Affect of Global Warming on Aquatics - Week 6
To explore how the greenhouse effect may affect and relate to the topic of aquatics, I would engage my class in the following activities. I have students identify features on local topographic maps; topographic maps are available at your local United States Geological Survey (USGS) office or available on-line. [21] Students will delineate the watershed of a local surface body of water by identifying the higher elevation contour lines that are the boundaries for the watershed of the surface water body. Students will calculate the area of the land that collects water for this surface water body and discuss the possible types of environmental hazards that are present within the watershed. Students will sample water from a local surface water source, in my case the constructed wetland on my campus that collects the rainwater from the athletic fields, and they will engage in running three water quality parameter tests using the GLOBE water temperature and pH protocols. [22,23] Students will engage in an activity to understand the significance of these measurements and the range of each that is acceptable for aquatic life. Students will access the NOAA nowCOAST website to determine the current sea surface temperatures of the local area. [24] Students will also access a website to watch an animation of the change in the ocean surface temperatures over time. [25] Students will also look at pages 78-79 of The Inconvenient Truth and develop a position statement on the state of the ocean temperature and what it may mean for the myriad of different aquatic life forms that may be affected by this change.
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