Beginning in 1851, Thoreau recorded the dates of the first spring blooms in Concord, and this data is helping scientists analyze climate change! The culminating instructional activity in the series of four has pupils graph and analyze data to determine what caused a variation in flowering dates over 150 years in Concord, Massachusetts. Through their answers and discussions, individuals determine how climate change affects phenology.

Concepts

weather data, data analysis, graphing data

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Additional Tags

science

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Instructional Ideas

• Place pupils in pairs for the lesson to maximize discussion, using think-pair-share

Classroom Considerations

• Lesson assumes individuals can make and analyze a graph
• Teachers should practice generating NDVI maps and graphs before using in class; instructions provided in the lesson

Pros

• Lesson provides all needed data, individual worksheets, graph paper, and extensive directions for both teachers and pupils 
• Teacher answer key can be found at the end of the lesson

Cons

• None

Common Core

RST.9-10.1