Data Puzzle: The Tipping Point

• In this lesson, students analyze data from the work of three ecologists researching how moss campion is affected by climate change and if there is a point that is too warm for the species to thrive.
• Students interpret graphs, evaluate how changes to one species can impact biodiversity, make data models, and discuss how people can protect endangered species.

Positives

• This lesson intersperses videos throughout the article, which gives students a break from reading.
• Students will enjoy seeing scientists work out in the field.

Additional Prerequisites

• The two videos listed under Additional Resources in the Teacher Guide are unavailable.
• Students should know how to read and analyze a bar graph.
• Some students may need the terms biome, climate change, vital, and others, including the vocabulary listed in the Teacher Guide, defined before reading the article.

Differentiation

• After completing this data puzzle, students can explore the effect of warming temperatures on invasive species.
• Students can collect data to answer an ecological question about their local environment and create representations of the data.
• Language arts students can write research or persuasive papers about measures people can take to protect biodiversity.
• Geography students can research further how the tundra is different from other climate zones and how climate zones are each affected by climate change.

This resource is from the CLEAN collection. “The CLEAN collection is hand-picked and rigorously reviewed for scientific accuracy and classroom effectiveness.”

This resource addresses the listed standards. To fully meet standards, search for more related resources.