This article and video describe the changes happening in Acadia National Park due to climate change, how the park is responding to those changes, basics about climate change, and what can be done to protect Acadia National Park from future damage.
It highlights specific projects underway and species in Maine that are impacted by the extreme precipitation and weather conditions occurring today.
Teaching Tips
Positives
An audio description of the visual elements is included with the video for visually impaired students.
The article contains a number of nonfiction elements that will help students comprehend the content and organize their notes about the topics.
Additional Prerequisites
Students should be able to read maps and have a basic understanding of global warming or the greenhouse effect.
Differentiation
Science classes and environmental clubs could consider taking a field trip to Acadia National Park to investigate the changes and projects discussed.
Biology classes can use this article to supplement lessons about invasive species, ecosystem disruptions, biodiversity, or habitat conservation.
Advanced students could use this resource to supplement research about the many impacts of climate change on people and nature.
Consider having students choose one climate issue occurring in Acadia National Park to write about or present as a poster, song, or multimedia project.
This webpage explains and discusses how the climate is changing in Acadia National Park, what the impacts of this change are, and why it is happening. A video is also included. The article discusses what the Park Service is doing to combat these changes and how people can help. The article is broken up into many small sections, which make it easier to read and includes links for more information on many of the topics mentioned. Depending on the students' backgrounds and interests, or the goal of the lesson, additional information about the science and processes behind climate change and certain impacts may be needed. With that said, this webpage provides a helpful overview of these topics. The information presented in this lesson is accurate and this resource is recommended for teaching.
Standards
Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)
ESS2: Earth's Systems
HS-ESS2-5 Plan and conduct an investigation of the properties of water and its effects on Earth materials and surface processes.
ESS3: Earth and Human Activity
MS-ESS3-2 Analyze and interpret data on natural hazards to forecast future catastrophic events and inform the development of technologies to mitigate their effects.
HS-ESS3-4 Evaluate or refine a technological solution that reduces impacts of human activities on natural systems.
LS2: Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics
MS-LS2-1 Analyze and interpret data to provide evidence for the effects of resource availability on organisms and populations of organisms in an ecosystem.
Common Core English Language Arts Standards (CCSS.ELA)
Reading: Informational Text (K-12)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings.
Reading: Science & Technical Subjects (6-12)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.9-10.2 Determine the central ideas or conclusions of a text; trace the text's explanation or depiction of a complex process, phenomenon, or concept; provide an accurate summary of the text.
