasts: El Nino- is 2014 the new 1997?
www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaxPwASV2kY Data from actual ENSO events El Niño and La Niña Years and Intensities
http://ggweather.com/enso/oni.htm NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center:
http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/ensostuff/ONI_change.sht
ml Explanation Step 1: Student groups should take turns presenting. Step 2: The teacher should facilitate class discussion and peer review of facts and/or
diagrams presented about ENSO and its probable impacts. Step 3: After all groups have presented, the teacher should ensure that the topic of
disease transmission, as well as all topics that will be addressed by the evaluation
instrument, have been thoroughly explained (see the table on part (d) of the FRQ
grading rubric for specifics). Possible Discussion Questions: 1. How might an increase in greenhouse gases affect ENSO events?
2. How might wetter conditions caused by El Nino promote the transmission of
disease?
3. What environmental problems could wetter conditions have?
4. How might drier conditions and possibly drought caused by El Nino promote the
transmission of disease?
5. What environmental problems could drier conditions cause?
6. How might warmer water and/or warmer air temperatures caused by El Nino
affect disease transmission?
7. What environmental problems could warmer water and/or warmer air
temperatures cause?
8. How does the availability of healthcare and sanitation affect the impacts of ENSO
events?
Evaluation/Assessment (Formative) The teacher return to the diagram displayed during the engagement activity and return
to the chart or list they created during that step. The teacher should prompt the students
to review their initial ideas and decide which were correct and which were incorrect or
incomplete. Evaluation/Assessment (Summative) Students should be given the released 2002 AP Environmental Free Response
Question #4 (attached). If the teacher would like to simulate the timing provided on the
AP Environmental exam, the teacher should only allow 22.5 minutes for students to
respond to the prompt. Once students have responded to the question, the students will turn in their pen to the
teacher and take a colored pen/pencil and a copy of the grading rubric. They are
responsible for grading one peer’s response as well as their own response using the AP
rubric. The student must underline each place that a point was earned. This helps
students to understand how strictly their responses will be graded by College Board. Elaboration If the teacher wishes to elaborate on this topic, they may assign the students to locate a
scholarly article about how climate change may affect ENSOs and write a summary of
that article. Author Information
Brandi Mathis teaches in Caswell County at Bartlett Yancey High School in Yanceyville,
NC. She teaches AP Environmental Science and physical science. Brandi received her
Masters in Science Education and is National Board Certified as of 2012. Brandi
completed the 2013-2014 NC Climate Fellows Program.
This lesson was reviewed and edited by Dana Haine, MS, K-12 Science Education
Manager for UNC-Chapel Hill’s Institute for the Environment and Program Director for
the NC Climate Fellows Program, a teacher professional development program made
possible with support from NASA’s Innovations in Climate Education (NICE) project.