In this lesson, students will combine art and science to interpret and illustrate graphs in order to convey the ‘bigger picture’ of climate change.
“Hot issues, such as climate change may not be subjects of contention within the scientific community, but it seems clear that the science is not being communicated in a way that has the necessary impact.
Although art cannot directly communicate science or change minds, it can create a space for dialogue around difficult issues.
Few scientists are likely to deeply consider the role of narrative in their work or the visual impact of their images, but for reaching society as a whole these are vitally important.”
~Johanna Kieniewicz, At the Interface
Teacher Resources
- Lesson Plan
- Lesson Presentation
- Sources
- Extension: Lesson | Tutorial | Sample
- Summative Rubric
Student Resources
- Graph analysis worksheet
- Exemplars: Penguin | Increase in Carbon Dioxide
Additional Resources
- The Movie, Antarctic Edge: 70° South, https://beyondtheice.rutgers.edu/ is a good resource of how the climate is changing in Antarctica
- Jill Pelto—http://www.jillpelto.com/#intro
- Good sources of data and graphs for many different ecological regions
- LTER (Long Term Ecological Research) https://lternet.edu/
- NASA Climate Change http://climate.nasa.gov/
- NOAA Clmate Change http://www.noaa.gov/climate
- National Geographic – Climate Change is Here http://www.nationalgeographic.com/climate-change/special-issue/
- National Geographic Climate Change http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/
- Gallery walk ideas
- Antarctica Could Lose Most of Its Penguins to Climate Change, National Geographic, June 29, 2016.
- Common Core English Language Arts Standards
- Writing – Grades 6-8 http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/WHST/6-8/
- Writing – Grades 9-12 http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/WHST/9-10/
Next Generation Science Standards
Crosscutting Concepts
- Patterns
- Systems and System Models
Core Ideas
- LS2.C Ecosystem Dynamics, Functioning and Resilience
- ESS3.D Global Climate Change
Practices
- Analyzing and interpreting data
- Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information
Ocean Literacy Fundamental Concepts
- 7.F: Ocean exploration is truly interdisciplinary. It requires close collaboration among biologists, chemists, climatologists, computer programmers, engineers, geologists, meteorologists, physicists, animators and illustrators. And these interactions foster new ideas and new perspectives for inquiries.