Polar Bears: Climate Change Lesson
Lesson Plan
3 hoursGrades3, 4, 5Science
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Written by Shannon Davis-Foust
About this lesson
In this lesson, students use the web of life to consider how global and local ecosystems are affected by climate change.
Inquire: Students play a game to understand how the Arctic web of life is affected by climate change.
Investigate: Students investigate a local ecosystem and create a web of life.
Inspire: Students make organism cards and play a game to explain how the local ecosystem is affected by climate change.
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Suggestions
- This lesson can be taught as an introduction to ecology or environmental science.
- This lesson highlights the importance of how climate change impacts species through abiotic changes in the environment. For example, it is commonly recognized that polar bears are suffering due to climate change, but few people understand the mechanisms that cause the decline of species such as the polar bear.
- This lesson helps students to visualize how species depend on one another and how they can collapse due to these interdependent linkages.
- This lesson may be taught over the course of several days (Day 1=Inquire, Investigate vocabulary study; Day 2= Investigate bioblitz; Day 3= Investigate Web of Life; Day 4= Inspire).
Prerequisites
- Students should have a basic understanding of climate science and species interactions in their local ecosystem (predators and prey).
- If time is being spent outdoors to gather information about the local web of life, the teacher should prepare students for environmental hazards including the weather, potentially dangerous species, etc.
- For best results, prepare a route to walk ahead of time and remind everyone to take their time. Binoculars are an option to improve observations.
- You will need a large ball of yarn or string for the Web of Life game.
- Print the Arctic Web of Life Cards from the Teacher Document before the lesson. Tie string to each corner for the cards to hang on students’ necks.
- If desired, print Web of Life Blank Card Templates from the Student Document for students to draw on for the game in the Inspire section. Tie string to each corner for the cards to hang on students’ necks. Alternatively, students may draw on the back of their Arctic Web of Life Card from the Inquire Section of the lesson.
Differentiation
- To extend the lesson:
- Students can categorize the organisms from the local web of life on the Trophic Pyramid Worksheet provided in the Student Document.
- Students can explore the parts of the water cycle that are affected by climate change.
- Students can write their own web of life stories and share them with their communities to explain why it is important to take climate action.
- If students are unable to go outside, you may choose to show a video or read a story about your local ecosystem to build background knowledge.
- Instead of working in small groups, students can make individual webs of life.
- To learn more about polar bears and their movement based on ice, check out Polar Bears International’s Polar Bear Tracker.
- Students can use Flat Nanuk to share a message about climate change and its impact on polar bears.
- Focus on cause and effect language for emerging multilingual students.
From the scientist review
A Web of Life game is used to introduce students to connections in the Arctic ecosystem. All terms are clearly defined and the interconnectedness of both biotic and abiotic parts of the ecosystem is stressed. Throughout, the focus remains on climate change’s far-reaching consequences for the polar bears and all life. This lesson is recommended for teaching.
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About the teacher writer
Shannon Davis-Foust
Shannon Davis-Foust holds a Ph.D. of Philosophy in Biological Sciences from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. She has been teaching since 2004 and specializes in environmental studies, with expertise in native plant management, invasive species, climate change, and environmental education. Shannon teaches college students how to teach environmental education to elementary and middle school learners.
