Living Landscapes: Assessing Climate Change Impacts on Fish

Salish Kootenai College

Interactive map tool to assess how rising stream temperatures could affect native fish of the Northwest. Lesson concepts include the relationship between water temperatures, dissolved oxygen levels in streams, and the impacts of changing temperatures on native fish. Focused skills include use of an interactive map to assess how stream temperatures are expected to change and the impacts on native fish.

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Notes from our reviewers

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Teachers may want to become familiar with the use of the mapping tool before presenting the lesson to students. Tutorial is included. Teacher may want to provide additional guidance on the online mapping tool as well as sense-making questions and assessments to help students fully understand the importance and relevance of this activity. Once mastered, to increase skills, instructors could use the map tool for extended inquiry-based learning experiences following student interest and motivation. At the high school level, this resource may need more scaffolding and support. It may be a better fit for an AP course. This could be a jumping off point to an extension activity where students look at the data in context of policy-making or other related topics.
Students will use an interactive (ArcGIS) mapping tool to assess how rising stream temperatures could affect native fish of the Northwest. Students will learn about the relationship between water temperatures, dissolved oxygen levels in streams, and the impacts of changing temperatures on native fish. They will make predictions of the future of native trout in the Jocko River. Comments from expert scientist: This is a fantastic active learning activity with real life applications, easy to use materials, and up-to-date science.
Overall, this activity is a great way for students to learn how to use an online ArcGIS mapping tool to explore the climate change impacts on fish. This activity has students making predictions to tie knowledge together. Step by step instructions are given in the lesson for students to follow as they access information from the interactive map about current and future stream temperatures. Students are given detailed instructions on how to use the ArcGIS mapping tool from the NorWeST ArcGIS Online Map Help Document. Note that it could take multiple days to implement this activity to allow students time to learn how to use the map tool and get the data they need. Online graph is given for data collection. Students can load additional data to the map and also download data tables related to current and future stream temperatures that impact fish. Teachers should provide additional guidance of the ArcGIS tool given that some students may find it complex. Teachers may also want to add additional sense-making questions in addition to the projection goal. This lab includes background information for students on the important variables that they are studying.