Impacts on Long Island Sound Salt Marshes
Provided by: Connecticut Sea Grant|Published on: May 9, 2024
Grades: 9, 10
Type: Lesson Plans
Subjects: Biology
Authors: Candice Cambrial, Beth Lawrence, Kimberly Williams
Region: North America, USA - Northeast, United States, Connecticut, New York, Long Island NY, Coastal CT
Languages: English
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Synopsis
- In this 5-day lesson, students will learn about the importance of salt marshes and the impact of climate change on them, specifically in the Long Island Sound area.
- Students will explore an interactive simulation to understand the causes of climate change, review a case study about climate change impacts on salt marsh sparrows, view a video about the ecosystem services salt marshes provide, and evaluate the importance of scientists' work in solving climate change problems.
- Students will also hear from scientists researching coastal marshes in Connecticut and New York.
Teaching Materials
Positives
- The first day activity ensures students have the necessary background information to complete the lesson.
- The "Claim-Evidence-Reasoning" activity will engage students and prepare them for scientific writing!
Additional Prerequisites
- The link for the case studies is broken. Teachers can find the case study using this link.
- The answer key for the case study has restrictions for sharing and usage. Teachers may need to create an account or request access to view.
- Teachers must request access to the answer key to the interactive PowerPoint notes.
- The two videos for the CER examples are unavailable.
- Students or teachers will need an account on the news sites to use those extension activities.
- The links for the LIS Salt Marsh Response to SLR Graphic, MIT’s Greenhouse Gas Simulator, and How Sun’s Energy Gets to Earth’s Surface are broken.
Differentiation
- Students watching the climate change background video in the pre-work section may benefit from using a graphic organizer to keep track of the information, as there is a lot to keep track of.
- The CER guided notes with sentence starters are an excellent option for students feeling overwhelmed with writing tasks.
- Students can do further research about what they can do to help save salt marshes.
- Language arts students can use the CER writing to transition to a persuasive piece on a topic about climate change or another of their choosing.
In this lesson, students will learn about the Long Island Sound salt marshes and how climate change impacts them. Students will also see examples of scientific research and scientists studying the marshes and climate change. The lesson plan includes links to many videos and worksheets to use with the lesson, and background information students need to know before starting this lesson. The information and resources presented have been reviewed, and this resource is recommended for teaching.
Teaching Tips
Standards
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.
Learn about our review process →
