Making the Global Local: Colorado Climate Curriculum Workshop: Mountain Pine Beetle
Driving Question: Why Are Our Forests Dying?
Grade Level: 9-12
Colorado Standards Addressed
Climate Literacy Essential Principles Addressed: #7- Climate change will have consequences for
the earth system and human lives
Colorado State Science Standards: The New Colorado Science Standards (These are still in draft
form.)
Colorado Climate Science
Standards(http://www.cde.state.co.us/cdeassess/documents/OSA/Updated_Science_Standards_2007
.html)
Our Earth's atmosphere is vital to life. The Sun and atmosphere affect every aspect of our lives,
including food supply, energy use, transportation, recreation, environmental quality, and human
health and safety. Weather-related choices we make range from selecting appropriate clothing to
more complex situations, including preparing for and responding to hazardous weather.
Preparedness and response to weather conditions require knowledge of how energy transfer
influences atmospheric changes. The more we know about weather, the greater the chances that
we will make informed decisions concerning its impact.
the atmosphere has basic composition, properties, and structure (for example: the range and
distribution of temperature and pressure in the troposphere and stratosphere)
Grades 6-8
Atmospheric circulation is driven by solar heating (for example: the transfer of energy by radiation,
convection, conduction)
There are quantitative changes in weather conditions over time and space (for example: humidity,
temperature, air pressure, cloud cover, wind, precipitation)
There are large-scale and local weather systems (for example: fronts, air masses, storms)
The world’s water is distributed and circulated through oceans, glaciers, rivers, groundwater, and
atmosphere
Grades 9-12
The atmosphere has a current structure and composition and has evolved over geologic time (for
example: effects of volcanic activity and the change of life forms)
Energy transferred within the atmosphere influences weather (for example: the role of conduction,
radiation, convection, and heat of condensation in clouds, precipitation, winds, storms)
Weather is caused by differential heating, the spin of the Earth and changes in humidity (air
pressure, wind patterns, coriolis effect)
There are interrelationships between the circulation of oceans and weather and climate
There are factors that may influence weather patterns and climate and their effects within
ecosystems (for example: elevation, proximity to oceans, prevailing winds, fossil fuel burning,
volcanic eruptions)
Water and other Earth systems interact (for example: the biosphere, lithosphere, and atmosphere)
Learning Objectives:
 Students will understand general Mountain Pine Beetle ecology
 Students will demonstrate an understanding the effect of Mountain Pine Beetle on forest
health



Students will understand the influence of climate on Pine Beetle population
Students will understand the influence of humans on climate change
Students will understand the influence of forest management practices on forest health
Prior knowledge students will need in order to participate in the lesson: none (introductory
lesson)
Common student misconceptions and prior understandings:
 Students may have observed tree die off in the foothills and mountains.
 Students may think that Mountain Pine Beetle are non-native
 Students may think the die off is due to magnesium chloride
Materials: Use of computer lab with internet access
Dates: 10/22-27; summary exercise and assessment will be on 11/6. The time lag was the
result of snow days.
Lesson Sequence:
Part 1) Pre-assessment- What do you know about why the forests are dying? (Day 1, first 45
minutes)
 Have student brainstorm ideas about why the forests are dying in Colorado.
o Students might know that Mountain Pine Beetle is a cause.
o Then ask: What do we know about Mountain Pine Beetle?
o List students answers on board.
 Since we think Pine Beetles are involved, ask students "What would we need to know about
forests and pine beetles to help us determine if the beetles are causing the die off."
 Brainstorm with students and try to bring out as many of the topics listed in the Questions
for Student Research activity below.
Notes: We are starting this project on a block day, where the class periods are 90 minutes long.
Part 1 took about 5 min. I set this up as the “Question of the day”.
After a short discussion I found that students knew about pine beetles, they had some information
about what pb eat, how they kill the trees (xylem and phloem), temperature as a limiting factor.
There are some misconceptions about fungus, bacteria, life-cycle, predators, parasites,
“invasive”/native status, and limiting factors.
Students do not know the life cycle of the mpb, limiting factors besides temperature, definition of
niche, how fast mpb kill trees.
Students recognize that they know something about the problem but not enough to really answer
the questions in part 2.
By the time I got through asking them questions, they were very ready to get into the computer lab
to start their research.
Part 2) Questions for Student research (Day 1, 2nd 45 minutes; Day 2, 20 minute question/answer
about succession and mythbusting re: invasive/native/non-native status; Day 3, short period due to
assembly, researched for 35 min; Day 4 each student group presented 1 slide, followed by large
group discussion):
 In groups, students will research questions below (each question was a different slide).
A. Describe the Mountain Pine Beetle life cycle?
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.

What are the limiting factors for Mt Pine Beetle survival?
What is the niche of the Mountain Pine Beetle?
How do Mountain Pine Beetles affect trees? Which trees?
What are the signs and symptoms of a infected/diseased forest?
Has temperature changed in Colorado in the last 100 years?
How have Colorado forests been managed in the last 100 years and how
might this influence beetle populations?
H. Describe the phases of population growth for Mountain Pine Beetles?
(ie:endemic, incipient, epidemic, declining)
Resources below will help give students a starting point for their research.
 http://www.mpb.alberta.ca/Files/Beetle%20Mania.pdf
 http://csfs.colostate.edu/pages/mountain-pine-beetle.html
 http://csfs.colostate.edu/pdfs/MPB.pdf
 http://www.globalchange.gov/images/documents/toolkit/Western_Forests_Mountains
/Case_Study/Western_Forests_Mountains6_11_09.pdf
 http://csfs.colostate.edu/pdfs/Bark-Beetles-Brochure.pdf
 http://www.getboulder.com/visitors/articles_w07/pinebeetles.html
 http://www.fs.fed.us/ccrc/topics/bark-beetles.shtml
They will present their findings ON ONE SLIDE AS DETERMINED BY TEACHER, to the whole class.
Following each slide, the whole group will discuss their different perspectives on the content.
Notes: in my first class, the number of computers available forced students to work together to
answer the questions. Most groups were able to make slides on the first 4-7 questions. I think they
should be able to finish answering the questions and making their PowerPoints by the beginning of
class on Monday.
In my second class, each student had his or her own computer. Students worked equally well in
both classes. I noticed that when students were sharing, the girls were doing the computer work
and the boys were asking questions, directing, and keeping in touch with me.
Students were on task and excited about their work throughout the research process. They shared
information and websites between groups.
I didn’t want to make the kids listen to the same basic presentation 8 times so I had them email
their powerpoints to me, I selected the most accurate and in-depth slide from each groups’
presentations, put them together into one new powerpoint, and had each group present their slide.
Following the presentation of each slide, we had a large-group discussion about the different ideas
that different groups had about each question. This was the most effective presentation I have
ever had students do.
Due to snow days, I had to put off the concept mapping/concluding discussion as a review of the
ecology vocabulary (see below).
Part 3) Concept Mapping and Concluding Discussion
 After student presentations, have students work in their group to create a concept map that
links key terms about mountain pine beetles using the following handout: Concept Mapstudent.tiff

After students have completed concept maps, teacher leads a concluding discussion of what
has been learned using the following guiding questions:
1. How do the Mountain Pine Beetles kill trees in Colorado?
2. What are other causes of mortality for trees in Colorado forests?
3. What characteristics of the forests in Colorado have caused the numbers of Pine Beetles
to increase?
4. What is the difference between endemic and epidemic levels of beetle populations?
5. How do we know that present beetle populations are unusual?
6. What affect have forest management policies had on Pine Beetle populations?
7. What relationship has the changing climate had on Pine Beetle populations?
8. What affect have humans had on the changing climate in Colorado?
Vocabulary (Students will be making concept maps of the above questions with the following vocab
terms. This will be their ecology review exercise.)
bioaccumulation
K-selected
realized niche
biomes
keystone species
r-selected
carrying capacity
latitudinal biodiversity
range of tolerance
climax community
gradient
species interactions
coevolution
limiting factors (density
(competition,
community
dependent and
predation, parasitism,
competitive exclusion
independent)
commensalism,
principle
life history strategy
mutualism)
ecosystem
natural selection
species richness
evolution
net primary productivity
succession (primary and
food web
(NPP)
secondary)
fundamental niche
optimum range
trophic cascades
gross primary productivity
pioneer species
trophic level
(GPP)
population
indicator species
primary producers
Student Handouts:
Concept Map-student.tiff
concept map example.tiff
Concept map activity.tiff
(http://www.mpb.alberta.ca/Files/Beetle%20Mania.pdf)
Beetle Student Presentation Notes
Assessment:
Students will be assessed on their student presentations, notes pages from presentations and their
discussion participation.
References:
Wrap up video: USFS talking about Bark Beetle effects on Forests in the
West: http://www.fs.fed.us/r2/bark-beetle/
Extensions:
Snow Pack Data.xls
Students want to research more about the impacts of climate change and beetle kill on the ski
industry.