Changes Ahoof: Could Climate Change Affect Arctic Caribou?

Provided by: Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History |Published on: April 27, 2021

Lesson Plans

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Scientist Reviewed ↗

Synopsis

In this lesson provided by CLEAN, students explore how climate change is impacting populations of caribou in the Arctic.
Students will run a computer model, analyze the results, engage in a discussion, and create a board game to demonstrate their learning.

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Subjects: Biology, Mathematics, Computer Science

Authors: Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

Region: Polar Regions

Languages: English

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Teaching Materials

Positives

The student activity sheet is well-constructed and easy to use.
The educator references show a sample data output as well as the results of all nine variable combinations.
Students create a board game to share with their classmates!

Prerequisites

Be sure to review the background information with students so they understand how the two variables in the simulation affect caribou populations.
Students will need to know how to do a percent increase/decrease calculation.

Differentiation & Implementation

You can choose whether or not to have students create board games. Perhaps you can offer it as an extension or extra credit assignment.
It may be best to group students of varying abilities while they explore the computer model.
Students may also be interested in exploring this interactive map showing migratory patterns.

Scientist Notes

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Resource Type and Format

Scientist Reviewed

This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.

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Changes Ahoof: Could Climate Change Affect Arctic Caribou?

Synopsis

Teaching Materials

Scientist Reviewed

Related Teaching Resources