Format
1. Program begins with introduction to Rocky Mountain National Park.
2. Ranger introduces the alpine tundra ecosystem and 3 important species that live there.
3. Students present their findings and discover threats that are impacting these species' survival.
4. Together, students explore solutions to threats on the alpine tundra.
5. 5 to 10 minutes is left at the end for questions and answers.
Objectives
Students will be able to:
1. Recognize the role of the NPS in preserving natural areas.
2. Understand the importance of indicator species and their role in the environment.
3. Connect human activities and population growth in the Colorado Front Range to high altitude nitrogen deposition and other climate threats in Rocky.
5. Create novel solutions and explore existing solutions to address the multiple threats impacting the alpine tundra.
6. 5 to 10 minutes is left at the end for questions and answers.
Standards Alignment
State Standards
Colorado Academic Standards
Science:
SC.MS.2.5: Organisms and populations of organisms are dependent on their environmental interactions both with other living things and with nonliving
SC. MS. 2.6: Ecosystems are sustained by the continuous flow of energy, originating primarily from the sun, and the recycling of matter and nutrients within the system.
SC.MS.2.12 Biodiversity is the wide range of existing life forms that have adapted to the variety of conditions on Earth, from terrestrial to marine ecosystems
SC.HS.1.9: Although energy cannot be destroyed, it can be converted to less useful forms as it is captured, stored, and transferred.
SC.HS.2.3: Organisms use matter and energy to live and grow.
SC.HS.2.4: Organisms interact with living and nonliving components of the environment to obtain matter and energy.
SC.HS.2.5: Matter and energy necessary for life are conserved as they move through ecosystems.
SC.HS.2.6: A complex set of interactions determine how ecosystems respond to disturbances.
SC.HS.2.7: Organisms interact in groups to benefit the species.
SC.HS.2.9: Variation between individuals results from genetic and environmental factors.
SC.HS.2.11: Genetic variation among organisms affects survival and reproduction.
SC. HS.2.12: The environment influences survival and reproduction of organisms over multiple generations.
SC. HS. 2.13: Humans have complex interactions with ecosystems and have the ability to influence biodiversity on the planet.
SC. HS. 3.7: The role of radiation from the sun and its interactions with the atmosphere, ocean, and land are the foundation for the global climate system. Global climate models are used to predict future changes, including changes influenced by human behavior and natural factors.
SC. HS. 3.9: Resource availability has guided the development of human society and use of natural resources has associated costs, risks, and benefits.
SC. HS.3.11: Sustainability of human societies and the biodiversity that supports them requires responsible management of natural resources, including the development of technologies.
SC. HS. 3.12: Global climate models used to predict future climate change continue to improve our understanding of the impact of human activities on the global climate system.
Reading, Writing, and Communicating:
RW.H1.1.2: Organize and develop credible presentations tailored to purpose and audience.
RW. H1.4.1: Synthesize multiple, authoritative literacy and/or informational sources, creating cohesive research projects that show an understanding of the subject.
RW. H2.4.1: Synthesize multiple, authoritative literacy and/or informational sources to answer or solve problems, producing well-organized and developed research projects that defend information, conclusions, and solutions.
Social Studies:
SS.HS.2.1: Use geographic tools and resources to analyze Earth’s human systems and physical features to investigate and address geographic issues.
SS.HS.2.2: Make connections among geographic variables that influence the interactions of people, places, and environments.
SS.HS.2.3: Investigate patterns of the interconnected nature of the world, its people, and places.
SS.HS.3.1: Analyze how the scarcity of productive resources (land, labor, capital) forces choices to be made about how individuals, households, businesses, and governments allocate these resources.