**Full Activity Suite Coming Soon**
Climate Change and Your Watershed
Principal Author:
Beth Bisson, Maine Sea Grant Program
Contributing Authors:
Andrew Bard, Grade 5 Teacher, Farwell Elementary School
Kristen Arbour, Grade 6 Teacher, Farwell Elementary School
Erik DaSilva, Maine Sea Grant Program
Grade Level: 5-8
Inquiry Type: Guided inquiry
Overview
Climate Change and Your Watershed engages students in guided investigations of climate change
impacts in Maine. Students compare their observations of local weather patterns and annual changes
in plant and animal life cycles (the study of phenology) with historical records of weather and climate
in Maine. Students reflect on the information they gathered during their investigations and then take
action. Student action projects include engaging their classmates or communities in state and
national citizen science projects related to weather and phenology monitoring.
Inquiry Level
This Watershed Experience for grades 5, 6, 7 & 8 students follows a Guided Inquiry Approach to
instruction and learning. Teachers and students share responsibility for various components of their
investigation and action projects. Teachers present students with their research question and methods.
Students then assume significant ownership of their inquiry process, using teamwork and peer review to
scaffold their learning experience. After guiding students through the process of reflecting on their
investigations, identifying themes in their learning, and distilling themes into educational messages,
teachers then let students drive the process of designing, creating, publishing, and doing.
Overview of Standards
Maine Learning Results, Science and Technology, 3-5 and 6-8
A3. Constancy and Change
A4. Scale
B1. Skills and Traits of Scientific Inquiry
B2. Skills and Traits of Technological Design
C1. Understandings of Inquiry
D2. Earth
E2. Ecosystems
Maine Learning Results, Social Studies, 3-5 and 6-8
A3. Taking Action Using Social Studies Knowledge and Skills
D1. Geographic Knowledge, Concepts, Themes, and Patterns.
D2. Individual, Cultural, International, and Global Connections in Geography.
Maine Learning Results, English Language Arts, 3-5 and 6-8
Issue
Problem Statement
As a result of increasing atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, Earth’s
climate is changing. Scientists have shown that global climate change can be observed on local scales, such
as in Maine watersheds. However, many citizens in Maine are not aware of the ways that climate change is
already affecting their local environment, or ways they can get involved in helping scientists track these
changes.
Background Information
Climate vs. weather
Have you ever looked out the window on a gray, chilly August day and grumbled, “Where is the sun? It’s
supposed to be warm and sunny in August!” If so, you already know the difference between climate and
weather.
 Weather is “what’s actually happening outside right now,” or at any particular moment in time. It is
characterized by daily (or even hourly) measurements of air temperature, precipitation, cloud cover,
humidity, and other variables.
 Climate is “what you expect to happen,” based on the long-term statistical average of weather
conditions for any given location or region. Typically “normal” climate conditions are based on
statistical averages calculated over a period of 30 years.
When you plan your Maine summer vacation for the first week of August with confidence that you will
enjoy a week of warmth and sunshine, you are counting on your average late summer climate to fulfill your
expectations. Unfortunately, the highly variable atmospheric conditions of the moment might instead bring
you a dreary week of wind and rain. That is the unpredictable nature of the weather at work! However,
chances are that if you planned your family vacation for the first week of August for 30 years in a row, you
would experience the blissful week of warm, sunny weather you hope for more often than the rain you
dread. That’s what average calculations of your climate can predict!
Meteorologists are those who study and forecast the weather, while climatologists study long-term
averages and trends in weather for specific locations, or climate. Right now (2012), the 30-year period of
time climatologists refer to as “normal” climate conditions for any particular variable is the period
from 1981-2010. Climatologists in Maine have a record of meteorological variables that have been
collected systematically for over 130 years.
What causes climate change?
Global emissions of carbon dioxide, methane, and other greenhouse gases have increased at unprecedented
rates since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution in the late 18th century. Greenhouse gases are
released primarily through fossil fuel combustion (coal, oil, and gas), and the decay of organic materials.
When they are emitted at rates far greater than the rate at which Earth’s plants can recycle them through
photosynthesis (as has happened during the last 200 years), these gases collect in Earth’s atmosphere. They
are called “greenhouse gases” because they trap heat reflected from the sun in the atmosphere, just as the
glass roof and walls of a greenhouse trap heat inside. We rely on a certain amount of greenhouse gases in
the atmosphere to trap enough heat to keep our planet from freezing, but when concentrations get too high,
they increase Earth’s temperature on a global scale. This increase in average global temperature has a wide
range of impacts that affect different parts of Earth (and its human, plant, and animal communities) in
different ways, and to different degrees.
Observing global change on a local scale
Scientists studying Maine watersheds are already starting to see evidence of the profound changes that
climate researchers have been predicting as a result of global climate change. In fact, citizens who keep
careful records of their yearly observations of wildlife, plants, and weather have started to see some of
these changes, too. According to the 2009 University of Maine report, Maine’s Climate Future, predicted
and observed changes in Maine include:
 Changes in biodiversity and species compositions in many different ecosystems
 Changes in the timing of annual wildlife migrations and plant and animal life cycles
 Increased susceptibility to nonnative species invasions
 Changes in the timing and intensity of precipitation and other seasonal weather patterns
 Increases in average seasonal temperatures
 Acidification of ocean waters
 Acceleration of sea-level rise
The changes are expected to accelerate rapidly over the next century, and many scientists have concluded
that even with abrupt, coordinated reductions in fossil fuel emissions, climate change cannot be stopped,
only slowed down. With these changes come numerous related impacts on human and ecological health,
cultural traditions, industry, and local economies. Here are a few examples of predicted and observed
impacts in Maine:
Warmer winter temperatures mean unpredictable winter snow and ice conditions. Wintertime activities
Mainers love best (skating, snowmobiling, ice fishing, skiing, sledding, and making snowmen) could
become cherished memories instead of activities to look forward to each year. The possibility of having
less snowfall concerns communities and industries that rely on winter recreation activities. Warmer winter
temperatures affect plants and animals in different ways. Some animals will have a harder time, such as
Canada lynx and snowshoe hare, which rely on snow for wintertime travel and camouflage, while the
change may allow other species to thrive in areas previously beyond their northern range.
Interdependent species may adapt to changing temperatures at different rates. For example, apple trees
need certain insects to pollinate their flowers. If unseasonable weather causes the insects to emerge earlier
or later than apple flowers bloom, they will starve, and the trees will not be able to create fruit and seeds.
Monarch butterflies and milkweed plants are another example. Monarch caterpillars feed exclusively on
milkweed plants, so they will starve if the plants are not available when they hatch.
Intense bursts of precipitation erode stream habitat and wash out roads. With warmer winter
temperatures, precipitation is more likely to fall as rain rather than snow, and storm events throughout the
year are expected to intensify. This causes high volumes of runoff that degrade habitat by scouring
streambeds and depositing silt downstream. Swift-moving runoff can also flood or wash out roads, culverts,
and bridges, resulting in dangerous conditions and expensive repairs.
The problem is SO big! What good can we do?
Maine citizens (including students and teachers!) can respond to the global challenge of climate change by
educating themselves about the problems we face, getting involved in citizen science efforts to collect
climate change data, taking measures to slow emissions of greenhouse gases in their homes and
communities, and working with their communities to adapt to the anticipated impacts of climate change.
The Student Action section below contains activities that will help you get started.
Additional resources
For additional background information on climate science, teaching resources, and information about the
predicted and observed effects of climate change in Maine, please refer to the resources listed below.
Activities
The activities in this watershed experience guide students to develop a fundamental understanding of the
differences between weather and climate, and introduce them to global factors that influence their local
climate. They learn about current and anticipated ways that climate change affects Maine, and then use this
introductory knowledge as they investigate monthly weather conditions and plant and animal phenology
(the timing of seasonal changes) in their schoolyards. The two student action activities encourage students
to extend their learning to others in their school or community.
Note: Science notebooks are used throughout these activities as active learning tools for students to
organize their thinking, collect and record their data, and reflect on their ideas to deepen their learning. For
more information about how to introduce and use science notebooks with your students, you may wish to
read this May 2010 NSTA Reports article, Enhancing Learning with Science Notebooks, or check out one
of Michael Klentschy’s (or others’) publications on using science notebooks.
Introduction
1.
2.
3.
Climate and Weather: What’s the Difference?
What Natural Factors Control Maine’s Climate?
How is Maine’s Climate Changing?
Investigation
Strand A: Schoolyard Weather Watchers
4.
5.
6.
Set Up a Weather Station
Make Predictions and Collect Your Data
Compare Your Data with Historical Records
Strand B: Signs of the Seasons: Schoolyard Phenology Observers
7.
Sign up as SOS observers and learn how to collect phenology data in your schoolyard
Student Action – What can we do?
8.
9.
Start a Weather and Climate Club
Start a Signs of the Seasons Phenology Monitoring Club
Resources
Climate Change Science, Policy, and Current Events
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NOAA Climate.gov, ClimateWatch Magazine
University of Maine Climate Change Institute, Maine’s Climate Future Report
Maine Sea Grant, University of Maine Climate Change Institute, and University of Maine
Cooperative Extension, Maine Climate News
Yale Project on Climate Change Communication
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Climate Change Pages
United Nations Environment Program, Climate Change Pages
Teaching Resources Related to Climate Change

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NOAA Climate.gov, Education
NOAA National Weather Service, JetStream – Online School for Weather
NOAA National Climatic Data Center
NOAA National Weather Service, Climate Prediction Center
NASA, Global Climate Change, Education Pages
Climate Central
COSEE Ocean Systems, Ocean Climate Interactive
Resources Related to Phenology Monitoring


Signs of the Seasons: A Maine Phenology Program
U.S.A. National Phenology Network
Activity 1: Climate and Weather: What’s the Difference?
Author(s):
Beth Bisson, Maine Sea Grant
Erik DaSilva, Maine Sea Grant
Grade Level:
5-8
Themes:
Science and Technology
English Language Arts
Activity Type:
Class discussion
Knowledge-building
Setting:
Classroom
Questions:
What is climate? How is it different from weather?
Overview:
As the old saying goes, “Climate is what you expect, and weather is what you get,” but just what does this
mean? This lesson helps students define and differentiate the concepts of weather and climate, and
understand the differences in how meteorologists and climatologists measure each one. Students discuss
common scenarios from day-to-day life in Maine that will help them to remember the difference between
the two and connect the definitions with their own experiences.
Standards:
Maine Learning Results, Science and Technology, 3-5 and 6-8
A3. Constancy and Change
A4. Scale
D2. Earth
Learning Objectives:
Students can define and describe the difference between weather and climate.
Students understand the differences in how weather and climate are measured, recorded, and tracked over
time.
Materials:
Dictionary or computer and internet connection
List of weather measurements and measuring devices (included with this lesson)
Black board, white board, or flip chart paper and markers
Time Needed:
Two 30-40 minute class periods
Activity Procedure:
Develop working definitions for weather and climate
 Start by sharing the old saying “climate is what you expect – weather is what you get” with your
students, and ask them to write down their ideas about what they think it means in their science
notebooks. Ask for a few volunteers to call out their ideas and try to define each term.
 Ask for two volunteers to look up dictionary definitions for each term and read them aloud, or two
students may simply read the definitions below if you wish to move along more quickly:
Weather: The state of the atmosphere with respect to wind, temperature, cloudiness, moisture,
pressure, etc. Weather refers to these conditions at a given point in time (e.g., today's high
temperature) (NOAA, National Weather Service Glossary)
Climate: The composite or generally prevailing weather conditions of a region, throughout the
year, averaged over a series of years. (NOAA, National Weather Service Glossary)
Note: climate scientists generally average weather conditions over a period of at least 30 years to
calculate climate (NOAA Climate Prediction Center)
 Do they see any differences between their ideas and the formal definitions?
 Revise the ideas they came up with, if necessary, and post the group’s working definitions on the wall
for future reference.
How is Weather Measured?
Meteorology: the interdisciplinary scientific study of the atmosphere.
 Ask the class to list common weather measurements and the basic instruments meteorologists use to
measure them (if they know what they are), and write your list on the board. Use the list below as a
reference if you wish.
Note: See resources section below for more links to background information and NOAA Education
lessons on weather
Basic Weather Measurements and Instruments
 Temperature (thermometer)
 Precipitation (rain gauge or snow gauge)
 Wind Speed (anemometer)
 Wind Direction (weather vane)
 Humidity (hygrometer)
 Air Pressure (barometer)
 Cloud Cover (human observation)
High-tech Weather Instruments
 Weather Satellites (NOAA Satellites)
 Ocean Buoys, for measuring wave height (NOAA National Data Buoy Center)
 Doppler Radar (NOAA Doppler Radar)
 Weather Balloons (NOAA Radiosondes)
 Ask the group to guess how often the NOAA National Weather Service takes these measurements to
give us the accurate weather information and forecasts we depend upon – Every day? Every hour?
Every minute? Answer: Every hour!
Note: If you want to spend more time on this, you can use this link (NOAA, National Weather Service,
Online School for Weather, Learning Lesson: The Daily Ups and Downs) to access a NOAA National
Weather Service activity that shows students how to access and graph hourly weather measurements
from any US location over the past three days.
How is Climate Measured?
Climatology: the study of climate, scientifically defined as weather conditions averaged over a period of
time
 Remind students of the formal definition of climate. It is simply the average weather conditions (all the
things listed above) for a certain place, over a period of at least 30 years. Climate averages vary from
place to place, depending on where it is on the earth, and that’s why we say one place has a different
climate (e.g. Florida) from another (e.g. Maine).
 Introduce or remind students of the concepts of taking averages over time, and of the difference between
short- and long-term variability. Climatologists use these measurements to understand differences
between normal levels of day-to-day, month-to-month, or year-to-year variability (those that can be
attributed to weather) and trends over longer periods of time (those that can be attributed to changes in
climate).
Note: It is essential for students to understand the concepts of averages and short- and long-term
variability to understand how climate is measured. If these are new or uncertain concepts for your
students, you may wish to spend a bit of extra time on this.
 Check out some NOAA Climate Data on the Web! Use this simple tool to see how graphs of Maine
climate compare to those from other parts of the United States. Simply choose a city in Maine from the
drop-down list to see the graphs. Print them out, and then choose a city elsewhere in the U.S. to
compare. How do the monthly averages for temperature, precipitation, and snowfall vary from place to
place?
Discussion scenarios – Are we talking about weather or climate?
 Break students into small groups of three or four students.
 Write or type each of the following scenarios on pieces of paper, and hand a set to each group.
 Ask students in each group to take turns reading them aloud. Use as many or few as you have time for.
 Ask the students to discuss/debate in their groups whether the statement refers to short-term changes in
the weather, or long-term trends that could indicate a changing climate.
 Go through the scenarios as a class and ask each group to share their reasoning. Do they want to change
their minds or argue for their position, once they’ve heard their peers’ thoughts?
1.
I’m so frustrated – our summer soccer tournament was rained out, and it’s been pouring every day
for two weeks, so the field is like a swamp – Is this because of weather or climate?
2.
Wow – we had eleven snow days this winter! I hope we don’t have to keep going to school into
July. – Is this because of weather or climate?
3.
My parents are planning our family summer vacation for early August, because that’s when we
expect to have the sunniest and driest weather for camping. – Is this because of weather or climate?
4.
Our apple festival is always held during the third weekend of September, because that’s usually the
peak of apple season – is this because of weather or climate?
5.
The heat wave we’ve had this week is terrible…it’s way too hot to do anything outside, and all the
tomatoes in our garden are drying up and cracking before they even get red! Is this because of
weather or climate?
6.
April is my favorite month, because I love spring, and that’s when we always expect to hear the first
spring peepers – Is this because of weather or climate?
7.
I love to go sledding and downhill skiing, but we haven’t had any good snow yet this year, and it’s
already the beginning of January – Is this because of weather or climate?
8.
I always go strawberry picking with my grandmother in early June, but she says that seventy years
ago when she was growing up, the berries were never ever ripe until the very end of June. – Is this
because of weather or a possible change in climate?
Reflection/Formative Assessment Ideas:
Return to the saying “climate is what you expect – weather is what you get,” and ask the students to go
back to their original thoughts about the saying in their science notebooks and add a second entry to revise
and expand upon their explanation of what this statement means.
Ask each student to choose one of the discussion scenarios from the list above and write it down in their
science notebooks. Underneath the statement, ask them to use what they learned in this lesson to help them
write an explanation for why they think it refers to weather or climate.
Extension Ideas:
If you have extra time, and/or students are enjoying the weather scenario discussions, ask them to share
other scenarios they’ve noticed in their own lives, and then discuss/decide as a class whether they are
talking about weather or climate.
Resources:
 Climate Literacy: The Essential Principles of Climate Sciences
(http://www.climatescience.gov/Library/Literacy/)
 Weather Instruments – background and history
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meteorological_instrumentation)
 NOAA National Weather Service, Jetstream – Online School for Weather
(http://www.srh.noaa.gov/jetstream/append/lessonplans.htm)
o Lesson on Cloud Observation
(http://www.srh.noaa.gov/srh/jetstream/synoptic/ll_clouds1.htm)
o Lesson on Using a Zip/City Search to Obtain 3-day Local Weather History
(http://www.srh.weather.gov/srh/jetstream/webweather/ll_updown.htm)
 NOAA National Data Buoy Center (http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/tour/virtr1.shtml)
NOAA Education Resources, Weather Observations Page
(http://www.education.noaa.gov/Weather_and_Atmosphere/Weather_Observations.html)