National Standards:
- Science Content: A Science as Inquiry
- Science Content: C Life Science
- Science Content: D Earth and Space Science
- Math: Data Analysis and Probability
|
AP Environmental Science Topics
- Climate shifts
- Paleoclimatology
|
Virginia Standards of Learning:
- ES.1c: The student will plan and conduct investigations in which scales, diagrams, maps, charts, graphs, tables, and profiles are constructed and interpreted.
- ES.2c: The student will demonstrate scientific reasoning and logic by comparing different scientific explanations for a set of observations about the Earth.
- Sci6.5: The student will investigate and understand the unique properties and characteristics of water and its roles in the natural and human-made environment.
|
Prerequisite
- Completion of a lesson on tree ring structure and analysis (Three possible lessons are offered in the Lesson Links below)
- Familiarity with using Excel or other spreadsheet software
- Some knowledge of graphs and their interpretation
|
Tools
- Computer with Internet access
- Excel or other spreadsheet software
|
|
Vocabulary: |
|
Lesson Links:
|
Background:
Researchers such as paleoclimatologists or dendrochronologists use tree ring analyses as one tool to reconstruct climate information about the past. They will often reference data from other sources such as historical weather records, ice core or ocean core samples to support their findings.
Since the successful launch of the first weather satellite, TIROS-I in 1960, weather and climate data has been collected from space on a continual basis. More and more scientists in a wide variety of research fields are coming to rely on data gathered by these Earth observing platforms.
In this lesson, students will utilize research techniques similar to those used by a specialized group of scientists in studying climate change.
Note: This lesson is designed to facilitate student acquisition of the skills and knowledge necessary for accessing and utilizing NASA data sets to further their science and math competencies while engaging them in activities that reflect the processes of scientific inquiry as conducted by individuals in a growing number of careers. |
Procedure:
After learning and collecting data about tree rings, compare tree ring data to satellite data.
1. Click the Lesson Link for the Live Access Server.
2. Click on Atmosphere, then Precipitation.
3. Check the Monthly Precipitation (CMAP) box. Click Next.
4. In the first dropdown menu Select View, scroll down and choose Time
Series.
5. In the second dropdown, Select Output, Line Plot should be displayed.
If not select it.
6. Use the Zoom button to zoom in on North America.
7. Click the cursor in the area of the map containing your state or portion
thereof.
8. In the Select Time Range menu, select the full time period available
corresponding to the dates matching those covered by the tree rings on your
sheet.
9. Adjust the position of the cursor until the coordinates match the area
where the tree grew, or you can enter the coordinates directly in the
compass box to the right.
10. Click Next to see the graph of your data. Save it or print it out for
future use.
11. Close the graph window which takes you to the previous window and this
time in the Select Output window, choose ASCII file (text).
12. Click the link and save the text file to the desktop or a folder.
13. Close out of the MY NASA DATA Site and then open Excel.
14. Under the Data menu, scroll down and select Get External Data.
15. Select your saved ASCII text file and import into Excel.
16. Adjust rows and columns to fit your desired outcome.
17. Select Chart Wizard, scroll down and choose the type of chart best
suited to your data.
18. Follow the Chart Wizard instructions to create your chart in Excel.
19. Save or Print your table and chart.
20. Compare the LAS results with your findings from the tree ring
activity. |
Questions:
1. Did the satellite data confirm your tree ring analysis? If not, what might account for the differences between the two measurements?
2. Can you suggest data sets for other parameters that you could check that might support either the tree ring or the satellite data, if they do not agree?
3. Which of your results (the tree ring analysis or the satellite data) best reflects year-long changes in precipitation? Explain your answer in terms of your data. |
Extensions:
1. Have students research via news sources any strong indicators in the data of drought or exceptional periods of precipitation to determine their impact on people and the environment.
2. Expand the time range indicated in your query of the LAS and have students predict tree ring growth patterns for rings not included in the original analysis.
3. Instruct students to locate archives of publications that include past weather conditions to check on the accuracy of its predictions. |
|
|
Lesson plan contributed by Patrick Daugherty, Columbia, Missouri
|
|
Click here for Teachers Notes |
