Blue Carbon

Science Concepts—Blue Carbon

Summary: This topic guide begins with a review of photosynthesis and progresses to the role marine wetlands play in carbon storage. Through photosynthesis, plants absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen. Animals, in contrast, breathe in oxygen, and breathe out carbon dioxide. Since the Industrial Revolution, humans have been adding more carbon into the atmosphere through the burning of fossil fuels, and this imbalance in the carbon cycle has led to changes in the Earth’s climate. The role that plants naturally play in carbon uptake is becoming increasingly important as humans look for ways to deal with increasing amounts of carbon in the atmosphere. Plants living in the ocean have a tremendous role to play in carbon storage, and salt marshes are particularly good at storing carbon. Understanding the important role marine wetlands play in carbon sequestration can help humans prioritize wetlands protection and restoration efforts.

Concepts to teach:

Goals:

  1. Through photosynthesis, plants take in carbon dioxide from the air
  2. Most of a tree’s mass is made up of carbon
  3. Salt marshes store a lot of carbon because the organic material is slow to decompose

Standards: NGSS Performance Expectations

  • MS-LS1-6. Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence for the role of photosynthesis in the cycling of matter and flow of energy into and out of organisms.

Specific Objectives:
Students will be able to:

  1. Articulate an explanation of photosynthesis to describe how plants put on mass
  2. Define Blue Carbon
  3. Describe the role marine wetlands play in storing carbon

Activity Links and Resources:

Assessment:

  • Use Van Helmont’s question as a formative assessment to elicit ideas about how plants put on mass.
  • Redesign Van Helmont’s experiment.
  • Both exercises from the Bringing Wetlands to Market include specific performance tasks that can be assessed
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Carbon on the Move

Science Concepts—Carbon on the Move

Summary: Carbon is an important element that comprises part of all living organisms and is found in many nonliving parts of our planet and atmosphere. In this topic guide, students explore the carbon cycle to discover how carbon moves between atmosphere, biosphere and lithosphere. With a clear understanding of the carbon cycle, students are better prepared to understand the mechanisms underlying global climate change.

Concepts to teach:

Goals:

  1. Carbon moves around the planet in various forms and substances
  2. A carbon source, living or non-living, releases CO2 into the atmosphere
  3. A carbon sink absorbs and holds CO2 from the air or water
  4. Human activities are emitting excess carbon into the atmosphere

Standards: NGSS Performance Expectations

  • MS-LS2-3. Develop a model to describe the cycling of matter and flow of energy among living and nonliving parts of an ecosystem.

Specific Objectives:
Students will be able to:

  1. Identify objects in their surroundings that contain carbon, as well as an example of a carbon sink and a carbon source.
  2. Describe how carbon moves through the system.
  3. Identify anthropogenic factors that have contributed to an increase in atmospheric carbon in recent decades.

Activity Links and Resources:

  • Background Reading: Carbon Cycle Science  from NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory
  • Activity: Carbon Walk Activity—In this Lesson 1.1 from the Bringing Wetlands to Market curriculum, students discover the many places carbon can be found in and around the schoolyard. Consider combining this activity with the OCEP Watershed Walk.
  • Activity: Greenhouse Gases—What causes excess carbon to end up in the atmosphere? This lesson plan from the Environmental Initiative at Lehigh University (Gr. 8) includes information about the carbon cycle and the Keeling curve.
  • Reading:
    • The Carbon Cycle—From NESTA Windows on the Universe, explores how carbon moves through ecosystems
  • Multimedia:
    • Infographic: Components of the Carbon Cycle—From the US Department of Energy, this infographic shows a simplified representation of the terrestrial carbon cycle side by side with the ocean carbon cycle. Fluxes and reservoirs expressed in gigatons are included.
    • Play the online interactive Carbon Cycle Game

Assessment:

  • Students make observations and classifications during their Carbon Walk. They identify whether or not an object contains carbon, and find examples of carbon sinks and carbon sources.
  • From OCEP teacher Nancy Buchanan: After playing the Carbon Cycle Game, students write a paragraph about their trip through the cycle, including 1) where they went and 2) how they got to each destination. Students create a “map” documenting their journey through the carbon cycle.
  • Carbon Cycle Exploration Assessment Sheet from the Environmental Initiative at Lehigh University, this traditional worksheet solicits short answers to questions about the carbon cycle and Keeling curve.
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Inland Planning for Salmon

Planning—Inland Planning for Salmon

Summary: Connections between inland and ocean ecosystems are embodied by the life cycle and geographic distribution of salmon. These anadromous species depend on inland freshwater streams and rivers for spawning, but they also depend on the ocean for their adult existence. Natural resource managers in the Pacific Northwest have spent a lot of time and resources managing and restoring inland habitat for salmon in order to preserve, recover, and enhance salmon populations. Today’s managers must examine how climate change will affect inland salmon habitats, and identify how to adapt restoration and management practices accordingly.

Concepts to teach:

Goals:

  1. Climate change causes reduced summer stream flow, increased winter peak flow and increased stream temperatures in Pacific Northwest freshwater ecosystems.
  2. These characteristics negatively impact salmon.
  3. To promote resilient salmon ecosystems, managers identify include climate change impacts into habitat restoration actions

Standards: NGSS Performance Expectations

  • MS-LS2-4. Construct an argument supported by empirical evidence that changes to physical or biological components of an ecosystem affect populations.

Specific Objectives:
Students will be able to:

  1. Identify effects of climate change that negatively impact salmon freshwater ecosystems
  2. Identify habitat restoration actions that may address climate change impacts on salmon freshwater ecosystems

Activity Links and Resources:

  • Review the Salmon Studies topic guide in Module One
  • Readings:
    • Restoring salmon in a changing climate—PowerPoint slides from the January 2013 WRIA Climate Change Workshop
    • Salmon Research and Climate Change—from USFWS, describes how “in the Pacific Northwest, the effects of climate change will probably alter the timing of stream flows, reduce summer flows, increase stream temperatures, raise sea level, and change shorelines and ocean current patterns. A critical challenge …is to increase our understanding of how climate affects ecosystems that support salmon and to develop long-term strategies for maintaining ecological health.”
    • A. Card, 2014 FishSens magazine article—Salmon shift migration timing to cope with a changing climate
  • See the Citizen Biomonitoring topic guide in Module Two—Explore local water quality and determine to what degree the habitat is suitable for salmon

Assessment:

  • Assign students to prepare a report based on their readings and/or field data to address one or more of the following topics:
    • What climate change effects are likely to impact salmon in freshwater areas? (Ex. reduced summer stream flows, increased peak flows, increased stream temperatures, etc)
    • Describe a habitat restoration action that would improve population resilience (Ex. preserving shade trees in riparian areas, restoring floodplains to increase habitat diversity, etc)
    • What do local water quality data indicate about the suitability of local freshwater salmon habitat?
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Dealing with Drought

Planning—Dealing with Drought

Summary: Global climate models predict that Oregon will experience a reduction of water availability, increased drought, and increased chances for wildfire in coming years. In this topic guide, students brainstorm steps they, their families and their schools can take to plan for these conditions.

Concepts to teach:

Goals:

  1. During drought conditions, people need to use water resources wisely
  2. There are personal actions everyone can take to reduce their water use
  3. By monitoring and sharing local precipitation data, citizens can help scientists and managers better understand drought

Standards: NGSS Performance Expectations

  • MS-ESS3-3. Apply scientific principles to design a method for monitoring and minimizing a human impact on the environment.

Specific Objectives:
Students will be able to:

  1. List three practical ways they can use less water at home or school
  2. Quantify the effect of a behavior change on the amount of water used or saved
  3. Collect and share local precipitation to help contribute to a better understanding of drought

Activity Links and Resources:

  • Background information for teachers: The Oregon Climate Change Adaptation Framework, 2010—Assessment of Very Likely and Likely risks associated with climate change, and short-term Action Items for addressing these risks.
    • Reduced water availability (p. 20-25) Very likely
    • Wildfire (p. 26 -31)
    • Drought (p. 39-43)
  • Drought for Kids from the National Drought Mitigation Center provides resources for understanding and dealing with drought, including:
    • Assessing Drought in the United States 6 minute video from CoCoRaHS, which explains how decision makers use a variety of data and in-person reports to assess the drought conditions across the United States
  • U.S. Drought Monitor—Check current drought conditions across the country
    • Use the map and the color key to identify which areas of the country are currently experiencing drought conditions.
    • Locate your school’s location on the state map. What are the current conditions in your area?
  • Activity: As a class, brainstorm ways students can reduce their water use at home and at school
    • Visit the OCEP Water Use topic guide in Module 2 for additional water conservation ideas
    • Decide on one or two specific actions everyone in the class will take to reduce personal or classroom water consumption. Have students journal about their experience, and collect data quantifying the amount of water used or saved.
  • Activity: Contribute to local understanding of drought by collecting and sharing precipitation data through the CoCoRaHS network

Assessment:

  • Students share their water conservation experience with others through writing, data charts, art, etc.
  • Collect, share and compare local precipitation levels through the CoCoRaHS network
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Phenology

Impacts—Phenology

Summary: Phenology is the study of periodic, seasonal biological phenomena that are often correlated with climatic conditions. Examples include the timing of plant flowering or bird migration. Changes in climate can result in phenophase shifts that can in turn affect the way ecosystems function. In this topic guide, students observe the timing of a local cyclic event, and compare their observations to historical records. They use evidence to support whether or not the timing of a natural event has changed, and identify how changed in phenology might affect communities.

Concepts to teach:

Goals:

  1. Patterns of periodic biological phenomena and events are predictable from year to year
  2. The timing of phenological events can change, particularly in response to changes in climate

Standards: NGSS Performance Expectations

  • MS-LS2-4. Construct an argument supported by empirical evidence that changes to physical or biological components of an ecosystem affect populations.

Specific Objectives:
Students will be able to:

  1. Identify a phenological event in the local community, and make first-hand observations about the timing of the event
  2. Compare the observed timing of the event with historical records
  3. Identify some of the actual or potential local impacts of phenophase changes

Activity Links and Resources:

  • Readings:
    • The Oregon Climate Change Adaptation Framework, 2010—Forecasts a shift in species distribution (p. 49-54) as a result of climate change, and identifies actions such as: “…monitor change in natural systems, and to monitor and map plant species distributions”
    • Birds and Climate Change—This 2009 report shows that many bird species are moving north.
    • Article: Scientists use TOPP data to model how the distribution of whales, sharks, seabirds and tuna could be affected by climate change.
  • Lesson Plans from the University of Maine Signs of the Seasons—Designed for middle and high school students in New England, these lessons can be adapted to Oregon species and used with younger students.
  • Project BudBurst—Citizen scientists monitor plants as the seasons change. Educator section provides implementation suggestions and standards connections.
  • Riverscalendar—In this project, volunteers document the emergence of adult mayflies, stoneflies and caddisflies in Oregon rivers, and share the information on iNaturalist

Assessment:

  • Assessment and extension ideas are included in the Signs of the Seasons lesson plans.
  • Did you find evidence that the timing of a natural event has changed over time? Explain what you found and what you think it means.
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Inland Glaciers

Impacts—Inland Glaciers

Summary: As we have seen in other topic guides, the ocean stores solar radiation and its currents distribute heat to shape climate zones throughout the globe. Ocean processes affect not just coastal climates, but also temperature and precipitation far inland. In this topic guide, students learn about how changes in temperature and precipitation affect the ice mass of Cascade Range glaciers. They use data-based graphic representations of ice mass balance in the Cascade Range to see how glaciers are changing over time, and learn what impacts these changes have on inland environments.

Concepts to teach:

Goals:

  1. Ecosystems far from the coastline are affected by ocean processes
  2. Oregon’s topography produces very different climate zones
  3. Increased temperatures result in loss of glacier ice mass
  4. Loss of glacier ice mass reduces water availability inland

Standards:

Specific Objectives:
Students will be able to:

  1. Describe how prevailing air mass movement from the Pacific Ocean impacts weather and climate in Oregon’s interior regions
  2. Use models, graphs and visual representations from long term data sets to describe climate change trends

Activity Links and Resources:

  • Pre-reading:
    • G.R. Miller and H.M. Mogil, 2011. Weatherwise article. Oregon’s Weather and Climate: Wet, dry, hot and cold—Prevailing air mass movement from the Pacific Ocean impacts weather and climate in Oregon’s interior regions. This article explains how Oregon’s latitude, topography, and proximity to the ocean shape its diverse climate zones.
  • Visualization Tools:
    How have glaciers in the Pacific Northwest changed over past decades? Graphic visualizations of glacier extent in the Cascade Range show changes in glacier mass.

  • Readings:
    • Articles about Oregon Glaciers. Although increased water from glacial melt may be beneficial in the short term, the retreat of glaciers could ultimately result in a decline in streamflow.
      • OSU Research on Collier’s Glacier: Oregon’s largest glacier in continued decline.
      • A.W. Nolan, et. al, 2010 article: Present-day and future contributions of glacier runoff to summertime flows in a Pacific Northwest watershed: Implications for water resources
      • M. Milstein, 2008 Waterwatch article: A region’s vitality melting away. This article explores the impacts of Mt. Hood glacial melt on agriculture
    • Water Resources—impacts from climate change, summarized by the Oregon Climate Change Research Institute
    • The Oregon Climate Change Adaptation Framework, 2010—Assessment of Very Likely and Likely risks associated with climate change, and short-term Action Items for addressing these risks
      • Extreme heat events (p. 15-19) Very likely
      • Reduced water availability (p. 20-25) Very likely
      • Wildfire (p. 26 -31)
      • Drought (p. 39-43)
      • Change in species distribution (p. 49-54)
      • Loss of wetland ecosystems (p. 62-69)
  • Climate Change Indicators Data:
    • EPA Climate Change Indicators in the US.—Observed long-term data trends related to the causes and effects of climate change, including:
    • U.S. Drought Monitor website—view national, regional, and state reports

Assessment:

  • How do studies of glacier mass balance help researchers understand climate change?
  • What climate conditions produce glacier mass loss? Create and interpret a drawing or chart that shows what glacier mass levels could be given predicted future climate conditions.
  • How is glacier mass loss connected to ocean processes?
  • How is glacier mass loss expected to impact inland environments?
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Coastal Hazards

Impacts—Coastal Hazards

Summary: Extreme weather events have significant impacts on coastal environments, and scientists look for patterns to determine how climate change is affecting the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. Storm surges, high winds, and heavy precipitation can alter coastal physical environments, affect water quality, and result in coastal habitat loss. In this topic guide, students examine coastal water quality data collected around storm events, and predict the impacts of extreme weather events on coastal ecosystems.

Concepts to teach:

Goals:

  1. Precipitation from intense coastal storms affects water quality in estuaries
  2. Sea level rise contributes to the coastal flooding and erosion seen with extreme storm events
  3. Extreme weather events can lead to loss of coastal habitat
  4. Understanding the effects of extreme weather events on coastal ecosystems can help scientists better predict climate change impacts

Standards: NGSS Performance Expectations

  • MS-LS2-4. Construct an argument supported by empirical evidence that changes to physical or biological components of an ecosystem affect populations.

Specific Objectives:
Students will be able to:

  1. Predict how major storm events affect NERRS reserves in the U.S.
  2. Investigate and interpret changes in water quality in an estuary due to a severe weather event.
  3. Determine the relationship between the characteristics of an extreme weather event (heavy wind, torrential rains and storm surge) and the subsequent change in water quality over time.

Activity Links and Resources:

  • See The New Waterfront topic guide
  • Readings:
    • The Oregon Climate Change Adaptation Framework, 2010—Assessment of Likely risks associated with climate change, and short-term Action Items for addressing these risks
      • Coastal erosion and flooding (p. 44-48)
      • Change in species distribution (p. 49-54)
      • Loss of wetland ecosystems (p. 62-69)
  • Activity: NOAA Estuaries—Earth Science Module Activity 4: Extreme Weather and Estuaries. This three-part lesson plan focuses on how hurricanes affect estuaries, and begins with a focus on a National Estuarine Research Reserve in North Carolina. Similarly, how might winter storms affect estuaries in the Pacific Northwest affect estuaries? Although designed for high school, this activity can be scaled for middle school use. Includes teacher guide and student worksheets.
    • Extension: Use System Wide Monitoring Program (SWMP) data from the South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve to explore the effect winter storms have on that estuary system. What parameters would be most helpful to target?
  • Online activity: How do storms affect coastlines? Online activity exploring coastal changes using examples from hurricanes and El Niño events

Assessment:

  • REPORT: Assign groups of students a community on the Oregon coast. Students identify how an extreme weather event has in the past impacted that community. How is climate change predicted to affect future extreme weather events and their impacts in this community? Potential impacts may affect natural ecosystems, human activities, or both.
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Investigating El Niño

Science Concepts—Investigating El Niño

Summary: During an El Niño event, shifting winds and ocean currents lead to greater than normal sea surface temperatures and changes in weather patterns around the globe. In Data in the Classroom lessons, students use real data to explore relationships between ocean and atmosphere, and the ocean characteristics that are associated with El Niño events.

Concepts to teach:

Goals:

  1. Oregon’s climate is affected by ocean processes centered at distant locations
  2. Complex factors combine to produce patterns of climate variability that can be predicted
  3. The relationship between ENSO and global climate change is not yet well understood

Standards:

  • NGSS Performance Expectations
    • MS-ESS2-6. Develop and use a model to describe how unequal heating and rotation of the Earth cause patterns of atmospheric and oceanic circulation that determine regional climates.
  • Ocean Literacy Principle 3
    • The ocean is a major influence on weather and climate

Specific Objectives:
Students will be able to:

  1. Describe how sea surface temperature data can show the presence of an El Niño event
  2. Describe weather characteristics associated with El Niño conditions
  3. Use real data to characterize sea surface temperatures for a given year

Activity Links and Resources:

Assessment:

  • Data in the Classroom includes check your understanding questions at the end of each level
  • Can We Blame El Niño for Wild Weather includes questions at the end of each section
  • El Niño from NOAA Ocean Explorer includes online quizzes at the end of each section
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Deep Density Drivers

Science Concepts—Deep Density Drivers

Summary: Ocean currents redistribute heat around the world and affect the world’s climate. In this topic guide, students use a model to find out how density drives deep ocean currents, and use the information to describe the potential impacts an influx of fresh water could have on ocean circulation.

Concepts to teach:

Goals:

  1. Density in the ocean drives deep global currents
  2. Deep ocean currents affect the earth’s climate
  3. Increased Arctic ice melt could slow deep ocean currents

Standards: NGSS Performance Expectations

  • MS-ESS2-6. Develop and use a model to describe how unequal heating and rotation of the Earth cause patterns of atmospheric and oceanic circulation that determine regional climates.

Specific Objectives:
Students will be able to:

  1. Explain how and why the melting rate of an ice cube is different in fresh water compared to salt water
  2. Use a model to demonstrate how density driven ocean currents work
  3. Describe how an influx of fresh water in the Arctic could affect ocean circulation

Activity Links and Resources:

  • Experiment: Will an ice cube melt faster in fresh water or salt water? from MIT Blossoms.
    • Students explore concepts of density by conducting an experiment comparing the rate an ice cube melts in fresh water and in salt water. The activity provides a foundation for understanding deep ocean circulation.
    • Includes a video lesson, teacher’s guide, worksheets, and an assessment rubric.
  • NOAA Multimedia Discovery Mission Lesson 8: Ocean Currents
    • The Video Lesson provides narrated animations describing surface currents and deep ocean currents, and the Global Impact sections describes how increased ice melt in the Arctic could affect deep ocean circulation.
  • Online image: Major Ocean Currents viewer from NOAA National Weather Service JetStream webpages

Assessment:

  • Assessment rubric included in the MIT Blossoms lesson
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The Ocean and our Weather

Science Concepts—The Ocean and our Weather

Summary: The ocean is a major influence on weather and climate. The ocean absorbs heat from solar radiation, and loses heat by evaporation. When water from the ocean enters the atmosphere as water vapor, it condenses and forms rain. In fact, most of the rain that falls on land originally evaporated from the tropical ocean. In this topic guide, students explore relationships between the ocean and weather on land though investigations of the water cycle.

Concepts to teach:

Goals:

  1. Water moves through a cycle that includes the geosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere and atmosphere
  2. The ocean plays an important role in shaping climate and weather

Standards:

Specific Objectives:
Students will be able to:

  1. Build a model to show how water moves through the Earth’s systems
  2. Describe how the ocean influences weather on land

Activity Links and Resources:

  • Lesson: The Water Cycle—In this lesson from NASA GPM (Global Precipitation Measurement) students participate in a webquest to learn about the water cycle, and then build a model of the water cycle to observe how water moves through Earth’s four systems.
  • Images that describe the water cycle
    • Water Cycle Poster from NOAA Education Resource—Use to review parts of the water cycle with students. Note that much of the water that will end up as rain is evaporated from the ocean.
    • Water Cycle Animation animation from NASA GPM—Visualize how water that evaporates into clouds from the ocean moves toward land and falls as precipitation.
  • Use the water cycle to connect the ocean and watershed. Review the Watershed Walk from OCEP Module One
  • Activity: The Incredible Journey through the Water Cycle—In this Project WET game adapted by the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology, students learn about the physical processes of the water cycle by taking on the role of a drop of water moving through the system.

Assessment:

  • The NASA GPM webquest includes a Student Capture worksheet.
  • How does water that evaporates from the ocean make its way to land?
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