|
Can rabbits help us learn more about the long reaching effects of climate change? Sneed Collard shows us that this species of snowshoe hares certainly can! |
English/Language Arts
Lead sentences - interesting facts
Author Collard begins his Minute with an interesting fact to “hook” his readers. Have your students add this method of opening a piece of writing to their own repertoire and experiment by adding an interesting fact to the opening of one of their own pieces.
Explore persuasive writing
Use the discoveries students make about the political and economic impact of scientific discoveries to practice persuasive writing. Have students choose a position, determine their audience, conduct research to support their position and refute their position before producing their argument in whatever form you choose - orally, letter, op-ed, etc.
Social Studies
Explore the political and economic impact of scientific discoveries.
Sometimes science has economic and political consequences. Though this Minute only addresses the science, many students will be aware that there are political and economic aspects of climate change that create controversy. Have your students research and compile the claims for and against the concept of climate change. Ask them to examine each claim and decide, with supporting evidence, whether the claim is based more on scientific evidence, or more on political climate and economic repercussions. Have students explore other scientific observations and discoveries that have been political fodder in human history - the transition to automobiles from horse and buggy, the transition to electricity from gas, the transition from fossil fuels to renewable resources.
STEM
Climate change
Use this Minute to introduce or reinforce the scientific concept of climate change. Present students with a compilation of scientific observations (like the statistic Author Sneed provides in his opening paragraph) and ask students to hypothesize the reasons for these observations Have students look at the compiled evidence and see if they come up with alternate explanations. Ask students to brainstorm ways to test their hypotheses. Sneed says climate change may be both welcome and unwelcome. Break students into groups and have each find out how climate change would cause rising sea levels, extreme weather events, and the spread of harmful human diseases. Bring students together to share information (jigsaw). What other consequences or benefits can students discover?
Experiment design
What a perfect example of experiment design! This Minute provides a stellar example of experiment design. Unpack Professor Mills’ experiment as a model for your students.
Explore Genetics
As Author Collard explains, a hare’s molt timing is controlled by genetics. Use this Minute to let students explore the function of DNA and genes, and how genetic makeup can affect the survival of a species.
Research Skills
Explore drawing conclusions
This Minute has a chart a chart at the end. Have student do a close read of the Minute and then analyze the graph titled “Hare Mismatch Based on Predictions of Future Greenhouse Gas Emissions”. In table groups, have students discuss why (or why not) this graph was included with this article. Based on the graph, what can we predict going forward? Is the information presented here enough to justify social change?
Lead sentences - interesting facts
Author Collard begins his Minute with an interesting fact to “hook” his readers. Have your students add this method of opening a piece of writing to their own repertoire and experiment by adding an interesting fact to the opening of one of their own pieces.
Explore persuasive writing
Use the discoveries students make about the political and economic impact of scientific discoveries to practice persuasive writing. Have students choose a position, determine their audience, conduct research to support their position and refute their position before producing their argument in whatever form you choose - orally, letter, op-ed, etc.
Social Studies
Explore the political and economic impact of scientific discoveries.
Sometimes science has economic and political consequences. Though this Minute only addresses the science, many students will be aware that there are political and economic aspects of climate change that create controversy. Have your students research and compile the claims for and against the concept of climate change. Ask them to examine each claim and decide, with supporting evidence, whether the claim is based more on scientific evidence, or more on political climate and economic repercussions. Have students explore other scientific observations and discoveries that have been political fodder in human history - the transition to automobiles from horse and buggy, the transition to electricity from gas, the transition from fossil fuels to renewable resources.
STEM
Climate change
Use this Minute to introduce or reinforce the scientific concept of climate change. Present students with a compilation of scientific observations (like the statistic Author Sneed provides in his opening paragraph) and ask students to hypothesize the reasons for these observations Have students look at the compiled evidence and see if they come up with alternate explanations. Ask students to brainstorm ways to test their hypotheses. Sneed says climate change may be both welcome and unwelcome. Break students into groups and have each find out how climate change would cause rising sea levels, extreme weather events, and the spread of harmful human diseases. Bring students together to share information (jigsaw). What other consequences or benefits can students discover?
Experiment design
What a perfect example of experiment design! This Minute provides a stellar example of experiment design. Unpack Professor Mills’ experiment as a model for your students.
Explore Genetics
As Author Collard explains, a hare’s molt timing is controlled by genetics. Use this Minute to let students explore the function of DNA and genes, and how genetic makeup can affect the survival of a species.
Research Skills
Explore drawing conclusions
This Minute has a chart a chart at the end. Have student do a close read of the Minute and then analyze the graph titled “Hare Mismatch Based on Predictions of Future Greenhouse Gas Emissions”. In table groups, have students discuss why (or why not) this graph was included with this article. Based on the graph, what can we predict going forward? Is the information presented here enough to justify social change?
© Karen Sterling, 2017 - May be used for educational purposes without written permission
