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Student Worksheet:
Apples, Climate Change and New York: 2050 Orchard Design
Climate change is happening throughout the world, and the impacts of these changes are already documented in
New York State. You, however, may not have taken the time to think about what this climate change means to
you and what you will have to do to adapt to changes in our climate. In this activity you’ll use climate data
obtained from North East Climate Data website to interpret the change New York State will see by the year
2050. Combining climate information with information about various varieties of apples, you will design an
orchard for the year 2050. In doing so the following questions will be addressed:
What is the future for apples in New York State?
Will the popular apple growing regions and types of apples grown shift or change?
Before beginning activity: Read through the apple fact sheet and become familiar with the importance of
apples in New York and where they’re commonly grown. Additional information could be used from the New
York State Apple Growers Association: Fast Facts on Apple Production in the state:
http://www.nyapplecountry.com/fastfacts.htm ; http://www.nyapplecountry.com/
Step 1: Orchard Location:
Click here to enter text.
(Choose a location within New York State where you’d like you’re 2050 Orchard to be located)
Step 2: Determine the types of apples that are currently grown locally in your chosen location and two others
that you think you might be interested in growing.
Current Apple Variety (1):
Click here to enter text.
Current Apple Variety (2):
Click here to enter text.
New apple variety (3):
Click here to enter text.
New apple variety (4):
Click here to enter text.
Step 3: On the table below, fill in the apple varieties that interest you and the climate data that fits their growing
needs (blue boxes). Use the provided table alongside the student_factsheet.pdf as a guide and reference.
Step 4: Continue to fill in table with the historical climate and growing information data for your location
(yellow cells).
There are three locations for you to look for these data. Students not using Excel and the internet can review the
summary findings in the summary presentation file.
1. Access geographically plotted climate data from the source. Open your web browser and follow the
instructions included in Northeast Climate Data tutorial to guide you through accessing information off
of the North East Climate Data website. These data will be provided in color images and provide
information on the growing season (days), hardiness zone and days above 90°F.
2. For precipitation and spring frost data, that are easier to read and interpret, open the provided MS Excel
files Last_Frost_Data.xls, and Precipitation.xls for numerical values to supplement the color images
provided on the North East Climate Data website. Open each file and sort through the information to
find what is relative and important to your location (most information is available on the summary
spreadsheet page of the workbook).
Project module prepared for the Project-Based Global Climate Change Education Project, funded by NASA GCCE
Copyright © 2011, Office of Educational Partnerships, Clarkson University, Potsdam NY
http://www.clarkson.edu/highschool/Climate_Change_Education/index.html
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Table for organizing your findings about apple varieties and their growing needs
Your Location:
Apple Variety
Apple Data
Maximum
Hardiness
Zone
Climate Variable
Location
Data
Hardiness
Zone
Minimum
Hardiness
Zone
Growing
Season Length
Bloom Date
Growing
Season
Length
Harvest Date
Currently
Locally
Grown?
Precipitation
Precipitation
Heat tolerance
Days above
90F
Project module prepared for the Project-Based Global Climate Change Education Project, funded by NASA GCCE
Copyright © 2011, Office of Educational Partnerships, Clarkson University, Potsdam NY
http://www.clarkson.edu/highschool/Climate_Change_Education/index.html
Historical
Value
Predicted Value
for 2050
Conclusions: Is this
change in climate
good or bad for
apples?
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Step 5: Using same files and web resources as in Step 4, repeat the procedure to determine climate and growing
conditions predicted for the middle of the 21st century. Add these data to your table (green cells).
The first step in this process is to decide if you want to consider a “worst case” greenhouse gas emission
scenario (A1) or a “best case scenario” (B1).
Emission scenario considered: Click here to enter text.
After entering all data for future climate predictions, complete the column of the table marked “conclusions”.
Additional comments about your choices and best apple varieties for the future can be added here. Include a
summary statement of which varieties should be grown and why.
Click here to enter text.
Discussion Questions:
1. Would apple trees in your chosen location need extra care? For example, more water, more drainage, or
a hot house to extend the natural growing season.
Click here to enter text.
2. Will there be new locations in New York State that didn’t grow apples well before, that will be able to
produce a larger apple crop given the climate change by 2050?
Click here to enter text.
3. Overall, how do you think the expected changes in the climate in New York state will impacts the alle
industry?
Click here to enter text.
Project module prepared for the Project-Based Global Climate Change Education Project, funded by NASA GCCE
Copyright © 2011, Office of Educational Partnerships, Clarkson University, Potsdam NY
http://www.clarkson.edu/highschool/Climate_Change_Education/index.html