This watercolor by scientist and artist Jill Pelto depicts the migration of caribou herds and uses scientific data to illustrate the rapid decline of the George River caribou population.
Teaching Tips
Positives
Students will have the opportunity to interpret the data in the artwork.
The artistic visualization of information will make the discussion of these topics more interesting and lively.
Additional Prerequisites
Teachers may want to review the following concepts with students: animal adaptation, animal migration, biodiversity loss, group behavior, habitat destruction, endangered species, and extinction.
Differentiation
In art class, students could discuss how artists can use their artwork to educate people about topics like climate change.
A math teacher could share this resource with students and ask them to calculate the percentage of the George River caribou herd that has been lost since 1984.
In social studies class, the teacher could ask students to create a slideshow presentation describing the migration of a group of animals and incorporating scientific data, charts, and pictures.
This resource depicts the trends in the changes in the caribou population. This resource would be good for telling climate stories in the context of fauna migration, extinction, and biodiversity loss. It is recommended for teaching.
Standards
Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)
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.
HS-LS2-1 Use mathematical and/or computational representations to support explanations of factors that affect carrying capacity of ecosystems at different scales.
HS-LS2-6 Evaluate the claims, evidence, and reasoning that the complex interactions in ecosystems maintain relatively consistent numbers and types of organisms in stable conditions, but changing conditions may result in a new ecosystem.
HS-LS2-8 Evaluate the evidence for the role of group behavior on individual and species’ chances to survive and reproduce.
National Core Arts Standards
Visual Arts: Standard 6 - Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work.
VA:Pr6.1.8a Analyze why and how an exhibition or collection may influence ideas, beliefs, and experiences.
Visual Arts: Standard 7 - Perceive and analyze artistic work.
VA:Re7.2.Ia Analyze how one’s understanding of the world is affected by experiencing visual imagery.
VA:Re7.2.IIa Evaluate the effectiveness of an image or images to influence ideas, feelings, and behaviors of specific audiences.
