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It’s Gettin’ Hot In Here!
Consequences of Climate Change on Flora and Fauna
Overview
Student will be introduced to the basics of climate change research. Specifically focusing on the
impact climate change will have on the plant and animal populations. We will investigate a
number of specific aspects that will be directly impacted through climatic changes, with a number
of real world examples. The lesson is broke into three main portions, a brief introductory
presentation, an interactive, outdoor game, and a worksheet developed to engage students with
real scientific graphs and data.
Objectives
At the conclusion of the lesson, students will be able to:
 Link human actions with changes taking place on Earth
 Explain how rising temperatures are influencing animal/plant populations
 Describe specific examples where climate change may be either detrimental or beneficial
 Gain experience interpreting graphs and making conclusions
 Get excited about role-playing as an animal
Length of Lesson
One 50-minute class period, with the potential of breaking off the graphical analysis to assign for
out-of-class work
Grade Levels
K – 12th grade
Notes for grade-level appropriate content or extension are noted throughout lesson plan. There
are three games attached, each has an appropriate grade level.
Standards covered
Grades K-5
S.IA.03.12, S.IA.04.12 Share ideas about science through purposeful conversation in
collaborative groups.
S.RS.03.11, S.RS.04.11, S.RS.05.15 Demonstrate scientific concepts through various
illustrations, performances, models, exhibits, and activities.
S.RS.03.17, S.RS.04.17 Identify current problems that may be solved through the use of
technology.
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S.RS.03.18, S.RS.04.18, S.RS.05.17 Describe the effect humans and other organisms have on
the balance of the natural world.
E.ES.03.52 Describe helpful or harmful effects of humans on the environment
S.IA.05.12 Evaluate data, claims, and personal knowledge through collaborative science
discourse.
S.RS.05.13 Identify the need for evidence in making scientific decisions.
S.RS.05.19 Describe how science and technology have advanced because of the contributions of
many people throughout history and across cultures.
Grades 6-7
S.RS.06.13 Identify the need for evidence in making scientific decisions.
S.RS.06.14 Evaluate scientific explanations based on current evidence and scientific principles.
L.EC.06.41 Describe how human beings are part of the ecosystem of the Earth and that human
activity can purposefully, or accidentally, alter the balance in ecosystems.
S.RS.07.13 Identify the need for evidence in making scientific decisions.
S.RS.07.14 Evaluate scientific explanations based on current evidence and scientific principles.
S.RS.07.17 Describe the effect humans and other organisms have on the balance of the natural
world.
S.RS.07.18 Describe what science and technology can and cannot reasonably contribute to
society.
E.ES.07.42 Describe the origins of pollution in the atmosphere, geosphere, and hydrosphere, (car
exhaust, industrial emissions, acid rain, and natural sources), and how pollution impacts habitats,
climatic change, threatens or endangers species.
Grades 8-12
E1.1A Generate new questions that can be investigated in the laboratory or field.
E1.1B Evaluate the uncertainties or validity of scientific conclusions using an understanding of
sources of measurement error, the challenges of controlling variables, accuracy of data analysis,
logic of argument, logic of experimental design, and/or the dependence on underlying
assumptions.
E1.1C Conduct scientific investigations using appropriate tools and techniques (e.g., selecting an
instrument that measures the desired quantity—length, volume, weight, time interval,
temperature—with the appropriate level of precision).
E1.1h Design and conduct a systematic scientific investigation that tests a hypothesis. Draw
conclusions from data presented in charts or tables.
E1.1i Distinguish between scientific explanations that are regarded as current scientific
consensus and the emerging questions that active researchers investigate.
E1.2B Identify and critique arguments about personal or societal issues based on scientific
evidence.
E1.2D Evaluate scientific explanations in a peer review process or discussion format.
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E1.2E Evaluate the future career and occupational prospects of science fields.
E1.2g Identify scientific tradeoffs in design decisions and choose among alternative solutions.
E1.2i Explain the progression of ideas and explanations that lead to science theories that are part
of the current scientific consensus or core knowledge.
E1.2j Apply science principles or scientific data to anticipate effects of technological design
decisions.
E2.1C Explain, using specific examples, how a change in one system affects other Earth
systems.
E2.2B Identify differences in the origin and use of renewable (e.g., solar, wind, water, biomass)
and nonrenewable (e.g., fossil fuels, nuclear [U-235]) sources of energy.
E2.2C Describe natural processes in which heat transfer in the Earth occurs by conduction,
convection, and radiation.
E2.4B Explain how the impact of human activities on the environment (e.g., deforestation, air
pollution, coral reef destruction) can be understood through the analysis of interactions between
the four Earth systems.
E5.4A Explain the natural mechanism of the greenhouse effect, including comparisons of the
major greenhouse gases (water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone).
E5.4C Analyze the empirical relationship between the emissions of carbon dioxide, atmospheric
carbon dioxide levels, and the average global temperature over the past 150 years.
B3.4C Examine the negative impact of human activities.
B3.4d Describe the greenhouse effect and list possible causes.
B3.4e List the possible causes and consequences of global warming.
Materials
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PowerPoint introducing the influences of climatic changes on animal and plant
populations (included - “It’s Gettin’ Hot in Here.ppt).
The Extreme Polar Plunge! introduction and game rules (Elementary Level)
Blinding Nemo introduction and game rules (Middle School Level)
What’s Wrong With Bulwinkle? introduction and game rules (Middle - High School Level)
Scientific worksheet for graphical analysis (see below)
Background
While public policy on climate change continues to be debated in local and national
governments, the effects of global warming are already being felt by many different plant and
animal populations. Warming temperatures and other consequences of climate change can
result in a wide variety of outcomes for different communities. For example, rising temperatures
can directly impact plant and animal populations by causing range shifts as species are forced to
move into areas with temperatures they can tolerate. In the process of shifting home ranges
different species that were previously isolated from one another may come in contact, leading to
new biotic interactions (whether they be predator-prey, host-parasite, or resource competitor
interactions).
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The “It’s Gettin’ Hot In Here” powerpoint provides a number of interesting examples of the
impacts of climate change on plants and animals. Below is a brief summary of the important
points covered on each slide.
Script to accompany “It’s Gettin’ Hot In Here” PowerPoint, organized by slide:
(1) Introduction of the topic: Changes that are taking place across the globe are impacting animal
and plant populations. Can you think of any examples?
(2) Climate Change Intro: We as humans consume a lot of energy, from electricity, gasoline,
natural gas, etc. As more humans populate the planet, this energy demand continues to
increase leading to a large amount of carbon dioxide being emitted into the atmosphere. This
is leading to increase global temperatures, ocean acidification from high amounts of
dissolved CO2 in the water, increasing ice melts, and more severe weather patterns (i.e.
tornadoes, hurricanes, droughts).The graph illustrates how quickly the amount of carbon
dioxide entering the atmosphere has spiked within the last century compared to the previous
10,000 years.
(3) Can anyone think of specific examples these changing climatic events may have on the plant
and animal life?
(4) Some examples that we will discuss involve direct physical/physiological effects, habitat loss,
range shifts (organisms moving towards the poles), new hybrids forming as “species” begin to
cross as they begin interacting, other predator/prey interactions, and changes in life cycles
such as with hibernation
(5) Physical/physiological effects: Warmer temperatures can have direct effects on organisms
such as with over-heating. Also, with acidifying oceans, there are a number of direct negative
effects on marine life. Also, organisms that have environmental sex determination are also
greatly impacted.
(6) Corals: Coral form a symbiotic relationship with an algal species where the coral offers
shelter and the algae offers nutrition. Warmer ocean temperatures make it harder to form
these relationships and many corals will actually expel their symbiotic algae as a result (coral
bleaching). Furthermore, as oceans absorb more and more CO2 from the atmosphere they
become more acidic which slows the growth of coral which relies on building calcium based
skeletons.
(7)
Many species of reptiles including many turtles have temperature dependent sex
determination where the temperature of the sand where the eggs are laid will determine the
sex of the offspring. With rising temperatures some species are experiencing a shift towards
a highly skewed sex ratio. For example, during a 3 year stretch of unseasonably warm
temperatures loggerhead turtles were producing nests that hatched ~90% females.
(8) Some species are also losing the habitat that they depend on for food, shelter, breeding.
(9) Polar bears are a well-known example of how habitat loss can negatively impact the
population. With shrinking ice, polar bears are forced to swim further between ice sheets
resulting in fatigue/drowning, and also a decrease in seal-hunting habitat.
(10) Mangroves present a rich area for breeding and for fostering young. But, low water depths
are required for these plants to set roots, and with rising water levels, these species-rich
areas are diminishing.
(11) Range shifts occur as rising temperatures force species to move towards the poles or to
higher elevations to stay within the species optimal level. Predators also follow their prey
species as they shift their ranges.
(12) An example of this is the Pika. These rodents are being forced to higher elevations to stay
within their optimal temperature levels.
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(13) Hybrids are beginning to pop up as range shifts are occurring and once separated species
are overlapping and breeding.
(14) A great example is the breeding that is taking place between the grizzly bear and the polar
bear, aka Grolar Bear. Other examples are the Narwhal and Beluga, and Right and Bowhead
whales.
(15) Shifting ranges are also resulting in species interacting in different ways. Populations are
exposed to new predators, parasites, or competitors. Additionally, warming temperatures can
actually change the lifecycles of certain organisms which can change how they interact with
the environment and other species.
(16) A major disease of frog populations is caused by a chytrid fungus that requires a very
specific temperature range to spread (can’t be too hot, can’t be too cold). Climate change is
causing increasing cloud cover in many of the forests and jungles of Central America
resulting in a pattern where daytime temperature is actually cooler than normal (as there is
not as much direct exposure to the sun) but night time temperature is warmer than normal
(resulting from general global warming). This daytime cooling and nighttime warming has
created the perfect temperature for the spread of the chytrid fungus to previously unaffected
populations of frogs.
(17) Warmer temperature has allowed the red fox to begin moving into the arctic fox’s habitat.
The red fox is quite a bit larger than the arctic fox and dominates the environment. Red foxes
are even known to kill arctic foxes.
(18) The final effect we are going to cover is life cycle changes.
(19) The best example is how hibernating animals are being influenced. Shorter cold conditions
are causing hibernation periods to decrease. Some animals have even stopped hibernating
at all. This can cause serious problems because if an animal is not hibernating then its
metabolism is running normally which means it requires its normal amount of food. If ample
food supply is not available during the winter these animals may starve. Not all examples are
negative however; some animals are benefiting from this decrease in cold weather. Marmots
are reducing the time they spend hibernating but they do not face starvation because
warming temperatures has actually lengthened the growing season of their food source. As a
result marmots are actually becoming fatter than usual because they have more time to eat.
(20) Next, introduce the game you have selected for your grade level.
Activities of the session
1. Present the introduction in the PowerPoint (included) asking comprehension questions
throughout. This should make the lesson connect to students’ previous knowledge.
2. Introduce the game and then head outside. (see the game rule sheets below for more details)
The three games included here cover different complexity of ideas:
 The polar bear game (The extreme polar plunge) covers a relatively simple example of
loss of habitat due to warming temperatures making this game accessible to younger
students.
 The clownfish game (Blinding Nemo) involves a more complicated example that requires
students are able to understand ocean acidification.
 The moose game (Whats wrong with Bullwinkle) is probably the most complicated of the
games and requires a better understanding of how animals interact with each other .
3. Enjoy the time outside!
4. Come back inside and introduce the worksheet of graphs (see below)
Resources
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PowerPoint created by Michael Kuczynski and Jakob Nalley
Game Development: by Michael Kuczynski and Jakob Nalley
Extensions and Modifications
Read articles from multiple sources (e.g., news, primary literature), and (a) have a discussion on
range shifts or new hybridization. (b) Have students express what they believe the impact of
exotic species will have on resident species.
Every point of this presentation can be scaled back to meet demands at specific grade levels.
Other aspects can be developed even further to meet higher demands at the high school level.
Assessment
Have students fill out the provided worksheet. This is a great way to engage the students with
current scientific data and also encourage the students to think beyond the simple game and
apply their knowledge to more advanced topics.
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Rule Sheet
The extreme polar plunge!
Background: Polar bears face many challenges resulting from global warming. Ice platforms
are shrinking and moving farther apart making hunting much more difficult and dangerous for
polar bears. Individuals have to swim farther and farther to locate suitable hunting locations.
Additionally, the increasing amount of open water between shore and sea ice results in rougher
wave. This further increases the danger of hunting. In this game, participants will step into the
role of a polar bear searching for food. Players will experience the increasing challenge of
making it out to sea ice to hunt.
Materials:
Flags/cones/rope to mark off “ice platforms” and “shoreline”
Tokens to represent food items (can be anything to represent the seals that polar bears prey upon)
Stopwatch
Procedure:
1) In an open field use flag/cones/ropes to mark off the boundaries of several “ice platforms”.
The number and size of the platforms you create will depend on the number of players. For a
group of ~20-25 players we recommend 3 platforms.
2) Within each platform distribute food tokens. We recommend 15 tokens per platform.
3) Choose a location away from the three platforms to establish your “shoreline”, mark this
region with flags or cones.
4) Have players spread out along the shoreline.
5) Players have 30-45 seconds (the exact time given to players should depend on the size of the
playing field) to run from the shoreline to any of the ice platforms, collect a minimum of 3 food
tokens, and make it back to the shoreline. Those that accomplish this have survived, those with
less than 3 food tokens starve, and those stuck out in the “ocean” when the time runs out drown.
6) Inform the students that they are leaping ahead several years and global warming is causing
sea ice to shrink and retreat farther from shore, and food abundance is decreasing. Move the ice
platforms farther away from your shoreline and reduce their size. Also reduce the number of
food tokens on each platform to 10. Repeat step 5.
7) Inform students that they are going even further forward in time and now the large amounts of
open water between sea ice and shore is creating dangerous wave conditions. Once again move
the ice farther away from shore and reduce the number of tokens per platform to 7. Repeat step
5, only this time inform the students that the rough ocean conditions means they have to walk
instead of run.
8) Discuss with the students how global warming affected polar bear populations.
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Blinding Nemo!
Background: As atmospheric CO2 increases the oceans absorb more and more CO2 from the
atmosphere. Higher levels of CO2 in the ocean lead to ocean acidification which can have a
number of negative effects on marine life. For example, ocean acidification is thought to
interfere with the senses of clownfish. This interference can prevent juvenile clownfish from
successfully locating sea anemones. Adult clownfish have a mutualistic relationship with
anemones where the clownfish cleans the anemones of parasites and eats small invertebrates that
could harm the anemone. In return the anemone protects the clownfish from its predators and
provides the clownfish with scraps from its meals. If juveniles are unable to locate suitable
anemones they are in serious danger of predation. In this game participants step into the role of
clownfish trying to locate an anemone and eventually reproduce under conditions where their
senses are deteriorating.
Materials:
Different colored flags or tokens (should include some brightly colored, and some that are green
or camouflage) to represent anemones
Flags/cones/rope to mark egg laying locations
Tokens to represent fish eggs
Stopwatch
Procedure:
1) In an open field set out several flags (or other token) to represent sea anemones. During this
first round of the game these flags should be brightly colored and very visible. For a group of 20
players we recommend setting up 7 anemones.
2) Using a different color of flag (or cones or rope) mark off several egg laying locations
throughout the field.
3) Assign some students the role of predators and the rest the role of clownfish. For a group of
20 players 2 or 3 predators are enough.
4) Give each player acting as a clownfish a egg token and have them spread out along the edge
of the play field. Predator players can begin the game wherever they want within the play field.
5) The round begins with players running into the field to inhabit an anemone. Players who are
tagged by a predator before reaching an anemone are eaten and should leave the field or sit
down. Each anemone can support a max of 3 players and predators cannot tag players while they
are standing at an anemone (unless there are more than 3 players at a single anemone).
6) After finding an anemone, the clownfish must find a mate and lay eggs. To do this a player
must lock hands with another player and together the pair must run to one of the egg laying
locations and drop their egg tokens there. Players must then make it back to the safety of an
anemone. The entire round lasts a total of 1 minute. At the end of 1 minute any fish who have
not laid eggs fail to reproduce and do not pass on their genes to the next generation. Any fish out
in the open when the minute is up is eaten by predators.
7) Repeat steps 5 and 6 two more times. Before each round starts be sure to explain to the
players that ocean acidification is making it harder for clownfish to detect sea anemones.
Additionally, before each new round replace the flags/tokens representing anemones with
something less conspicuous. For example, if we used upright yellow flags in the first round we
would use yellow flags lying flat on the ground for the second round and green/camouflage flags
lying flat on the ground for the third round.
8) Be sure to examine how many clownfish were able to successfully survive and reproduce as
the ocean became more acidic and anemones became harder to find.
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Rule Sheet
What’s the matter with Bullwinkle?
Background: Moose reside in northern forests where temperatures are cool. In recent years
warmer temperatures have led to an increase in the abundance of deer within moose territory that
historically were not suited for the colder winters farther north. These deer have brought
parasites with them (brain worms and flukes) that do not affect the deer themselves, but can
harm moose. Deer feces containing the parasites can contaminate food sources and infect
moose. Infected moose are weaker, often lethargic, may go blind, and may die. In this game
participants will get the chance to step into the role of either moose or deer as these two species
come in closer contact with each other.
Materials:
Different colored flags/cones to mark off moose territory and deer territory
Tokens to represent food (some of these tokens need to be marked in some way to show they are
contaminated with parasites)
Stopwatch
Procedure:
1) For a group of 20 players assign 5 to play as deer and 15 to play as moose
2) In an open field use different colored flags/cones to mark off a large square for moose
territory and a large square for deer territory. For the first round these territories should not
overlap (this will change in subsequent rounds).
3) Place food tokens in each territory. For the first round we recommend placing 35 tokens in
the moose territory and 14 in the deer territory. For the deer territory, half of all food tokens
should be marked as infected with parasites (we marked infected food using a black dot from a
sharpie).
4) Players have 30 seconds to collect at least 3 tokens in their respective territories. Players that
fail to do this starve to death. When a player picks up a food token they must immediately check
to see if it is infected with parasites. Deer players are unaffected by the parasites. A moose that
eats an infected item must walk for the remainder of the round, and if that moose picks up a
second infected item the player is automatically dead and should leave the play field.
5) Inform the players that climate change is bringing the deer and moose in closer contact. Shift
the ranges so that approximately 1/3 of the moose territory is now shared with the deer.
Redistribute food tokens, but make sure that half of the tokens in the region of overlap are
infected. Repeat step 4.
6) Repeat step 5 for two additional rounds, one where 2/3 of the moose territory overlaps with
deer, and finally the last round with complete overlap. When resetting food tokens be sure that
any area where deer are present has 50% contaminated food.
7) Discuss with the players how global warming has created a new parasite/host interaction.
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Name_______________________
It’s Gettin’ Hot In Here: Data Interpretation Worksheet
Range shifts in birds
Below is a figure showing the wintering grounds for a variety of different bird species and how
they have changed over time.
1.) This map of the United States shows where bird populations spent the winter in 1966 and
2005. What is the overall trend for these species as time has progressed? What do you
believe the main contributing factor is for the observed change?
2.) Describe in a sentence or two what the small graph in the top right corner of the picture is
telling us. Why was this graph included?
3.) Which species of bird that once lived in the United States is now living in Canada?
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Nematodes and Muskoxen (Kutz et al. 2005)
Muskoxen in the Canadian arctic are parasitized by a lung-dwelling nematode. These nematodes
cause respiratory problems and weaken the muskoxen to predator attack. Before infecting
muskoxen, the nematode lives and develops inside an intermediate host (a slug). Historically it
took two years of development inside slugs before the nematodes could infect muskoxen, but
warming temperatures may change that. Below is a graph of the accumulated degree days (the
total number of days out of the year that reached a minimum temperature) in the Canadian arctic
over time. The horizontal line represents the minimum number of degree days in a year for the
nematodes to fully develop in one year instead of two.
1) Describe the trend you see in this figure. What is happening to the nematode life cycle as time
progresses?
2) How might having a more rapid life cycle affect nematode abundance? (Hint: think about
what might happen to the nematodes if they are stuck in slugs over winter)
3) How might your answer to question 2 affect muskox populations?
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Ocean acidification and clownfish anti-predator behavior (Munday et al., 2010)
As atmospheric CO2 increases the oceans absorb more and more CO2 from the atmosphere.
Higher levels of CO2 in the ocean lead to ocean acidification which can have a number of
negative effects on marine life. For example, ocean acidification is thought to interfere with the
senses of clownfish. Below is a graph of juvenile clownfish response to the scent of a predator
when raised in water with different concentrations of CO2. Researchers placed juvenile
clownfish into a device that allowed them to choose between spending time in water that was
exposed to a predator’s scent, and water that was unexposed.
1) Describe the pattern you see in this graph. What effect does CO2 concentration have on
predator avoidance? (Note: bars labeled as Untreated describe tests where no predator scent was
added)
2) How might your answer to question 1 affect clownfish populations?
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Vegetation shift to exotic species
One of the consequences of climate change is that it can make habitats more susceptible to
colonization by exotic species. Below is a graph showing the relationship between the number
of days with frost and the number of exotic species present in southern Switzerland
Note: The “Number of Frost Days” is illustrated by the darker line, the “Number of Exotic
Species” is illustrated by the lighter grey line. The study took place in the southern portion of
Switzerland.
1.) What has happened to the number of frost days throughout the recorded time period?
What is the length of time that this study looked at?
2.) “Exotic” species have the possibility of becoming “invasive” species depending on how
they interact with the habitat. Judging from your previous knowledge of invasive
species, and what the graph is showing, what do you think the impact of these exotic
species is?
3.) This study stopped recording data at the year 2000. If this graph were to extend into
present time (year 2012), what do you think the graph would look like? What will happen
to temperature? Exotic species?
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