Climate Change: Organisms as Climate Indicators
There have been many recent news reports and scientific studies concerning climate change. Based on several lines of evidence, scientists have determined that in the past, average global temperatures have been significantly lower as well as significantly higher than today (e.g. Pleistocene ice ages with glaciers and woolly mammoths, as well as Paleozoic swamps with giant ferns and insects). What evidence can help us determine what temperatures were far in the past? As you might suspect, since organisms become adapted to survive in the climatic conditions of their habitats, fossils of past life have played an important role in determining past climates. In this activity students examine simulated drill cores of recent and much older seafloor sediments that contain ìfossilsî of microscopic organisms called foraminifera (forams.) Students sort the different forams contained in their sediment core and determine the percentage of a certain species with right-coiling shells. Knowing the age of the sediments and that the percentage of right-coiling shells correlates to the water temperature at the time, students create a graph showing how water temperature has changed over time.
Details at a Glance
- 1-2 Days | 1-2 ~50 minute class periods
- 1 Activity
- Accommodates unlimited classes, each with 16 groups of 2 students
- Meets our criteria for supporting literacy
- All materials are non-consumable
- Developed in partnership with EDC
Scientific Concepts
•The geological record provides evidence for past changes to global and regional climate.
•Changes in the atmosphere due to human activity have increased carbon dioxide concentrations.
•Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas and Increased amounts of atmospheric carbon dioxide contribute to climate change.
•The presence, or specific features, of certain organisms are good indicators, or proxies, for determining the climate of a region.
Guides & Student Sheets
Our kits and modules provide you with everything you need so you can open, review, and teach the material confidently the next day.
- Full downloadable Teacher Guide with background information, detailed instruction, example data and answers
- Downloadable Student Sheets with age appropriate background information, full procedure(s), and analysis questions
- All materials necessary to carry out the investigation
- Safety Data Sheets
Kit Components
- 16 "Sediment Cores" and plugs
- 16 Sets of "Fossil Foraminifera"
- 16 Sorting trays
- 32 Student Worksheet & Guides
- 1 Teacher's Guide
- 1 Visual Aid: Sample Sediment Core Results
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