WICCI Trends and Projections
Provided by: Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change Impacts|Published on: September 22, 2023
Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12, AP
Type: Articles/Websites
Subjects: Earth and Space Sciences, Geography
Authors: Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change Impacts, University of Wisconsin
Region: North America, USA - Midwest, United States, Wisconsin
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
- This resource includes a brief description of future climate projections in Wisconsin and includes numerous downloadable climate maps and a link to an interactive mapping tool.
- The downloadable maps include historic data and projected changes in temperature and precipitation in Wisconsin.
- The link to the mapping tool allows students to choose a location and discover how the climate may change by the year 2080.
Teaching Materials
Positives
- While reviewing these maps, students will build their scientific literacy skills as they notice trends over time and describe how data can be used to tell a story of regional climate change impacts.
- There are multiple maps with variables changing just slightly, so students can compare and contrast climate change impacts over seasons, between regions of Wisconsin, and between night and day.
Additional Prerequisites
- Students should understand the concept of percent change when reviewing data.
- Point out map titles and their respective abbreviations prior to having students look at the maps to eliminate confusion.
Differentiation
- Before reviewing the data, look at Wisconsin on a map and ask students to predict how temperature and precipitation may change in this region due to climate change.
- To help students grasp the importance of using data when answering scientific questions, have students work in groups to write three scientific questions that this data could help answer.
- Have students utilize the linked mapping tool and freely explore the map to discover how different U.S. regions' climates may look in 2080.
- These maps can be studied in a jigsaw format, with each student or group of students answering questions and reporting out about a different map or category of maps.
- As an extension activity, have students write a paragraph to summarize why climate modeling is important for regional climate change planning.
This data-rich resource from the Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change Impacts provides trends and projections on Wisconsin's climate. A link to an interactive mapping tool is provided, along with climate analogs. Maps of the historical trends in Wisconsin's precipitation and daily minimum, maximum, and average temperatures are provided in PDF form. Future projections of the amount of precipitation in a day, minimum temperatures below zero, seasonal precipitation, and average daily temperatures from the year 2041-2060 are also provided in PDF format. A link to a news article from the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory on the human influence on the 21st century climate is also included. This resource provides an abundance of data in easy-to-read images that highlight the effects of climate change, and would be a great addition to a classroom discussion.
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.
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