This article defines and explores the climate solution of peatland protection and restoration as part of an overall sustainability plan to protect these natural carbon sinks.
Students will be introduced to the concept of peatlands' role in sequestering carbon, and the solutions of land management practices and peatland development plans.
Teaching Tips
Positives
Helpful sidebars present numerical data with easy-to-understand graphics and include a call to action for students.
The information is formatted like a scientific paper, with a clear cause-and-effect framework.
Additional Prerequisites
Since vocabulary is rigorous, a definition list or graphic organizer would be appropriate.
Students should be familiar with measurements in hectares and Gigatons.
Students should have some prior knowledge of climate change and sustainability.
Differentiation
This article is only one in a large series of climate solutions, and there are many links to related solutions, so teachers can assign small-group research projects.
Probability and statistics connections can be made in math classes, as there are several data points to evaluate adoption scenarios and effects on the climate.
Students in English classes can use the article to evaluate the author's purpose, introduce scientific writing styles, or as practice for reading more complex scientific papers.
This article will work well with a note-taking assignment in Science classes.
Scientist Notes
This article introduces peat, and peatlands, and explains why they are an important part of our climate system. It then walks through a study looking at what impact increasing peatlands on our planet will have on carbon emissions and stores. The article is organized similar to a scientific paper in the way it breaks down this climate solution into an introduction, methods, results, discussion, and conclusion sections. The limitations of the study are also included. These make this resource a good example of how scientific articles are often structured. Resources are included. The information presented is accurate and this resource is recommended for teaching.
Standards
Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)
CCC.Stability and Change: For both designed and natural systems, conditions that affect stability and factors that control rates of change are critical elements to consider and understand.
HS-CCC-Stability and Change.2. Change and rates of change can be quantified and modeled over very short or very long periods of time. Some system changes are irreversible.
ESS3: Earth and Human Activity
HS-ESS3-4 Evaluate or refine a technological solution that reduces impacts of human activities on natural systems.
HS-ESS3-6 Use a computational representation to illustrate the relationships among Earth systems and how those relationships are being modified due to human activity.
HS-ESS3-4. Evaluate or refine a technological solution that reduces impacts of human activities on natural systems.
HS-ESS3-6. Use a computational representation to illustrate the relationships among Earth systems and how those relationships are being modified due to human activity.
Common Core English Language Arts Standards (CCSS.ELA)
Reading: Informational Text (K-12)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.2 Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text.
Reading: Science & Technical Subjects (6-12)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.9-10.1 Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts, attending to the precise details of explanations or descriptions.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.11-12.1 Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts, attending to important distinctions the author makes and to any gaps or inconsistencies in the account.
